Why is my lavender growing better in a pot?

[whiskyman]

I bought three lavender plants over a month ago(perhaps coming up two months), all intended to be planted as a hedge, but as a drain was in the way I planted the third in a pot for the time being.

The one planted in a pot is growing much better and although its beginning of October its bearing flowers. Gets mostly shade for most of the day.

The two planted together gets sun all day but not growing as well as the one in the pot, although one does seem to have perked up a bit and showing signs of flowering. The other does'nt seem to have grown much and paler in colour and not as much leaves.

Could this be a soil problem, not adding enough compost? Need a feed? Is so, what best to fertilize it?

[Glutton4...]

Are they too wet? They don't like too much water.

Most Lavenders in the gardens I tend, are still flowering very well. Good year for them this year, I think.

[whiskyman]

They haven't been watered except when it rains but they are mulched with wood chips. Sorry I had an abundance of wood chips at the beginning of the season and they were put on the garden being the Lavenders were planted. You think that could be the problem?

[Guest]

Once the plants are established wood chip shouldn't be a problem but at the moment they may be keeping to much moisture in.

It sounds to me like they have gone in to shock. When did you plant them out? What were the roots like when you planted them. When you say paler - is it paler or is it yellowing or other colour?

If one has picked up but now flowering I personally would nip the flowers out so it could put the energy into establishing.

[Kristen]

I agree with too much water - they want really free draining soil, and not much nutrients either.

What type are they? English ones (Lavandula angustifolia)? or one of the ones with more poncy flowers? (I ask because the latter are not very hardy and need excellent drainage if they are to have a chance of surviving the winter). I grow Lavandula angustifolia on clay here, and they manage OK, but would benefit from better drainage.

[whiskyman]

They Lavandula Stoechas. I actually like the flowers.

[Kristen]

I actually like the flowers.

Sorry, I wasn't meaning "poncy" in a disparaging sense, only to [poorly] describe the difference. I love them too

They Lavandula Stoechas

Not very hardy I'm afraid. They are good down to -5C, but IMO they will only tolerate that with good sharp drainage.

I'm in the process of renewing my Lavandula munstead "hedge" which has been fine, but pruning not done emphatically enough, so it has got straggly, and I'd love to grow a Stoechas lavender; currently leaning to Hidcote but wondering if it is is worth propagating Stoechas plants each year so that after a hard winter I could replant from my own pot-down cuttings (and I suppose after a mild Winter I could stick the potted ones on eBay ...)

Stoechas will repeat flower (if dead-headed), which is a nice benefit.