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4 Easy Methods to Prevent Your Lavenders from Dying

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The Lavender plant, scientifically known as Lavandula, is among the most sweet-scented and the most gorgeous flowering plants out there in the world.

It is not naturally an indoor houseplant and can sometimes suffer in indoor settings.

It usually needs way more sunlight than the shady indoor areas provide. And can deteriorate if not granted proper care.

Are you also facing this problem, and your Lavender plant is not thriving at its peak level? And you are here, after thinking, Why Is My Lavender Plant Dying?”

Let me tell you, there is no need to worry until it is severe root rot or some other viral disease.

Other problems responsible for a dying Lavender plant, like improper watering, insufficient light, or over-fertilization, can be easily treated. And if your Lavandula species are not looking too bad, they can absolutely flourish back to their beautiful shape.

Blooming Lavender Plants
“Blooming Lavender Plants” via Unsplash.com

So, without further ado, let’s jump straight into our topic.

Why Is My Lavender Plant Dying
“Why Is My Lavender Plant Dying?” via Reddit

Why Is My Lavender Plant Dying?

Starting with the simpler ones,

1.  Insufficient Lighting

Insufficient light is a common misstep that people take working with the Lavandula species. Your Lavender plant might be dying because it needs more light to survive.

If you are growing Lavender plants as indoor ornamentals and they do not get enough light, that’s the reason why they are not keeping up.

Best Light Intensity for Lavenders

If you notice slow growth, less flowering, and a sad look on your Lavender, try moving it to a brighter spot.

Lavandula species require at least 6 to 8 hours of bright and direct sunlight. Morning or evening sunlight is the best for Lavender plants. It is better to save them from the midday harsh sun rays.

However, baby plants can’t take that much heat, especially in summer. Therefore, you should plant them a few months before summer — at the start of spring. So that they can grow mature till the harsh and hot season.

How to revive a dying Lavender Plant Why Is My Lavender Plant Dying 1
“How to revive a dying Lavender Plant?” via Reddit

2.  Temperature

Temperature is directly related to the light intensity provided to the plant. You should know what’s the best temperature range for your Lavandula species.

During winter seasons, Lavenders become dormant, and the growth is reduced. Most growers move their Lavender plants indoors during winters to save them from dying.

But let me tell you that these perennial plants are very hardy and can survive a wide range of temperatures.

Best Temperature Range for Lavenders

As the Lavender plant is native to Mediterranean areas, you should try your best to provide it with similar conditions as in native areas. If we look at the stats:

Daily Temperature Data Los Angeles Downtown 2021
“Daily Temperature Data Los Angeles Downtown 2021” via Weather.gov

You can see that there is a huge gap in both extremes — in the maximum and minimum temperatures annually.

That’s the main reason why the Lavender plants can survive temperatures as much as 80°F (26.7°C) and as low as -2°C (28.4°F).

Don’t confuse the dormant Lavender plants with dead ones. Dying Lavenders don’t have green leaves or branches.

If you relocated your Lavender plant from an outdoor to an indoor place during winter. Placing your plant in front of a south-facing window will provide sufficient light.

Try placing your dying Lavender plant in a warm and bright spot and see if it works. If not, let us then hope on some serious issues.

3.  Overwatering And Underwatering

You can harm your Lavender plants if you are not watering them appropriately.

On the one hand, overwatering your Lavender plants would lead to yellowing leaves and a droopy look. While on the other, underwatering leads to drying out of the leaves.

Regardless of the cause, the end result would be a dying Lavender plant. Therefore, it is critical to fix your watering schedule.

How to Properly Water Lavender Plants?

Watering is closely related to the potting mix you are using and the pot in which the plant is rooted. So, make sure you are using a suitable-sized pot and a good potting mix.

Overwatering is actually a lot more dangerous than underwatering. Lavender plants are highly susceptible to root rot or fungal infections if the roots are constantly sitting in a pool of water. While on the other hand, they can tolerate a little bit of underwatering.

With that said, look at how to properly water your Lavenders.

How to Prevent Overwatering and Root Rot

To prevent root rot, make sure you are not overwatering your plant.

Overwatering: Overwatering doesn’t mean using a large amount of water to hydrate your plant. It means that you are frequently watering your plant.

It is essential to soak your plant thoroughly when watering.

  • That’s why we should always use a well-draining potting mix so that the plant gets balanced moisture around the roots.
  • Using a pot with drainage holes is also compulsory so that the water doesn’t stand at the bottom.

Neglecting these critical points can lead to root rot.

How to Fix

Wait for the top 1-2 inches of the soil to dry out before giving your plant another shot of hydration.

If you think that you were overwatering your plant, and if your plant looks like this.

Dry and dying lavender plant how can I save her Why Is My Lavender Plant Dying
“Dry and dying lavender plant how can I save her?” via Reddit

It’s probably the root rot, but you’ll have to take the plant out of the pot to see if it is actually the rot. If you see that the roots are healthy, then simply cut back on watering.

But if you see brown/black mushy roots, it’s root rot.

4.  Over-Fertilization

Lavenders are not heavy feeders, but they love a small dose during growing seasons. If you over-fertilize your plant, it can lead to “leaf-burn.” It’s not just leaf burn… the branches are also susceptible to it and can turn dull and brown.

How to Fix

Soil leaching is a decent method to wash out nutrient toxicity. However, you can also re-pot your plant into a clean and fresh potting mixture.

Always use a well-balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to its half strength. You can use it monthly only during growing seasons.

>> Related Post: Periwinkle vs Lavender: What’s The Difference?


Conclusion

With all that said, now you know all the essential information to save your Lavender plants from dying.

Also, I forgot to mention that Lavenders love alkaline soil (pH 7-8). So, make sure you are not potting them in acidic soil. That can also be a cause for a sad Lavender plant. This can help you with that.

I hope that today’s article helped you with your problem. If so, feel free to share it with your friends and family.

Regards, Mahad H.