i did mine once a day and it died maybe every other day

Although lavender can grow in pretty poor soil it does need water to start with so if your flower bed is dry I'd water morning and evening.

Thanks to you both. I had read that lavender didn't need much watering but given that it was newly planted I decided to water just once a day rather than twice.

It doesn't like being pampered, I have found the less fuss I make of it the better it thrives.
When established will need good drainage as its a native of poor dry conditions.

I agree Taurman but it does need to get its roots established and that does need water... Ad44 did you tease the roots out from the rootball prior to planting?

Hi, yes I did try to tease the roots out but it came in very small pots which were very rootbound so there was some damage to them when I was taking the plants out. Actually I planted 6, one quickly wilted so I replaced that. So I'll probably water twice per day (morning and evening) until established and then perhaps reduce that to once per day and see how it goes. Thanks for all the advice.

Once they are established shouldn't need watering at all.

Thanks. How long roughly to get established? A few weeks perhaps?

At least a month.

Brilliant. Thanks

I read this online about growing Lavender.....

Soil, Planting, and Care
Purple lavender in well draining soil.
Lavender plants have a neat, shrub-like form.
"Lavender" Set out plants 12 to 18 inches apart in an open area with full sun and good air circulation. Plant lavender in well-drained, slightly alkaline soil with a pH between 6.7 and 7.3. You can add builder’s sand to the soil before planting to increase drainage, which is vital because lavender will not tolerate excessive soil moisture or humidity. To further improve drainage, plant lavender in a raised bed, along a wall, or near the top of a slope. In an herb or perennial bed, ensure good drainage by planting lavender on a small mound. Lavender flowers bloom in summer; you can clip faded blooms to encourage continued blooming throughout the warm season. Prune lightly to promote branching, especially in spring once the plants show new growth.

Sprinkle bone meal or other phosphorus-rich fertilizer around each plant in the fall to make it stronger and more winter hardy. Work the fertilizer into the first inch of soil, or let the rain soak it in.

Hope this helps :o))

As they arrived in 'very small' pots and were rootbound into the bargain, it would have been better to pot them on into larger pots, and plant them in the garden once they were more mature. If I were you, I would dig them up and do that, not least because you've already lost one plant.

Ladyessex - I've read that adding sand to clay soil is not recommended as the resulting soil will be like cement. It's apparently best to just use plenty of grit.

I hope you do not have very hard winters where you are as I lost a French Lavender to frost. Now I just grow the more common kind, which is always ok. Good luck anyway!

Lady Essex french lavender is Lavandula stoechas not the common one that grows just about anywhere. Rosierose I agree sand in clay soil is not a good idea, grit is the thing.

I live beside the sea in the South (Kent) so hopefully they will survive the winter. I only planted them a week ago but they seem to be doing okay at the moment (famous last words!). So I might risk not digging them up and just see how things progress. Thanks to one and all once again.

see below

Update: The French lavender has done brilliantly, it's about a foot high now and I cut off the faded flowers/bracts a few weeks ago. I was just wondering, do I need to do anything else to prepare it for winter? With my English lavender I cut it back to the green growth a month ago but all the French lavender is green and there's no wood so I take it that don't have to do anything? Thanks for any info.

Copy and paste link for advice on pruning

http://www.pyracantha.co.uk/pruning-french-lavender/

Delighted that it did well for you!

Many thanks, I've read that through but to my very limited gardening understanding I'm not sure it applies to mine as it is a new plant with no wood, just green growth. But I could be totally and utterly wrong! But if in doubt I'd probably be best just leaving well alone until next year at least. Thank you once again.

I'd leave it alone too to be honest! Not that we grow French lavender!

Yes, good advice, because I've killed quite a few plants by pruning too much or at the wrong time! P.S. I'm still watering them once per day (there's still not much rain down here in Kent). Should I stop this as they're well established now and given that Lavender is famously drought-tolerant? Thanks

If it is now well established I would cut back on the watering but don't suddenly stop altogether. I take it your weather is still pretty mild.

Thank you for the advice. Yes, quite mild here - still haven't turned the heating on in the house. It is very dry in the summer here but quite wet in the winter so I think I will water every 2nd day now until the rain does eventually come on a regular basis which shouldn't be too long now.

Go for it!