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Help with lavender

utlockdowngardenerutlockdowngardener Posts: 23
in Problem solving
Hello! My lavender looks like it has not survived the winter. I am planting into the ground from pots. Is it even worth doing?

Posts

  • Robert WestRobert West Posts: 241
    If there's absolutely no fresh growth by now it's sadly dead. It won't come back unfortunately.
  • Robert WestRobert West Posts: 241
    Also, I've found that they tend to struggle in pots in winter. Even in the ground they can die off with too much wet weather. Buy your self some new ones, they're pretty cheap. The bog standard English Lavender you see in DIY places is actually the toughest and best growing in my experience. Good idea to dig some grit into the hole when planting and also plant them on a slight mound. That way they won't rot. 
  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    One way to check is to scrape off a bit of bark near the base, if there is any green you might be lucky although, depending on the variety, they usually only shoot from last year's wood.

    In the future you may want to think about taking cuttings to avoid losing the plant altogether?  My lavender has sentimental value and the current plants are probably 20 or more years worth of cuttings on from the original.

    It is easy to do but take lots as they won't all make it to next year.
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • utlockdowngardenerutlockdowngardener Posts: 23
    Oh dear. Some have small signs of new growth. I’ve just finished planting on mounds with some bonemeal. I’ll give it a few weeks before replacing. What do you think?
  • utlockdowngardenerutlockdowngardener Posts: 23

  • SophieKSophieK Posts: 244
    Hmm, I think trying to nurse them back to life may be time consuming and I'm not sure you'll get the desired result. They don't respond well to very hard pruning either.
    But hey, it's mother nature and we have good surprises more often than not.
  • utlockdowngardenerutlockdowngardener Posts: 23
    Thanks for the honest responses! I will wait a few weeks before I pull out and replace with new ones.
  • utlockdowngardenerutlockdowngardener Posts: 23
    Any tips on what I can plant around these? I have rhododendrons in the pots. Looks a little bare.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Rhododendrons and lavenders like very different conditions so they won't work well together. The lavenders like full sun as well as sharp drainage, whereas the rhododendrons will be better in light/dappled shade. Also, anything tall will tend to shade out lavenders. Maybe stick to some low-growing summer bedding plants. 
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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