Why Is My Indoor Lavender Dying? 13 Expert Fixes
Is your precious indoor lavender dying? Although you can grow this culinary gem indoors, there are a few issues to look for. In this article, herb enthusiast Matt Dursum explains why your indoor lavender is dying and what to do about it.
Contents
Lavender is a challenging but fun herb to grow indoors if you love cooking and want your indoor space to smell amazing. This useful aromatic herb fills an indoor space with purple colors and soft green foliage. It is native to the dry hills of the Mediterranean and has over 45 species and over 450 varieties.
Its flowers contain mesmerizing essential oils, making foods like ice cream and cakes taste and smell like spring. They’re also popular in cosmetics and soaps. Even its name signifies freshness, originating from the Latin “lavare” which means to wash. It’s so pungent that it will fill your home with delicious scents that outperform most poperies.
With a little extra care, lavender will thrive indoors. However, a few things can kill it over time if you’re not careful. Below are 13 expert fixes to save your indoor lavender from dying.
You Don’t Know the Cause
Lavender is a hardy outdoor perennial in zones 5-9. It needs direct sunlight and well-drained, rocky, or sandy soil. Being native to the dry mountainous regions of the Mediterranean, it can thrive with little rainfall. In the right outdoor environment, it will live 5 to 20 years.
Indoors, this herb can be trickier. You’ll need to replicate its natural environment as closely as possible. It needs direct light, the right pot and soil, and attention. The plant has a Goldilocks complex, needing everything to be just right.
Fixing the Problem
If your plant is ill, find the cause or causes immediately. Once you have an idea of what’s ailing it, you can make the adjustments it needs, you can save it from dying.
It’s Lacking Direct Sun
Lavender’s native range includes some of the driest and hottest regions in Europe. It loves full sun and lots of it. Lack of sunlight is one of the most common reasons indoor plants die. If your plant’s getting less than 6 hours, it’s prone to dying.
Signs of low sunlight include weak stems, pale foliage, leggy and stunted growth, and little to no flowers. It will also stop producing its fragrant essential oils and appear sickly. Left unchecked, the plant will slowly die.
Fixing Problems of Low Light
Move your plant to a south-facing window where it can get as close to 6 hours of sunlight as possible. Maintain its usual maintenance routine. You should see changes within a week or longer. If the symptoms continue, there may be another problem to identify.
It Needs New Soil
Lavender needs well-drained, sandy, or rocky soil that’s slightly alkaline. In other words, it prefers the low-fertility soils your other houseplants would wither away in. In outdoor gardens, it thrives in gravel and rocky soils most plants would suffer in.
If you notice your plant isn’t producing flowers or its signature fragrance, it could mean its soil is too fertile. First, make sure your soil is composed of perlite or vermiculite. You also want horticultural sand and other additives that help drainage such as peat moss and coco coir.
Fixing Soil Issues
If you planted your lavender in highly fertile potting soil or compost, try repotting it. Choose a well-drained gravel mixture low in organic material. Add some alkaline plant food to get the soil pH between 7.0 and 8.0.
Your Space is Too Hot
In winter, some of us love cranking the heat. While it makes for cozy winter evenings, hot indoor temperatures can harm this plant. Although it loves bright sun in the summer, it also prefers the winter’s colder temperatures and weaker sun.
One of the biggest signs of too much heat is premature foliage growth. As an herbaceous perennial, it goes dormant in the winter. As it focuses its energy on growing its root system, it leaves a small patch of foliage at its base.
Fixing Heat-Related Problems
If you see stalks and leaves growing during this phase, it could mean your space is too hot. Move it to a cooler space like a kitchen in winter and lower the heat. If you catch this problem early, you’ll still get vigorous new growth in spring.
It’s Too Cold
Your plant may be from the warmer regions of Europe, but it can still handle the cold. Some cold-hardy varieties can survive a Midwestern winter unharmed. Although winter cold is fine in most cases, cold temperatures in summer can kill your plant.
Fixing Cold Air Exposure
Make sure your herb isn’t growing near a cold vent or draft. If you live in a hot climate and crank the air conditioning during the day, move your perennial herb away from it.
Cold air drafts from windows or doors can also affect your herb. Opening doors in winter or freezing temperatures outside exposes it to cold air. The sudden drop in temperature will shock your houseplant.
Too Much Water
Houseplants are tricky when it comes to watering. Some love growing in moist soil while others, like this Mediterranean herb, thrives in dry soil that feels almost desert-like.
Overwatering is one of this tricky indoor perennial’s worst enemies. To prevent it, start by planting it in well-drained, gritty soil. Only water it when the soil is dry, once every few weeks. Overwatering can lead to root rot and other diseases and turn its roots into a soggy mess that eventually leads to death.
Fixing Watering Issues
If you think you’re overwatering it, stop immediately and give the soil time to completely dry out. Do the ‘finger test’ by sticking your fingers deep into the soil. If you feel any moisture up to 4” deep, wait another few days before watering.
It Needs More Water
Although this plant is drought-tolerant, too little water can cause it to wilt and dry up. As shocking as it can look, don’t worry!
In its native habitat, this herb evolved to handle serious droughts and water stress. As time passes before watering, its growth slows and its foliage dies back. Fortunately, once it gets a little moisture, it bounces back quickly.
Fixing Problems Caused by a Lack of Water
If you’ve neglected your indoor lavender for far too long, give it a little soaking and wait. Watch to see it perk up. Refrain from overwatering it and continue soaking it on its normal watering schedule.
It’s Too Big for its Pot
Lavender can grow into a big, bushy shrub outdoors. Healthy outdoor plants in Mediterranean and Californian gardens can grow 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Even indoors, some varieties can grow vigorously. If you give your plant enough sunlight and care, it can quickly outgrow its pot.
This can eventually cause your herb to become root-bound. The less space it has, the less efficiently it can absorb nutrients and water in the soil. Eventually, your plant will start losing its leaves and wilt.
Fixing Issues Caused by Overgrowth
If you notice stunted growth, wilting leaves, and roots appearing from the topsoil or drainage holes, it’s time to repot your herb. Repot it in a larger ceramic pot with plenty of drainage holes to keep it from waterlogging.
One of the easiest ways to prevent overgrowth is choosing the right variety. There are dozens of compact varieties to choose from. Some of the best dwarf varieties include ‘Blue Cushion’, ‘Nana Alba’, and ‘SuperBlue’.
Too Much Food
Lavender thrives in alkaline soil that’s low in nutrients. Unlike some other indoor herbs and perennial houseplants, lavender doesn’t respond well to fertilization and may even die from too much. For many first-time lavender growers, it’s sometimes tempting to feed your new purple herb only to see it lose its vigor and fragrance.
Too much food causes it to produce fewer oils. When its soil has excess nitrogen and nutrients, it produces an abundance of dull foliage with no aromas. For most of us foodies, it’s a nightmare scenario!
Fixing Problems Caused by Over-Feeding
If you’ve been fertilizing your lavender, stop immediately. Remove any mineral buildup on the topsoil. Avoid adding compost or other organic plant food. The only exception is garden lime for raising the soil’s pH. Do not apply this in dormancy.
It’s Infected By a Disease
As resilient as it is, lavender can become infected by pathogens, just like other houseplants. Lavender shab, crown rot, and root rot are all diseases that can harm your indoor herb. For some diseases, there are things you can do to save your purple shrub from dying.
Always harvest your lavender with clean and disinfected pruning sheers. This will prevent harmful diseases and fungi from infecting the plant. Inspect your plant regularly for signs of infections.
Fixing Disease Infections
If you see yellow leaves, prune them off with disinfected pruners or sheers. If you see signs of an infection, try applying a mild neem oil solution. For Phytophthora root rot, dig up your plant, trim its infected roots, and repot it in a sterilized container.
There’s a Pest Infestation
Because of its strong oils and taste, most pests avoid lavender. However, some insects don’t mind its smell at all. Although they probably won’t eat it, they can spread harmful diseases which can kill your herb.
Aphids can cause the nasty Alfalfa mosaic virus and other serious issues. Spittlebugs and whiteflies can also introduce harmful germs.
Fixing Pest Infestations
If you see pests living on your houseplant, take the plant outside and blast it with a strong stream of water, remove the pests by hand, or use a harmless organic repellent such as neem oil or insecticidal soap. You can also rub your shrub with an isopropyl alcohol solution to remove scale insects.
You Harvested Too Much!
What’s the point of growing lavender if you can’t enjoy its fragrant flowers and foliage? This hardy herb can take heavy picking and pruning. But if you love cooking with herbs like me, it’s easy to get carried away.
Stripping your herb of its foliage can lead to several issues. First, it needs its silvery-green leaves for photosynthesis. Taking too many will cause leggy new growth as it reaches for any available light.
Another problem is harvesting incorrectly. If you accidentally cut or damage the woody stems, it can harm your herb and introduce diseases.
Fixing Problems from Over-Harvesting
If you’re harvesting the floral leaves and flowers, stick to the green parts only. Harvest what you need, leaving plenty of greenery behind. Always use clean scissors or pruning shears to get a clean cut.
It’s Just Dormant
Finally, you may notice that your plant dies back in winter. If you’re a first-time lavender grower, this can cause you to search for a cause. Fortunately, this is often just the plant’s natural dormant phase.
Dormancy is a natural period where your plant focuses its growth on its roots. The silver-green leaves and flowers die back, leaving a ball of foliage at its base.
Fixing Dormancy
Thankfully, there’s nothing you have to do! Simply care for the plant as usual. You’ll have an abundance of new fragrant growth in spring.
Key Takeaways
Lavender can be a challenging herb to grow indoors, but with the right amount of care, you can do prevent it from dying and keep it thriving! Watch for signs of diseases and environmental problems. By catching these issues and fixing them before they worsen, you’ll save your herb from dying.
For most issues, you can take action immediately. Once your plant’s needs are met, you should enjoy fragrant blooms and foliage for years.
