Re: Sudden Death Strikes Lavender

suna dokur wrote:
> 
> Dear All,
> 
> it's happening again: sudden death strikes my beautiful lavender! Strangely
> though, one or the other plant in a big bed or row are affected or one of
> several potted plants. While everyone else is doing just fine, one or two
> plants enjoying exactly the same conditions as all other just wither away
> pathetically. Anyone know why? And can something be done about it?
> 
> Suna
> (Istanbul-Turkey)
>It happens to our Rosemary too. We had it investigated by Ministry scientists years ago but they failed to come up with any answer, nor could they find any pathogens around the roots. I suspect that it is due to a number of factors including humidity and temperature but above all, the amount of space between the roots. If the roots of Rosemary or Lavender are squashed into close proximity by the sides or a pot, a solid rock face or impenetrable clay, water gets caught between them and can not drain away. Then the plants die, the problem seems to be aggravated by rising temperatures ie when the metabolism of the plants speeds up. That's my theory at least, though I would be very grateful if someone comes up with a better one. we reckon to lose about twenty five percent our Rosemary each Winter but it was nearer  fifty in the exceptional rain this year, so I bought some beautiful-looking replacements  in the market, imported from Belgium. They were massive and all crammed int!
o 10 litre pots. As soon as I got them home they started dying so I split the clumps in to threes with an axe and planted each  third in its own ten litre pot. Since then, after a shaky start, they look fine. When I tried to buy more, I was told the exporter had given up on them because they died even faster as the weather warmed up in the Spring. This may or may not be relevant to Suna's problem.
Anthony
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