My wife and I planted a lavender hedge last year, that seemed to take
root and settle in OK. This year, there is not the slightest sign of
life on any plant, and they all look quite dead. However they are
firmly established in the soil, and don't appear to be dead, just no
sign of life as yet. Has anybody else expeerienced anything like
this with lavender?
-
Peter James
Change AT to @ to reply

Pete
I've got lavender on one side of my lawn!
Since planting (two years ago) I've had the same problem as you!
I've had more than one plant die on me!
I've planted them in sandy soil so they should be alright!

I just think they need some time in establishing themselves!

Badger



"Peter James" wrote in message
...
My wife and I planted a lavender hedge last year, that seemed to take
root and settle in OK. This year, there is not the slightest sign of
life on any plant, and they all look quite dead. However they are
firmly established in the soil, and don't appear to be dead, just no
sign of life as yet. Has anybody else expeerienced anything like
this with lavender?
-
Peter James
Change AT to @ to reply

"Peter James" wrote in message
...
My wife and I planted a lavender hedge last year, that seemed to take
root and settle in OK. This year, there is not the slightest sign of
life on any plant, and they all look quite dead. However they are
firmly established in the soil, and don't appear to be dead, just no
sign of life as yet. Has anybody else expeerienced anything like
this with lavender?


What lavender?

Stoechas in particular dislikes wet feet and easily gives up the ghost over
winter
pk

In article ,
Peter James pfjATpetefjames.clara.co.uk wrote:
My wife and I planted a lavender hedge last year, that seemed to take
root and settle in OK. This year, there is not the slightest sign of
life on any plant, and they all look quite dead. However they are
firmly established in the soil, and don't appear to be dead, just no
sign of life as yet. Has anybody else expeerienced anything like
this with lavender?

Have they dropped their leaves? If so, they are dead. If not, it
is still ruddy cold in most places, so just ignore them until it has
been warm for at least a fortnight.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

in article , Peter James at
wrote on 8/4/03 7:37 pm:

My wife and I planted a lavender hedge last year, that seemed to take
root and settle in OK. This year, there is not the slightest sign of
life on any plant, and they all look quite dead. However they are
firmly established in the soil, and don't appear to be dead, just no
sign of life as yet. Has anybody else expeerienced anything like
this with lavender?

Did you cut them back and if so, how hard? Where do you live and are their
feet wet?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

On Tue, 08 Apr 2003 19:37:10 +0100, Peter James
wrote:

My wife and I planted a lavender hedge last year, that seemed to take
root and settle in OK. This year, there is not the slightest sign of
life on any plant, and they all look quite dead. However they are
firmly established in the soil, and don't appear to be dead, just no
sign of life as yet. Has anybody else expeerienced anything like
this with lavender?
We lifted every third one this afternoon, and each one is obviously
dead. Oh well, you pay for experience I guess. We live in Cornwall,
on a wet part of the north coast, and I guess the plant didn't like it
one bit. Back to the RHS Plant guide, and we'll find another species
to plant out. Any suggestions anyone?
-
Peter James
Change AT to @ to reply

in article , Peter James at
wrote on 10/4/03 4:26 pm:

On Tue, 08 Apr 2003 19:37:10 +0100, Peter James
wrote:
snip
We lifted every third one this afternoon, and each one is obviously
dead. Oh well, you pay for experience I guess. We live in Cornwall,
on a wet part of the north coast, and I guess the plant didn't like it
one bit. Back to the RHS Plant guide, and we'll find another species
to plant out. Any suggestions anyone?

Very bad luck but we've all got similar stories - unfortunately. I had some
under a window which sulked and did very badly because the Devon soil was
heavy and too damp for them. So I dug them all up and moved them to a low
double skinned wall that was filled with rubble and had about 1' of earth on
top of that. They thought they'd gone to heaven and last time I saw them
they were elbowing everything else out of the way.
If you try them again, plant them in a similar situation, if you can and
just lightly trim them at the end of each year. Don't cut hard into the old
wood or they won't come back.
If this is just an ornamental hedge, rather than an actual barrier, how
about Nandina domestica if it can have the drainage. It likes moisture but
good drainage. Very pretty thing with elegant leaves and white flowers with
long yellow stamens followed by berries.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

"Peter James" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 08 Apr 2003 19:37:10 +0100, Peter James
wrote:

We lifted every third one this afternoon, and each one is obviously
dead. Oh well, you pay for experience I guess. We live in Cornwall,
on a wet part of the north coast, and I guess the plant didn't like it
one bit. Back to the RHS Plant guide, and we'll find another species
to plant out. Any suggestions anyone?


Ummm, possibly a tad too wet for it it N Cornwall but which bit? we go to
Porthcothan every year to see friends who do have lavender in the garden.

You can give it a better chance by putting lots of grit in the soil to
improve drainage. It is really wet + cold it doen't like, so provided you
can give it dry feet it stands a chnce in your warm climate. Also, avoid the
French lavendres one of the basic English types would stand best chance.

pk

In article ,
Sacha wrote:
in article , Peter James at
wrote on 10/4/03 4:26 pm:

Very bad luck but we've all got similar stories - unfortunately. I had some
under a window which sulked and did very badly because the Devon soil was
heavy and too damp for them. So I dug them all up and moved them to a low
double skinned wall that was filled with rubble and had about 1' of earth on
top of that. They thought they'd gone to heaven and last time I saw them
they were elbowing everything else out of the way.

Even here, on 60% sand and half the rainfall, I have had trouble.
Sacha's technique is obviously the solution!

If this is just an ornamental hedge, rather than an actual barrier, how
about Nandina domestica if it can have the drainage. It likes moisture but
good drainage. Very pretty thing with elegant leaves and white flowers with
long yellow stamens followed by berries.

Or, if you don't, what about Vaccinium? There are several plausible
species, and I think that they can stand clipping - plus you might
even get fruit if the birds don't get there first :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 10 Apr 2003 17:29:19 GMT, Nick Maclaren wrote:

...what about Vaccinium? There are several plausible
species, and I think that they can stand clipping - plus you might
even get fruit if the birds don't get there first :-)

Consider Vaccinium ovatum, the "evergreen huckleberry". Slow to
establish, but one of the better looking of the genus. And well
able to withstand moist soil.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada