I have one lavender bush that is growing and two that aren't. Any advice (continued)?

Question

I recently posted a question about planting 3 lavender bushes. One is growing beautifully and the other two not so much. I was given some good advise and good acticles to look at but I still have some questions. I checked the two that aren't doing so good and both still have full green stems with the grayish dried looking blooms. Some stems are green at the bottom and turn brown and woody towards the top and grayish through the bloom. Others are all brown and woody. Since both still have a good amount of green stems, could just be in shock? If so, should I cut off the brown stems or what can I do before I fertilize them to help them out? Will they come back next year better and I just have to be patient through this year while they acclimate? Drainage is good and all get the same amount of sun/shade during day.

Answer 1

Wish I could help,I tried lavender once years ago, killed it . But I love it, so I know how you feel.

If the other two are still alive just keep treating them the same as the one that is doing great.  It may take longer for the other two to adjust.

I would check one thing take your foot and lightly push on the ground around the plant to make sure there are no air pockets in the soil, I know it sounds silly But when I first started gardening I didn't pack the dirt in correctly and it caused problem.

I found an article that might be help for you, I hope.

Good luck with your bushes

http://www.norfolk-lavender.co.uk/conten...

Answer 2

For 10 years my small garden (in the UK) had just one well established lavender bush (variety = Hidcote). I would prune it back hard in the autumn every 2nd year. By mid summer the next year it would as big as the previous year and full of flower.  

18 months before I moved home I potted up 24 cuttings. They had well established roots by last spring when I planted them in my new garden along with 24 small plants that I purchased. The cuttings have all thrived, the purchased plants have struggled, 5 have died.

I feel you should let your plants get established before you do any more cutting or pruning. Lavender seems to need a good root system to make it resilient. An established lavender seems to tolerate any amount of hard pruning at the right time of year. Avoid pruning or cutting in the growing season. Take some cuttings from the good plant just in case the other 2 don't survive.

Answer 3

What zone are you in and when did you plant them?  If they are newly planted, they could just be going through shock. The roots may not be developing well.  You could try to put some diluted root stimulator around the base of the plants.  You can cut out the dead part only, but I honestly wouldn't cut them back too much until cooler weather prevails.  Cutting them back in the heat of the summer could stun them even more.

Good luck!