Spring is just a few short weeks away, and gardens are slowly beginning to turn green, but if you own lavender then your plant might still be looking a little grey and lifeless. Many flower types die back over winter for various reasons, but lavender is quite hardy, and gardeners are advised to wait before assuming it is dead.
At this time of year, lavender goes through a period of semi-dormancy, which means it will wait until temperatures are much warmer before producing new shoots. Early spring can therefore be deceptive, and it is very common for gardeners to pull up their lavender and throw it out even though it is still very much alive. Rebecca Olson, a farmer and co-owner of Lavender Connection, says you can usually tell if lavender has survived over winter by ignoring the top of the plant and instead checking the woody base.
She said: “If the plant still looks brown (no green) in the spring when your other plants are showing signs of life, there’s a chance it didn’t survive. However, be sure to check carefully, not just at the tips of the visible stalks, but down towards the base as well.”
All you need to do is inspect the bottom of the plant by looking at the wood stems as fresh green shoots can often be spotted around the base in spring.
You can gently scratch the bark of a woody stem with your fingernail, and if you see any green underneath, then the plant is still alive.
If you do not see any green parts on the plant, you can conduct a test by carefully cutting a small piece of stalk near the base and feeling it.
Stalks that are alive should be flexible and soft, while brittle stems that snap easily are dead. However, make sure to test several stems just to be certain.
It is also worth remembering that if you did not prune your lavender last year then old stems may delay new growth and flower buds, so a light pruning could help before giving up on the plant.
One final test that is always worth doing is to check the roots by gently lifting part of the plant. Healthy lavender roots should be white and firm, but if they appear mushy, black, dry, or brittle, then that usually means the plant is dead.
However, lavender usually takes a while to wake up after winter so make sure to wait until at least mid-spring before you consider digging up the plant and throwing it away.
English lavender often begins growing when daytime temperatures are consistently around 10 °C, which can occur from March to April.
Other types, like French and Spanish lavender, favour warmer weather and often do not wake up until late April or early May, so it pays to give them a little extra time.
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