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Why Is My Lavender Plant Drooping – 4 Common Reasons!

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Lavender plants are perennials in the mint family grown in temperate regions. Lavender is commonly grown for its essential oils, decorative purposes, or as herbs for cooking. These plants are hardy, sun-loving plants that thrive in drought and are resistant to diseases.

Nevertheless, they are not immune to specific issues and may require help. It is, therefore, not uncommon to hear the question, ‘Why is my lavender plant drooping?’ 

Why is my lavender plant drooping? A common reason might be stress caused by overwatering. Overwatering your lavender plant can lead to drooping as they prefer sparse watering. If you can’t figure out what the problem is, the insights provided in this guide can help you discover and resolve the issue. 

Why Is My Lavender Plant Drooping
Lavender plant is drooping and wilting after 2 days of ownership. – via Reddit

Why Is My Lavender Plant Drooping?

It is easy to determine when your lavender plant is in distressing conditions. One of the signs observed is the drooping of the plant. At this stage, you may suspect that your plant is distressed. The chore, however, lies in figuring out what ails them. Discover the common reasons below. 

1. Frequent Watering 

A common reason your lavender plant may be drooping is probably due to watering too frequently. It is rare to discover that your lavender is drooping due to underwatering because they are highly drought tolerant. When watering your lavenders, remember that less is beneficial while more is harmful. 

You can only water your lavender frequently only when it is freshly transplanted or planted. Due to its hotter origins, lavender plants can handle dry conditions and drought. As lavender plants tolerate drought well, overwatering can occur. Therefore, they thrive excellently with infrequent watering once established. 

How to Fix

If you suspect that your lavender plant is drooping due to watering frequently, you need to stop immediately to avoid further damage. The droopy appearance of your plant will improve once you leave it to dry out for at least a couple of weeks. Drying helps the plant and its roots to dry and recover from the effects of too much water. 

Once your plant has recovered, fix a schedule to water once every week. Do not bother about watering if there has been a good amount of rainfall. Depending on the weather condition in your region, you can allow your lavenders to go for two weeks without watering them.

2. Moisture Retaining Soil  

If you follow a schedule and established guidelines when watering your lavender yet it is still droopy, look at the soil. Another reason your lavender is drooping might be because the soil is too moist. Soils such as clay that retain moisture are inappropriate for planting lavenders. 

The origins of lavender are the dry, sandy regions in the Mediterranean. They love porous, sandy soil that drains fast and doesn’t retain moisture. Your lavender plant will experience drooping if it is planted in dense or moisture-retaining soil, especially one that doesn’t get enough sunlight.  

How to Fix 

If you are not overwatering your lavender plant yet it is droopy, check the soil to see if it is damp. If moist, you may have just discovered the cause of your droopy lavender plant. Then, employ the following ways to improve your soil drainage. 

You can make your soil more porous and improve its drainage by adding sand. Remove your lavender plant from the pot and mix 30% sand or grit with 70% of the soil. If the soil type is mainly clay, a 50:50% mix of grit or sand the soil will suffice. This mix will improve the drainage capacity of the soil bed. 

Another way to tackle the drooping of your plant is to transplant your lavender to another pot with the correct soil type. Test the drainage capacity of the new soil or soil mix by soaking it in water.

If the water drains away in seconds after the soaking, your lavender is ready to be planted. Replant your lavender, and after a couple of weeks, the droopy appearance should disappear. 

Why Is My Lavender Plant Drooping 2
My coworker got this lavender plant. Why is it so droopy. – via Reddit

3. Over Fertile Soil 

Another likely cause for the droopy appearance of your lavender plant is that your soil is over fertile. Or you are fertilizing the soil unnecessarily. While other plants love soil types rich with nutrients, such soil types are unsuitable for lavenders. 

Lavender plants favor sandy soil types with low to medium nutrient content similar to their native origins. Therefore, lavenders do not require added fertilizer as they get all the nutrients they need from the sandy soil where they grow.

Therefore, excess nutrients in the soil or adding fertilizers to enrich the soil results in increased foliage growth. But, the number of flowers produced will also reduce, giving the plant a droopy appearance. 

How to Fix

If you suspect from your observation that your lavender is potted in over fertile soil or you have added fertilizer, do the following. Begin by pruning the excess foliage. Next, remove the plant and mix 30% sand with 70% soil. Mixing will help to reduce the richness of nutrients available because sand is low in nutrients. 

Mixing the soil will create a suitable environment for your lavender and mimic their preferred conditions for producing blooms. Then, replant the lavender after adjusting the soil and water it properly. Hopefully, by the next blooming season, it will be much better.  

4. Transplant Shock 

Although lavender plants are hardy, another reason they might be droopy is due to transplant shock. After purchase, your lavender will experience a difference in climate and conditions like soil, watering, temperature, and humidity. This drooping occurs to give the plant time to acclimate to its new environment and is temporary. 

Your lavender plants will also droop when newly transplanted because of overwatering or high temperatures. 

How to Fix 

With proper watering, drainage and nutrients, expect your lavender plants to perk in two weeks. If you transplant your lavender in summer, you need to water the plant every other day for the first few weeks. 

As the lavender plant becomes established, you can reduce the watering frequency to once a week. The best season to transplant lavenders is in spring. The cooler temperatures help the plant roots adapt to the new soil. 


Conclusion 

You may have noticed that your lavender plant is drooping. It could have led you to think, ‘Why is my lavender plant drooping?’ But, most times, all your plant needs are simple adjustments to its care. In our guide above, you can find common reasons why your lavender plant is drooping. 

We hope this insightful post helps you figure out the problem with your lavender plant. Create a note of the symptoms in this guide and compare them to your plant. It will point you in the direction of what action to take.

Also, in this guide, you will find the best solution to each cause so that you can nurse your lavender back to health in no time. Finally, kindly share your comments and queries in the comment section below. 

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