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Pot bound lavender, any suggestions?

roisin897roisin897 Posts: 32
in Problem solving
For some reason some of the plants in my lavender hedge didn't survive the winter this year. I thought I had come across a bargain at an el cheapo shop with some good-sized 1 year old plants and bought a dozen. Of course, when I got them home, I realised my mistake: as they were clearly pot bound. I tried to gently tease out some of the roots, planted them carefully and have nurtured them with tlc ever since. (2 or 3 months ago, maybe longer, I'm not sure).

Since then they have not died, but they are clearly sulking and have barely grown at all. Do I just leave them and see if they perk up in spring? Or is there anything I can do in the meantime to encourage them. (Generally my lavender seems to thrive on very little attention!)
Age doesn't make you forgetful. Having way too many stupid things to remember makes you forgetful.

Posts

  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    If possible, could you post a photo of what they look like now? Have they flowered already? What type of soil do you have in your garden? Sometimes pot bound plants take a while to adjust to the new soil. If you have compacted soil that has not been loosened enough their roots will not venture out into the surrounding soil.

    Even though Lavenders aren't all that demanding, they still need watering regularly to encourage the roots to spread into the soil. What I would do is use a knife and slice off the bottom inch of soil when you took it out of the pot and score/slash the sides to release the roots open before planting. On some fine roots that have become matted, that is the best way to help it along.
  • roisin897roisin897 Posts: 32
    Thanks. They are really tiny still: haven't flowered at all - have barely grown; but haven't died. They have been watered regularly when dry (but not over watered - just a couple of times a week). The soil is poor: we are on chalk and the thin layer of topsoil gets very compacted; I have added sand and grit but done very little enrichment in this area. But I did prepare a good space with compost/sand to plant each into.

    *We have a very large garden and this particular corner is the one that has had least attention, due to limited time and resources. But the lavender has coped well and mostly is rather spectacular.
    Age doesn't make you forgetful. Having way too many stupid things to remember makes you forgetful.
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    Thanks for the photo. Health-wise, they look fine. However, they do look very small. I would have re-potted them into larger size pots to grow on. Because they still look delicate, you can still dig them up to re-pot and keep on a patio over winter. The danger is, when winter comes, they may be swamped by the rough weather with very little protection from other plants around it. If you want to keep it in the ground, I suggest a top layer of mulch or gravel to keep the base dry and minimise rotting. 
  • roisin897roisin897 Posts: 32
    Thanks: I think I will dig one up and take a look at the roots and then decide whether to disinter them all and pot up for the winter. (Most of my lavender hedge was grown from 1cm plug plants that I potted up an grew on and planted out when they were still pretty small, so I thought these would be fine...)
    Age doesn't make you forgetful. Having way too many stupid things to remember makes you forgetful.
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    They might still be fine. But if you felt they had not done much over the summer months, it may be the roots have not found their way out into the surrounding soil. Worth a check to see how they look since they are still small. But, if you keep them out in the ground, I do think they may need a bit of protection around the base. 
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