How To Revive Dying Lavender Plants

Do you notice that the leaves of your Lavender are turning yellow and falling off, and the lovely plant is looking sort of limp and sad? 

Well, don’t fear, you’re not alone.

There are a few reasons why your lavender might be dying.

I’ll share some of the things keeping your lavender plant from being healthy and what you can do to revive it. 

Check for Pests

The first thing to check for is pests.

Those bugs we all hate so much may have decided to make your plant their home as well.

If this is the case, you’ll probably see small bites taken out of the leaves or even parts of the stems eaten away. 

You can try spraying an organic, gentle bug spray directly onto the plant to drive them away, but this is likely not to work very well.

Perhaps a more effective solution would be to buy some lavender-friendly pesticides (usually pretty easy to find at any garden supply store) and follow the directions on the label.

Bugs are never fun, but they’re not the number one reason why plants die. For whatever reason, most people notice that their plants are dying suddenly with no indication of what might have caused it.

Well, fear not. There’s probably nothing wrong with your plant at all! It might just need a little TLC.

Inadequate Light Exposure

Lavenders require lots of sun to flower well; if your plant is in an area where it receives less-than-ideal light, it might not be flowering very much.

Try moving the plant to a location where it will get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day and see if this solves the problem!

Additionally, lavenders prefer quite dry conditions to grow well. If you’re watering your plants well, but they still don’t seem healthy, try cutting back on the amount of water you give them. 

Overwatering or Too Much Moist

Lavender should only be watered when its soil becomes completely dry, usually about once or twice a week, depending on how hot and sunny the weather has been. 

When you water your plant, try pouring some water around the base rather than directly onto the leaves – this will prevent the leaves from getting slimy and rotting.

If your plant is still acting poorly after you’ve tried these re-potting and sunning tips, it might be time to say goodbye.

Sometimes all hope is lost, and nothing can be done for lavender that hasn’t been doing well. 

But don’t be too sad. Just go out there and buy another one; there are tons of lavenders to choose from at any garden center (make sure they’re not labeled as “edible”), so you should have no problems finding a new one to take its place.

Lavender Classification

How to Revive a Dying Lavender

Lavender is a widespread herb among residences and landscapers alike. Not only does lavender bring a calming presence to an area, but it also has many uses, such as aiding in treating burns, cold sores, and areas affected with acne. 

One problem that can affect these plants is dying out. There are several reasons for this: over-watering, under-watering, lack of light, and root rot.

Once you spot any signs of dying or damaged lavender, we suggest you start treating them immediately before the situation gets worse. Here are our top 10 ways on how to revive a dying lavender plant:

1). Check For Bugs

Before actually starting to treat your lavenders, you must be sure that they are indeed dying. Check around the lavender plant to see if any bugs are moving around. 

If there are, get rid of them before continuing with your treatment regimen because these harmful insects can cause more harm to your plants just by being present in your garden.

2). Check For Root Rot

One way to make sure that you have a problem with root rot is to notice black spots in the leaves or the stems of your plants.

This means it’s time to cut off the affected areas and remove the rotten plants (do not compost). 

The best prevention against this is planting new lavenders in well-draining soil with plenty of aeration; do not leave wet clothes or shoes on top of the soil for prolonged periods. Also, you can add in all-natural compost to improve the quality of your soil.

3). Replant

If you have dug up any part of your lavenders, replant them immediately into new rich soil that has plenty of aeration and is well-draining. Make sure not to allow any waterlogging because this will lead to root rot again. 

This condition only occurs when over-watering, so make sure you follow proper watering techniques when taking care of your plants. You can also put mulch down which helps reduce evaporation.

4). Test For Root Rot

Once you have completed step 3 by replanting your lavenders, you must check for root rot.

To do this, you will need a sharp knife and a blender. Turn the blender so that the blade faces down and cut off a piece of your lavender plant from just above where it attaches to the main stem. 

Place the part you have just cut into your blender, then pour in 2 cups of water as well as two teaspoons of dish soap.

Blend for 15-20 minutes until it becomes gelatinous. Place this mixture onto a spray bottle and use it throughout the plants’ affected areas (we suggest using this after every rain).

5). Water Sparingly

Once you have replanted and treated any affected area with root rot, do not overwater them again. This is the number one reason why lavenders die, and this step is crucial. 

The best way to water these plants is when the top two centimeters of soil in their pot (or planter) becomes dry and only adds a half cup of water. 

Make sure that you are using recycled greywater not to waste fresh drinking water. It may seem like a small amount, but it will be better than overwatering, which can cause root rot again.

6) Improve Drainage

Lavender plants require well-draining soil for them to live long, healthy lives; doing this simple task makes a world of difference in keeping your lavenders alive and kicking, and smelling great.

If you notice that they are drooping, this means that the roots are not receiving enough water because it has collected and settled at the bottom of their pot (or planter). 

You can quickly solve this by simply adding gravel or rocks into the bottom to improve drainage.

7). Add In Some Mulch

Lavender plants tend to start drooping when they’re thirsty; however, adding a layer of mulch on top (two inches will do) helps lock in moisture and keeps them healthy. 

Mulch also prevents weeds from growing, competing with your lavenders for nutrients and water. If you want to ensure that the mulch is all-natural, we suggest adding coconut husk chips and walnut shells.

8). Cut Off Dead Blooms

If you have lavenders that have bloomed out for too long or are not blooming at all, this means that they need more nutrients to grow healthy and strong. 

The best way to do this is by adding in a quality organic liquid fertilizer such as fish emulsion throughout the growing season (April – September). This will ensure that your lavenders have the maximum amount of nutrients so they can continue to grow.

9). Get Rid Of Old Mulch

One way to know if it’s time to get rid of old mulch is when it starts turning black and breaks down into a fine powder-like substance. 

It is called decomposing, which means there is no nutrition left, and to prevent this from happening, you will need to create new mulch. 

You can do this by adding in small branches, twigs, or leaves which will help the air circulate better and reduce moisture.

10). Plant Lavender With Beneficial Companions

If you are constantly reviving your dying lavenders, perhaps it is time for companion planting. Lavenders love being planted next to tomatoes because they love pollinating each other. 

Carrots, cucumbers, squash/zucchini, artichokes, and parsley are other great companion plants. 

The best way to figure out what grows well near your lavenders is by browsing through some gardening books on Amazon or doing research online–the internet has everything nowadays.

Will Dead Lavender Grow Back?

Many people have asked, “Will dead lavender grow back?” Well, the short answer is no – it will not grow back.

Dead lavender is a part of the mint family. One characteristic that makes mint different from other plants is its process of spreading itself by sending out runners.

This means that if one plant dies or gets cut down, there are many other stalks nearby to continue growing. 

That’s why when you weed your garden, you find all these little sprouts coming up around where weeds used to be; they’re trying to take over because they were connected underground!

Dead lavender has long since lost its connection to what could be considered its clone(s) and will not come back.

Conclusion

We have looked over the most frequent reasons why lavenders are dying and how to revive them.

If you followed along, hopefully, your plant is now looking much better.