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Did I act too hastily throwing out my lavender?
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Posted by
pam_whitbyon 6 (
My Page) on
Sun, May 15, 11 at 11:22
| I always feel stress when it comes to figuring out if lavender is dead or alive at this time of year.
Well, yesterday I looked at both my plants (not trimmed back in the fall) and I saw very tiny evidence of growth, some at the bottom, some at the top of all the seemingly dead stuff, and made a quick decision that thinking about it any further would be a waste of brain cells.
... Except I kept pondering it for the rest of the evening and thought endlessly about the two sizeable plants on top of the compost heap, versus just buying two more plants. I seem to have a love/hate relationship with lavender. Anyone else?
Should I have cut it right down to the woody bit and just left it?
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Did I act too hastily throwing out my lavender?
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| I always have to cut it back to the new growth in the spring. I'd grab it out of the compost heap. You won't be the first one to do so ;-). |
RE: Did I act too hastily throwing out my lavender?
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| When you do fish them out of the compost, think about where you are siting them. I had just about decided that lavender was annual for me, and last year just happened to put it in a new spot and low and behold, it came through the winter with flying colors. I think that since the new spot is at the top of a slope and the soil underlying the bed is sandy, that there is better drainage where it is now than where it's been in the past. I had thought that my previous area was well-drained, but this spot seems to suit it really well. I'll be trying penstemons there next! |
RE: Did I act too hastily throwing out my lavender?
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| Would probably have been better to cut it back and see what happened. Mine always seems to take awhile before the new growth gets going. Lavender isn't a favorite of mine in general, but then again I don't really love the smell, lol! Lavender is a woody herb, which means it IS rather short lived. The good thing is that it is super easy to root cuttings of it. Now I always take a cutting or two yearly in case the big plant dies out...
CMK |
RE: Did I act too hastily throwing out my lavender?
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| I got tired of my 4 year old plant growing over the driveway and cut it all back. I've seen pictures of lavender as a woody shrub as it's grown in the Mediterranean and mine looks a lot like those pictures. I received two different ones as NOIDs in a trade the fall we moved here in 2006. They are both still going strong. Cutting the plant back let me clean out all the dead leaves that fly over here from the neighbors oak trees every fall and get stuck in all the perennials. But, the plant is now just starting to green up and looks pretty bad. Lots of dead woody pieces afte the 4 years of growth. Just in case I decide to remove it and start again, I have two of its seedlings here to replace it. And I always keep seeds from it just in case. Linda |
RE: Did I act too hastily throwing out my lavender?
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| Mine came back this year after sitting in water logged pots outside, uncovered, all winter. Go figure. |
RE: Did I act too hastily throwing out my lavender?
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I tried 3 or 4 times to grow lavender outside and all died on me. I gave up! They would sit there looking all brown and withered all summer long, no matter where I placed them.
A friend at work grows lavender and says she just plops them in the ground, no amending the soil or anything, and they just grow! Go figure! lol |
RE: Did I act too hastily throwing out my lavender?
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| I grew lavender from seed this year via winter sowing and am amazed at the high germination rate. I've probably got a few dozen sprouts in each of two milk jugs sowed from traded seeds. Should be interesting to see if I can grow them but I have the perfect spot for them on a south and west open slope in full sun where the soil is poor and sandy. Wish me luck!!! |
RE: Did I act too hastily throwing out my lavender?
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| I had trouble initially with lavender. I have clay soil and a flat level lot. I created a bed in the front that slopes slightly toward the street and mounded up the soil to give it better drainage, then added a generous amount of sand and gravel to the bottom of the hole when I planted them. They seem to do fine now. I did find, that 'Lavender Lady' is a variety that germinates the easiest for me and has the least trouble growing in my garden. |
RE: Did I act too hastily throwing out my lavender?
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| I have a lavender that was very sad looking all of last year and this spring after the coldest winter we have had in many years. I debated just ripping it out and putting something else there but am one of those people who hates to throw anything away that is showing any signs of life. I chopped it to about 4 or 5 inches tall to see what would happen. It put out lots of new growth and looks really good now - so it gets to stay. |
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