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Lackluster lavender
I had a few lavender's (Hidcote I think) for pots and they are planted with one third grit etc etc. This particular one was looking a bit floppy from the get go and I thought it would perk up a bit, but it isn't.
I had been going to shear it all off half way down but have been told that if I do it will not regrow stalks or flower again this year.
Does any lavender in pots expert have any good advice on whether I can rejuvenate this in some clever way? I'm always a bit iffy with lavender and no matter what I do or instructions I follow, I always seem to make a bit of a mess of it. I just don't have the lavender touch!
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Have you checked in the roots for vine weevils?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks so much everybody. I've trimmed out the browned floppy stems only for now on the advice to just let it flower as it can for this year. Verdun...being an idiot, I've never liquid fed lavender. Duh! I don't know why I thought they weren't supposed to be liquid fed. I only water when the soil is dry and then give one good soak and leave until it dries out again.
So yes, I will do the tlc for this year.
Many thanks. I sometimes wonder why, in Scotland, I persist with lavender but when we had a couple of brilliantly hot days last week, my optimism came to the fore and I'm hoping to have more luck with sun lovers this year. (Famous last words of course!).
Dove also, thanks for the reminder of vine weevils and root checking. I had a look and all seems fresh and fine. But I've been caught out by the blighters many a time. I only learned about vine weevils originally on this forum a few years ago and was vigilant back then. However, I went on a spate of digging loads of things up and checking roots then. But, even when you know you should be diligent, it's amazing how some years common sense seems to go out the window (with me certainly) and how with some successes you can get a bit blasé and have senior moments about these things. I've lost all but one of my astrantia this year due to an astrantia fungus so I ought to know better and keep checking things. Tired out this year with family illnesses so a bit lazy and have to admit that many things in the garden are just 'hanging on' this summer.
The people who live in places like Scotland but still manage to exhibit at shows like Chelsea are truely amazing
No such thing as lazyness when it cimes to looking after family
bekkie..thoughtful last statement, thank you. My OH is bedridden and son also has long term illness so gardening mostly now is a quick dash out when it isn't raining. But it's the perfect therapeutic environment for fatigue and worry...and many here also attest to this. The old saying the world can turn on a dime, for me, can be adapted to the glorious behaviour of plants and how they hang on in there and often fight no matter what. So I take many of my life lessons from the garden. It's such a joy.
However, I have no excuse for my muddles with growing some things in this little garden as the botanical gardens are just down the road and many of the local gardeners learn what grows well outdoors there and replicate some of the plantings in their gardens. The changes in my soil each year are a mystery to me however, and sometimes my exploits are a bit more hilarious to witness than modesty would prefer! But, you can't beat it for fun and all the life enhancing experiences which come your way.
The Scottish weather has its challenges. In the last four years I've had to change planting plans every year because of the weather so the garden can never be settled and 'done'. (No garden is ever done). But it keeps me on my toes. It's maybe a terrible thing to say - from a Scot - and particularly with all the politics this year - but I've always dreamed of living in an English gardening paradise where I could grow so many things which I'd love to have year round. Oops!
yarrow - I gave up with lavender a long time ago. Not worth the effort up here I felt.
I don't like the smell anyway so it was no great loss. 
You have enough to deal with so I'd say don't make extra work for yourself, but if you love them and really want them to succeed I think the best way is a decent sized raised bed in the sunniest, most sheltered part of the garden and grow them with other similar types of plant so that you can make the conditions as ideal as possible for them. A layer of thymes round the base will help disguise the less attractive woody stuff too.
And perhaps just accept they will always have their moments of looking rough!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...