can u replant lavender in the same place or do u have to replace the soil

Never heard that one before - however, I do know that roses shouldn't be planted in the same place. I suppose it could be the same????? Are they healthy apart from being woody?

I have been told Dave, that I can't grow lavender or rosemary in rich clay (which I've got). Mine are fine with a bit of soil improvement.

I don't think you need to sterilise the soil (are they diseased?) but I would look first at cutting them right back (if you Google it, it will be easier than my going through it for you. You do have to do a little work yourself) and just digging loads of organic material into the bed they are in. Why replace? Just recover.

John.

Here we go again Spritz. LOL.

I agree with Spritz and John.
The only thing I would do is water the cut back Lavender with a solution of Jeyes fluid and leave the mulching till February.

well no harm in inriching the soil and clear it of roots while youve got it out anyway.you wouldnt do a filter change in a car without changing the oil lol

I haven't heard of replant disease for lavender either. But trying to rejuvenate old plants is not likely to be very successful either as they resent being cut back into the old wood. By all means improve the soil but not too much -lavenders thrive on poor soil but grow too lushly on enriched ones. On heavy soils, incorporating lots of horticultural grit will help

I would agree with most of the posts, esp. Andrewr.

Improve the soil with sharp sand or broken clay chips to improve drainage. You do not want too much compost and never manure. As he suggested Hort grit ... anything like that.
I work for one estate that has a near commercial potential Some hundred or more mature plants, and quite a display garden of cultivars.

One thing we did do was pebble mulc all. This really has made them thrive, it also makes hand howing for weeds a snap. Most growers in Sequim, WA. grow them in ground tarped rows. I do not agree with this.

Another topic entire.

I have always understood that 7 years was the average life of a Lavender bush in normal soil., but expect if grown really hard it would live much longer.