Have my lavendar plants died

blossom30

Hi I am a newbie at gardening and just learning as I am going along. I have 2 varieties of lavendar in the garden one lot seem to have survived and the other lot well they look woody, I really don't know if they need replacing. I would appreciate any advice from the experts here as I dont want to dig up plants that may flower in the coming months. thanks shrewdal

izzwizz_2

Lavender plants do go woody when they get older, especially in damper climates, but if they still have leaves they're not dead. If alive, they will flower, but will not look so pretty as newer, younger plants.

tanith

Most Lavender should be growing now , they will have fresh green growth at the tips even of the 'woody' bits... Lavender is usually pretty robust and lasts for years and years... I'd just wait and see if I were you, and if they are not growing in the next few weeks then think again.. it pays to give it a 'haircut' in the Autumn or once the flowers are gone or cut.. that stops it getting long and straggly

WestonDave

I've got a plant which has partially died - I think the prolonged cold spell got too much for it. Part of the same plant died back the previous winter so it may just be generally suffering from old age. I'm leaving it be for the time being as some of it is surviving but also preparing for the fact that it may not survive the next winter.

ALIBOBSY

Its also easy to take cutting from lavender. I just cust off a growing peice ie not very woody and covered in leaves about 6 inches long. Strip off the bottom leaves and push into compost-I did 3 lavender and 3 rosemary in one middle sized plant pot pushed in around the edge. Keep compost damp and wait. Eventually after a few weeks they will root and can be potted on or will die (so you can start again). Last time all but one rooted even without any rooting powder (can be used to encourage rooting). I accidently left them out instead of putting them in the GH and all survived the snow etc so they are pretty hardy, plus my original plant is now looking lovely and bushy again.

Second the cut back in autumn otherwise all these sort of herbs go long and woody, then if you cut back to brown woody growth you cut off all the live shoots and kill it-been there done that lol.

ali x

hethmar

I have found my English lavender has survived but the few "French" variety plants I had have totally died.

If you cut the lavender back hard in the autumn you will have nice new green shoots in the spring.

ixwood

I've lost a few Lavenders. Leave them be though, 1 of mine that looked pretty dead has a few signs of life appearing now. It might not make a proper come back, but I'll give it the chance.

evie451

i have had the same my english varieties are ok and coming back but my French lavender is showing no signs of life at all......unfortunately it will be hard to replace as it was really big and bushy.....i will leave it a while yet though just in case.....lost a few plants this winter......

Redcedar

Lost my french ones as well but my english ones have all come back into life. Pulled my last french up today and filled the gap it left - gutted as i love them.

Will try taking some cuttings, sounds not too hard to do for a newbie.

Pipkin

French lavender is not hardy, but english lavender is.