Growing Lavender

In Humid Climates | Black Mold | Sprawling Plants | In Containers | Transplanting

A Case of Black Mold on Lavender

"I just have 10 lavender bushes in my back yard in the San Francisco Bay area. About 2 years into the growth of my bushes, I saw that the bushes had black mold growing on them. I have lost one bush altogether. I have been to every garden nursery in the area. I have even resorted to using Green Light Fung-Away (another recommendation by a Nursery). It did nothing to help. I believe that they have grown too large and are not getting enough sun. I have severely trimmed half of the bushes back in hopes that it may help. I love these bushes and my family and friends love them too! I really would like to find an organic way to fix this problem."

Solutions
We get a lot of questions that are similar to this one. This person is right, her lavenders do sound like they're not getting enough sun. Lavender needs at least eight hours of light a day.

There is also a good chance the drainage is poor and that the plants are too close for them to have adequate air flow.

If there is indeed too little light, the lavenders should be transplanted. If and when you move your plants, MAKE SURE you account for the lavender's size when it's full grown and then calculate a bit more to make room for the blooms.

We would suggest heavy mulching with sand or pea gravel and aggressive pruning leaving about 2" of last year's growth.

It's also a good idea to spray with a compost tea to rid yourself of the fungus. Many "earth friendly" nurseries have a compost tea maker these days. Take some time to find one. Compost tea is wonderful for your whole garden.