I am SO frustrated! Every form of lavender (Lavandula) I plant dies! I've tried Munstead, Provence & another which presently slips my mind. My first trial was with 4 plants, 2 in one bed (too much water - I didn't know), 2 in another, almost no water. All in full afternoon sun, one was somewhat shaded by large nearby elephant ears. No matter, all died at the same rate!
I then read they like sandy, well-drained alkaline soil, so I planted new ones this spring in pots (to better control moisture). I purchased 6" pots to start with healthy semi-mature plants. I mixed the soil with sand, pebbles & lime. I thought I had given it all it needed. But all my beautiful lavender slowly started to turn black from the bottom up and die!!!!!!!!!!
Has anyone had success with this? I am in the very humid south, can the humidity have adverse effects on it? I am N. of Houston. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience with lavender.
What am I doing wrong?
Frustrated for Lavender!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't get it to survive over one year--tops. I'm glad I didn't even try this year with a summer as 'moist' as this one has been. I wish I could help you--I love aromatic plants. Had to settle for lavender mint here...a very poor substitute too I might add. lol
You know, I've had a TERRIBLE time with lavender this year. I started out with 5 and I'm down to 2.25, soon to be 2. I never did figure out if the others were too much water or something else. They turned black and died. However, the other 2 that are left are in the exact same bed, getting the exact same water and they are doing great. They're full and even finally flowering. But my other 3 died slow steady deaths since May. I'm so bummed. Raised herb beds next year...it's the only way I know they'll do really well. Bummer.
Ladyborg,You may have to grow your lavender in pots since it is so humid there. Pots may be better than raised beds in this case, and clay pots may be the way to go. Lavender MUST have excellent drainage! A lavender grower in Blanco told me that if you think your lavender needs to be watered, wait til tommorrow! Another killer of lav. is not enough sun. They love it! Lav. isn't really that hard to grow, but you've got the xtra humidity to try to deal with. Good luck!
I've tried over and over with lavender and had the same experience as you.
I later learned that it wasn't just me, and everyone I've talked with, has expressed that lavender just don't like it here.
I even heard Neil Sperry say they won't grow here...
The only lavender I HAVE had success with is Spanish lavender. It does really well and I actually like the blooms even better. I made little sachets from it last year, and no one knew it wasn't the "regular" lavender...
-T
ME TOO, the spanish does best....and I have sandy alkaline soil, just like I am supposed to and nothing but trouble from lavender
I've had 'hidcote' lavender growing for two years now. They tend to go through unhealthy looking periods. The plants looked great the first year (planted in spring) and bloomed all the way to October. Then the plants turned gray and woody over the winter. They sprung back to life when night time temperatures averaged 55 degrees (mid April?). They then bloomed profusely until a month ago, and all the flower stalks turned gray. I cut down all the stalks and new healthy flowers are now starting to grow again.
I have them planted in front of some ruellia (not done with much foresight). But I think that I inadvertantly improved their drainage. I think the ever expanding ruellia root system is keeping the lavender dry.
The big mystery for me is how lavender can grow so well in England. Fields and fields of lavender grow up there as if it were a wild flower. England is overcast and damp much of the year. How can it grow so well in those conditions, when it naturally prefers hot, dry sun? My instinct tells me that it must be genetic adaptation.
Lavender is certainly finicky here (difficult to argue with Sperry), and I'm considering replacing mine with more salvia. Salvia has similar characteristics and behaves and looks consistently better in Texas (my opinion).
There are a couple of cities here known as the lavender capital of Texas. Would be interested in what those folks recommend.
For a substitue for a true lavender in our high heat, high humidity climate, try plectranthus, cultivar Mona Lavender. The plant file page has pictures and it's done well for me in ground here in Houston. Blooms really well with only a small break between bloom cycles.
I have a provence lavender in a pot with Sage and basil and it is doing well, though not growing like gangbusters. It's my first time trying.
My friend has two varieties of the Lavendula x intermedia growing in Oklahoma though. They grow in a raised bed of the native sandy soil and oak & hickory leaf compost. The native soil is pretty close to neutral. The bed is raised, about 12 inches wide and squeezed between big sandstone boulders. It gets rain and a watering about once or twice a month when she goes up there. It is blooming beautifully now and seems to just love the neglected hot little spot its in.
Edited for terrible grammar...
This message was edited Jul 12, 2006 12:44 PM
Lavender gets puny on me as well. It seems to enjoy the heat, but then winds up just getting beaten to death by it. I've tried before and will try again, but if next year is the same, I'll go with something else. I'm interested in the Spanish lavender; I'll go check out the plant files.
collincountytx, Blanco just had its 2nd annual lavander festival last month. I live between Blanco and Wimberley, w/ Blanco being a coupla miles closer. (Blanco phone #, Wimberley mailing address) As a Master Gardener, I can get all my annual volunteer hrs during the festival! There are 9 farms in the area, plus most of the farms also had booths set up on the square. We're (Blanco) trying to be labeled the lavender capital of Tx, but there's another little town nearby that would also like that distinction! There will be another next year!
Robb Kendrick, a photographer w/ Nat' Geo, was doing a shoot in Provence,France and noticed the climate was similar to ours and just loved the fields of lavender in bloom. He & his wife started the 1st farm, Hill Country Lavender. They distill their own oil and have a lot of great products. Lavender Hill, another farm, has a smaller still where you can get a demonstration of the oil extraction process.
The problem, as I'm sure you've noticed, is that those of us who live down here in this hot and humid area cannot grow plants that come from Mediterranean climates, where it is not so humid and it cools down at night. Someone else mentioned Spanish lavender. That is the only one that I have seen grow decently here. I've had mine for two years now, maybe three, and it probably won't last through next year. I'll see. It seems to be short-lived here. But I like it, it makes a nice mound of grayish green leaves, the blooms are very pretty and it smells good. So I'm not going to worry about those other kinds and stick with what works. I also grown Mexican Marigold Mint instead of French tarragon, because that works here and the tarragon doesn't. Pretty, smells and tastes just like tarragon, too.
Thanks ALL for the input. I happened to see a large flowering English Lavender @ Lowe's today and purchased it. We'll see how it does. I should post before and after pics.
I am going to plant it where I had one die already.........it's up high (I took the top of an aluminum chiminea off, turned it upside down and it looks like a bird bath. I filled the leg of it with rocks for drainage and the soil is mixed with sand for drainage also).
Wish me luck :o)
P.S.: Please see my recent post http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/625748/............the Shih Tzus & Lhasa Apsos need YOU!
Ladyborg,
I seem to have had alot of luck with my lavender bush. I planted it last year and its gotten huge and put tons of spikes out this past Spring. It gets some reeeal hot evening sun and watered about 4 days and is doing just fine. I can't remember what type it is...Spanish perhaps?
Turqoize (You have no idea how hard is to type your name correctly!!!) You live in dry San Antonio, Ladyborg lives in humid Magnolia - just down the road from me.
The best lavender for the Houston area is fern leaf lavender. I have had success with other lavenders when planted on a slop out of sprinkler range. When planting lavender in a raised bed you need to add granite gravel or pebbles to the bottom of the bed before planting the lavender. Lavender also needs good air circulation.
Good to know, butterflybyrob. (I'm glad I touch type...) Is autumn a good time to put in lavender, or should I wait until spring?
Ladyborg, I love your adorable friend there! He? She? and my little Brigid would get along like peas and carrots -- as long as it was understood Brigid is The Queen.
lol ceejaytown, actually, the correct spelling is turqoise...but that version is always taken... TxT will do...
Ahhh, had no idea where Magnolia is...
Actually, San Antonio can get quite humid at times...not as bad as say, Houston...but pretty unbearable every now and then...
Ceejaytown, I'm closer than you think, off 2978 :o) Yes, it's VEEEEEEEEERY humid here. Don't know San Antonio, but I've been here over 20 years (and I'm from even further south!) and I still complain about the humidity every single year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My friend is Cricket (a girl), she's mine, but I have a foster dog you can have :o) his name is Lucky! I'm a volunteer with Lone Star Shih Tzu Lhasa Apso Rescue (www.shihtzu-rescue.org), Lucky's Petfinder bio is at http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=5993826, or see all our available dogs at http://www.shihtzu-rescue.com/availableDogs.html
Well, Ladyborg, you practically live in The Woodlands!! I manage to get to 2978 a lot!!
fall is the best time for lavender, it is cooler and dryer, through in some nasturtium seeds
Thanks, butterfly. Will do. My nasturtiums did not do well this summer; maybe they'll be happier planted in the fall.