Re: Sudden Death Strikes Lavender

Richard Starkeson wrote:
> 
> Olwen Williams wrote:
> 
> Lavender appears to live longer without water.  Well watered garden grown
> lavender seems to grow more lushly and vigorously than lavender that is not
> watered, but seems not to live as long.  I wonder if this is true for many other
> Mediterranean climate plants.

As plants are commonly adapted to the water-supply characteristics of
their home territories, I should say that plants like lavender will
always be happier with a low-watering regime over summer.

I gather it is characteristic of many plants which expect summer drought
and relatively mild winters  to actually go into summer dormancy, and so
water applied to the roots is scarcely used and may simply stagnate and
cause rots. Some Austrailan plants, Banksias for instance, can easily be
kiled by summer watering, as I found to my cost many years ago, and I
have no doubt lavenders may react pretty similarly..

At the very least one should always grow them with sharp drainage so
water cannot hang around. Where just odd plants in a group die I suppose
it could indicate thy are in a poorly-drained pocket.

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand, SW Pacific. 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Time
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index