Lavender is gray after winter, dies and dies - what to do?

Lavender, the plant of Provence, impresses with its intense fragrance and bright flowers. It is a feast for the eyes for every garden and balcony. The Mediterranean plant is a distinctive spice, proven medicinal herb and provides food for bees, bumblebees and butterflies. Usually the subshrub is quite undemanding in its care. However, it can sometimes happen that plants show a gray or brown appearance after winter. There can be different reasons for this.

Frozen or just dried up?

Not all lavender survive winter well outdoors. There are 30 species and countless varieties in this country, not all of them are as hardy as real lavender (Lavendula angustifolia). This survives winter down to -15 ° C.

When winter is over, the appearance of the lavender can be badly affected. It appears in a gray or brown color. There can be various reasons for this, such as:

• Plant was not frost hardy
• Lack of water
• Excess water
• Cut back much too late

Check frost hardness

When planting lavender outdoors, you should always pay attention to the frost resistance. If this is not the case, the plant should be placed in a large pot or tub. So she can move into the house before the first frosts and overwinter there at 8 to 10 ° C. Otherwise it can be outdoors over winter too Frostbite come. In most cases, pruning back in spring will no longer help. The lavender just froze to death.

tip: Even sensitive varieties from the bed can be dug up before the onset of winter and put in a pot. Subsequent wintering in the house.

Drying up due to lack of water in winter

You read that correctly, lavender can not only dry up in drought in summer, but also in winter. A combination of frost and sun can be fatal for the Mediterranean plant here. The rays of the sun allow the water in the leaves of the lavender to evaporate very quickly, faster than the roots can absorb water from the soil. In spring, the plants then look dry, brown or gray.

Waterlogging leads to root rot

Due to the evaporation of the water from the leaves, it is necessary to water the lavender from time to time even in winter. But be careful, it can lead to waterlogging here. The roots are then no longer able to absorb sufficient water. It is then impossible to continue to supply the above-ground parts of the plant. Ultimately, the plant dries up even though there is enough water available to the roots.

tip: Watering is only done on frost-free days when the ground is not frozen. The water must seep into the ground, otherwise the plant and its roots will freeze to death. Container plants, on the other hand, need regular watering.

Check stems

There is a little trick to find out what kind of dehydration there is. To do this, several stems are simply scratched. If there is a lack of water, the inside of the stems is colored brown and if there is an excess of water, the inside is still green.

The roots also provide information about the condition of the lavender:

• Light plexus of roots, the plant is fine
• Brown roots, signs of drying up and also of waterlogging

Cut back in autumn

It is usually recommended that the lavender be pruned twice a year, in spring and then in summer after flowering. However, pruning in autumn can cause problems for the plant in winter. The lavender goes with you pruning too late then weakened in the cold season. The new leaves are still soft and very susceptible to frost. Frostbite can easily occur and the drying up of the plant can also be accelerated.

Help for dried up lavender

• If it dries up due to waterlogging, repot / repot lavender
• If it dries up due to lack of water, radical pruning down to the ground
• Cut off dried flowers
• Remove shoots that have dried out due to frostbite down to the ground

If the roots haven't been damaged, the lavender will sprout again soon. However, not all plants can be saved, especially those where Waterlogging was present.

prevention

Preventive measures for a successful wintering:

• Plant in a sunny spot
• Soil must be permeable and poor in nutrients
• Choose frost-hardy varieties for outdoor planting
• Sufficient distance to neighboring plants
• Remove weeds regularly
• Loosen the soil regularly
• Fertilize once a year
• Water mornings and evenings in summer, the soil must be dry
• Cut back in spring shortly before budding, if necessary also in summer after flowering
• If possible, avoid pruning in autumn
• Always cut back a third to half
• Do not cut too deep into the wood, it will damage the plant
• In winter, apply a spruce brush cover to protect from the sun
• Water a little on frost-free days, potted plants regularly