sad lavender help!

5 years ago

garden zone 8b (Seattle). the first one I planted in this spot died, while it's two neighbors thrived (they're a year old now). all three get a couple of hours of direct sun around noon, but the two survivors continue to get a few more hours of sun in the late afternoon due to their position in the garden. I replaced the dead lavender with a new one and it's starting to look droopy. I'm worried that the late afternoon shade is just too much for it.

on the other hand, maybe it's just that it's new and not fully established. I planted this a month ago. there was a normal amount of rain / sun for seattle spring, no frost, but for the past week it has been dry and a bit warm (75-78 degree highs for the past 3 days). this is the week they started drooping.

so my first instinct is to move it to a sunnier spot, but I can't be sure. maybe it actually needs a little water since it hasn't established itself? which one do I do, these are two very different approaches!

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Comments (5)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
5 years ago
Is the picture before or after it went droopy, because I can’t see much wrong with it? Check under the mulch. Is the soil moist a few inches down? I’d pull the mulch away and let the air and sun get to the base of the plant.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
"A couple of hours" of direct sun is not enough, especially somewhere far up north here like Seattle where sun intensity is low, even in midsummer. These really want as much sun as can be provided.....at least 6-8 hours, more if possible.
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User
Original Author
5 years ago
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) I think you're right. I'm going to move it today.

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK this photo is the "after". all the flowers look healthy because they were already there when I bought it. but they used to stand up perfectly straight, and now the side ones are drooping. the drooping is visibly worse each day, for the past few days. see the one in the front, right at the bottom of the pic? its stem is weak and it's almost touching the ground.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
its going to continue to droop if you continue to repeatedly move the thing ...

im not sure it was over its prior stresses.. and now your stressing it again ...

move it if you wish.. but dont move it again.. until fall.. if you decide on a third spot ...

i gave up on Ls decades ago ... in all the posts on the topic.. i think a prime factor on longevity is winter drainage ... these things just dont like wet cold feet ... and perhaps that is why your previous ones failed..

but gal is your local guru.. so whatever she says about the PNW .. i will defer to ...

ken
User
Original Author
5 years ago
thanks Ken! so only one failed before. the two next to it get more sun (they're not in the afternoon shadow) and have been thriving for a year. I see lavender of different types all over seattle, it seems to be really happy here. I think the one bad spot is maybe just not getting enough sun. I will definitely only move it one more time.

I'm so attracted to lavender because I want a garden that barely needs any water once its established. also, bees really love it, so it makes me happy to see them buzzing around.