If you’ve noticed some unsightly brown spots marring the beauty of your lavender plant’s leaves, don’t panic. While brown spots can be concerning, this discoloration is usually a sign that your plant just needs a little TLC. With some detective work and the right care adjustments, you can get your lavender back to perfect purple health.
Common Causes of Brown Spots
Brown spots on lavender typically stem from one of three issues – environmental stress, pests/diseases, or improper care. Let’s break down the usual suspects:
Environmental Stressors
Lavender is adapted to warm, dry climates and can suffer if its environment deviates. Potential stressors include:
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Insufficient sunlight – Lavender needs at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. Without it, photosynthesis falters.
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Temperature extremes – Hot or freezing temps stress lavender. Protect plants with shade cloth or greenhouses.
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Overwatering – Wet soil breeds fungus and root rot. Allow soil to dry between waterings.
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Poor drainage – Stagnant moisture suffocates roots Improve drainage with compost or perlite
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Low airflow – Stuffy conditions increase pest and disease risk. Space/prune plants to encourage airflow.
Pests
Tiny critters can leave behind big damage Watch for
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Spider mites – Webbing and yellow stippling on leaves. Blast with water or insecticidal soap.
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Aphids – Clustered colonies on stems and leaves Use neem oil or ladybugs for natural control.
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Thrips – Silvery scarring on leaves and flowers. Apply spinosad or pyrethrin sprays.
Diseases
Fungal and bacterial infections also manifest as spots. Common lavender diseases include:
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Root rot – Caused by overwatering. Improve drainage and allow soil to dry out.
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Botrytis blight – Gray fuzzy spores on leaves and flowers. Remove affected parts ASAP and improve airflow.
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Leaf spot – Small brown lesions, sometimes with yellow rings. Use fungicides and dry leaf practices.
Diagnosing Your Lavender’s Brown Spots
Now that you know what could be behind your lavender’s spots, it’s time to discern the actual culprit. Get out your metaphorical magnifying glass and inspect the spots for clues:
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Location – Are spots concentrated in certain areas, like older leaves or recent growth? This points to pests/disease. Random pattern indicates environmental factors.
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Size and shape – Uniform spots suggest sucking pests. Varied sizes and splatter patterns lean toward fungal or bacterial issues.
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Texture – Are spots dry and brittle or moist/slimy? Dryness indicates too little water. Wetness equals overwatering or disease.
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Progression – Do spots rapidly enlarge and spread? This signals disease. Slow, limited spread is typical of pests and stress.
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Additional signs – Look for webbing, trails, cottony residue or actual bugs that confirm the presence of pests. Wilting and fungal growth align with disease.
Treating and Preventing Brown Spots
Once you’ve zeroed in on the cause, it’s time to remedy those unsightly spots and get your lavender back in top form.
For environmental stress – Alter conditions to fall within lavender’s preferred parameters. Move plants if needed, improve drainage, adjust watering schedules, and monitor temps.
For pests – Hose down plants to dislodge mites. Apply targeted organic pesticides like neem, insecticidal soap or horticultural oils. Encourage beneficial insects.
For disease – Improve airflow and prune affected parts. Use fungicides and dry leaf practices preventively. Remove heavily infected plants to prevent spreading.
For overwatering – Allow soil to dry out between waterings. Add organic matter like bark or compost to improve drainage.
For under-watering – Gradually increase watering frequency/amounts. Water at soil level and in mornings.
General care – Avoid overhead watering. Space plants appropriately and prune back crowding stems to encourage airflow. Keep an eye out for early signs of problems. Address issues promptly before they escalate.
When to Worry About Brown Spots
A few minor brown spots here and there are no big deal. But if you notice extensive spotting, rapid spreading, or advancing leaf yellowing/browning, it’s time for action. Heavily spotted or damaged leaves won’t recover – prune them to protect plant health. Aggressive problems may require removing entire affected plants.
The key is early intervention. Monitor your lavender often and jump on issues while they’re still minor. With prompt adjustments and care tailored to its needs, your lavender will be back to beautiful in no time!
How to Look After Lavender
You may notice that many of the common problems with Lavender plants have the same root causes. Very important is to keep an eye out for signs of disease and pests. Here are some other things you can do to keep your lavender happy and healthy:
- Planting lavender in a sunny space. Hedge and shrub lavender plants do best in full sun because it keeps their leaves and stems dry.
- Growing lavender in well-drained soil. If you know ahead of time that your garden has heavy clay soil that gets soggy quickly, mix some sand or gravel into it to make it less dense and help water drain away.
- Lavender shouldn’t get too much water; don’t use mulch to help the soil hold on to water, and only water little and often when it’s really dry.
- Lavender should not be crowded with other plants so that air can flow through the hedges and shrubs.
Following these guidelines will make the chances of the plant being ravaged by diseases and pests unlikely.
Moles and Voles
When it comes to Lavender plants, both moles and voles can be a problem. Moles can pull them up by digging under them, and voles like to eat roots and other plant parts, so they can do a lot of damage quickly.
Using traps to get rid of moles and voles can work very well, but you need to be sure which one is the problem before you buy the right kind of trap. Otherwise, getting a cat or dog can be an easy way to keep small animals out of your garden.
In the UK, fire ants can be a problem. If they build a nest under a lavender plant and dig around the roots, the plant will fall over and die. If you think fire ants might be the problem, just lift the plant up. If fire ants come pouring out of the hole, that’s what’s wrong.
Thoroughly soaking the soil once it has dried out may discourage fire ants from building colonies there. If that doesn’t work, try an insecticide made just for fire ants, or for a more natural option, spread diatomaceous earth on fire ant mounds and paths.
Spittlebug Nymphs, which are also called Froghoppers, are usually not dangerous. They hurt many plants, like rose and rosemary, by making a foam that wraps around the stems of those plants. People usually don’t need to worry about spittlebugs, but they can spread a bacteria called Xylella that makes plants sick.
Many people say that if you see spittlebugs, you shouldn’t try to get rid of them because they help keep your garden diverse. Some people say to spray spittlebugs and “cuckoo spit” with water to get rid of them, but we don’t always agree with this because it can cause Septoria Leaf Spot. If you’re particularly concerned about a particular plant, you should remove the spittlebugs by hand.
Whiteflies are a species of sap-sucking insect that can sometimes be found on the underside of leaves. Their “honeydew” can attract other pests like ants and cause different kinds of mold to grow on Lavender plants. They eat a wide range of plants.
Even though there aren’t many pesticides that can kill whiteflies, you can try neem oil, planting companion plants to attract predators, or picking them off by hand. Lucky for you, whitefly usually stay away from plants with strong smells, so you probably won’t see them on your lavender!
LAVENDER PROBLEMS | Why is my lavender turning brown | How to save lavender plant from dying
FAQ
How to treat brown spots on lavender leaves?
How do you fix browning lavender?
How do you fix brown spots on leaves?
Do brown spots on leaves mean overwatering?
What is a leaf spot on a lavender plant?
Leaf spot is a common bacterial disease that affects lavender plants. It is characterized by brown or black spots on the leaves, which may also have a yellow halo around them. In severe cases, infected leaves may defoliate prematurely. To prevent leaf spot, avoid overhead watering and provide good air circulation around your lavender plants.
Why are my lavender leaves turning brown & crispy?
If the leaves on your lavender plant are turning brown and crispy, it could be a sign of too much or too little humidity. Too Much Humidity – Lavender does not like humid conditions – especially if it’s in direct sun. If you live in an area with high humidity, try to grow your lavender in a pot so you can move it around to find the perfect spot.
How do you know if a lavender plant is dying?
Dying areas of lavender leaves near the base are the most common sign of crown rot. These patches may look brown, yellow, gray, or completely dead. The concentration near the old growth shows that the plant is trying to survive by channeling its energy into new growth.
How do you get rid of leaf spot on lavender plants?
To prevent leaf spot, avoid overhead watering and provide good air circulation around your lavender plants. If you notice signs of leaf spot, promptly remove and destroy the affected leaves. Copper-based fungicides can also be used to control the disease, following the label instructions.