Lavender stoecha - not sure whats wrong.

sharanshrubs · July 2022

Anyone know whats wrong with my lavender stoecha? Been like this for 2 months now (even before the drought) was looking so green and healthy before. Bought it last year.

Fairygirl · July 2022

If it's potted, it needs watered. It isn't the same as when established in the ground

Has it got suitable drainage in that pot too?

sharanshrubs · July 2022

Its potted. Ive watered it a lot regularly over last 2 months but no change. Ive put in horticultural grit.
Would you still say water? Im tempted to take it out the pot and see whats going on with drainage..

Fairygirl · July 2022

Water but good drainage are what's required. One without the other is no use.
If it's been dried out completely in the last few months, it may not recover though.

rossdriscoll13 · July 2022

The reason it’s turning brown is because of root rot. In other words it has received TOO much water. You should water your lavender and then let the compost dry out before watering again. It also needs a nutrient poor, free draining compost or soil in full sun. You also need to deadhead the spent flowers.

punkdoc · July 2022

You can’t know that, it is just as likely it is dying of drought.

Dovefromabove · July 2022

The compost looks very fibrous … is it a general Multi purpose type? It needs a loambased compost such as John Inness No 2 or 3 with the addition of plenty of grit.

Is it planted directly into that glazed pot or is there an inner pot?

Does the glazed pot have drainage holes?

sharanshrubs · July 2022

I think it could be root rot.
It is always in full sun.
It is a multipurpose compost with horticultural grit.
It is planted directly into the glazed pot which has one large hole at the bottom. Would this be ok? Should I use inner pots?

All thoughts much appreciated.

sharanshrubs · July 2022

I am new to planting in pots, I try to read about how to care for the plant as much as I can before I plant, use the right compost etc. Always learning....!

Dovefromabove · July 2022

There’s a lot to get your head round isn’t there … and what’s right for one plant isn’t right for another … and the books and websites sometimes differ … and you don’t know what you don’t know so you think you’re getting it right … and then find out that if you’d known something else you’d have done it all differently.

In my experience multi-puproose composts are too fibrous and lightweight for permanent planting. They’re more for short term stuff like pots of bedding plants and growing veg.

Also because compost manufacturers are currently developing new peat-free composts, some of them work better for some plants than others, and the gardening world is working out how best to use them. Some of them seem very difficult to get wet again once they’ve begun to dry out.

Also, for mediterranean type plants like lavender an unglazed terracotta pot is best because they don’t get waterlogged so easily … they let air through and let the roots breathe.

So my suspicion is that the problem has arisen because the compost wasn’t really suitable for your lavender and this was compounded by a very lovely looking pot that was just the wrong pot for that plant.

I’m sorry to say that I don’t think the lavender will recover. 😢

However gardeners are positive people and every dead plant is a new planting opportunity 😃

So … how about starting a new thread showing and describing the pot and the site and asking for suggestions for a plant that will be happy there 😀 👍

sharanshrubs · July 2022

Thanks Dovefromabove .

I have a similar problem with my pelargonium. I will start a new thread/s as suggested.

Lavender stoecha - not sure whats wrong.

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