Sad looking lavender
Cloughie
Posts: 3
I hope someone can advise...I am new to this forum but have read lots of good advice. I have just planted a lavender border, 12 plants in total. I am fairly sure that I have normal, well drained soil. I watered the plants before planting, and gave a little water afterwards as I know they don't like to be over watered. I gave them a little water the next day, then went away for the weekend so left them alone with no more watering. When I came home, a few of them were starting to look sorry for themselves, flowers wilting and the bases turning brown. They are in differing states of sadness; some looking very pathetic, some just not so great, and 3 look perfectly healthy!
So I am guessing that the soil OK because of the thriving ones. The only difference that I can think of in any of the planting is that I did it in a bit of a rush and I mixed blood fish and bone into some of the holes, but forgot with others, but I don't know which was which now. I didn't think that should matter hugely though as I thought it was pretty hardy and shouldn't die just because of the lack of fertilizer?
I think couple of the holes possibly weren't as deep and the bottom of a couple of plants were slightly higher then the level of the ground, but only slightly. They are in the sunniest spot of a sunny garden. Incidentally, one of the really thriving ones is in a spot that gets a bit less sun than the others!
Sorry for the heavy detail, I just wanted to give all the info so I could hopefully get some opinion on what I am doing wrong!
Posts
The lack of blood fish and bone won't have made any difference to the plants at this stage. Are the plants a reasonable size or are they fairly small? If they have been grown outside the weather shouldn't make any difference to them but I would cut the flowers off the wilting plants to give them a chance to recover.
The only thing i can think of is that you might have given some too much fertlizer, or too close to the roots? That would damage the roots and plant.
I agree with Ceres - definitely remove the flowers. You could also try shading the plants for a few days to see if that helps.
I didn't think the blood fish and bone thing would be a problem either. They were good sized bushy very healthy looking plants when i bought them!! Is there a chance they would recover, and not a case of once they're going they're gone?
I'm not sure if I used too much bfb, but I did just pop it in to the hole and then the plant in on top. Typical that I didn't clock which ones had it in and which didn't to see if is consistent.
As far as I'm aware it shouldn't harm them unless you really over-did the dosage, no.
Are they well bedded-in? You'd get this sort of symptom if, say, a mole had undermined them.
Are the roots getting enough water? If the rootball becomes dry, particularly if the plants were in peat based compost, then they are going to suffer. Dry compost around the roots will stay dry and is very difficult to re-wet. If the plants are only recently planted, then I would carefully lift one and check the rootball. If dry, then soak in a bucket until re-wetted and then replant.