On 19/02/2011 08:40, gardeningnut43 wrote:
I live on the south coast near Dugeness in Kent. 14 Years ago we grubbed
up some lavender bushes (shrubs)? from our son's garden and planted them
at our bungalow. The soil is sandy loam with a good helping of pebbles
so the drainage is good. This lavender has thrived for all of these
years with just a clipping after flowering and then a little clip in the
spring to get them going again. Every year they have excelled themselves
with lovely tall spikes for the bees. This year (February) for some
reason the plant seems to have died. There is no green matter at all, it
is mostly grey and brittle. We did lose a plant two years ago going the
same way. The shrub is a lovely metre or so tall. By looking at adverts
it seems that this plant is Grappenhall Lavender. We would dearly love
to replace this plant with the same as the bees love it. Does anybody
have a clue as to why it should have died so suddenly. There are a line
of them 8 metres long and they look as though they have all died
together. Last summer they were very healthy plants. Any help would be
ghreatly appreciated.

Mike Peirson.




Lavenders are relatively short-lived plants so, disappointing as it is,
they probably don't owe you anything. I think you will just have to dig
out the dead plants and look out for replacements. It would help the
new ones establish if they didn't have to go in the same place, but I
understand that with a hedge, you may not have a lot of choice. In that
case, simply remove as much root and detritus as you can.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay