Is my lavender healthy? (Gold Coast)

NatFrances

Hi. 

I'm a budding gardener but definitely a beginner! I have been pretty successful with most of my garden (veggies and flowers) but I'm having trouble with lavender. 

I've never been able to grow from seed, but I bought four seedlings months ago which aren't really growing. I found out I was overwatering them and also that they were in the wrong soil, so I've since repotted with suitable soil (mixed with perlite) and moved into a sunnier position. I checked for any fungal infection in the roots when repotting but they looked good to me.

The leaves seem kind of white/grey and I'm unsure if this is normal or if I've done serious damage.

Any help/tips would be appreciated! I adore lavender and would love it to be a healthy, happy part of my garden!

MitchellMc

Hi @NatFrances,

Your lavender looks reasonably healthy, and I suspect those white/grey leaves are just the start of the needle-like leaves you'd expect to see on a lavender bush. I don't believe this new growth has anything to do with you causing harm to the plant.

Are they in full sun now, and does the soil they are in drain readily? How long ago did you re-pot them? It sounds like due to having them in the wrong mix and watering too regularly, you've potentially missed out on a flourish of growth this year. They've likely been stressed from the re-pot and are just recouping at the moment.

Here's a handy guide to growing lavender that you might find helpful: How to plant, grow and harvest lavender.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell