Is this lavender plant dead? Does it need binning?

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We inherited this potted lavender when we bought our house in August. It was dried out then and despite replacing the compost in the planter (all 15kgs of it), it still looks worse for wear! Or is it meant to look like this at this time of year? Or shall I save myself hassle and money and get rid of it?

Get rid!

To add: the stalks (?) are hard to the touch yet brittle (snapping easily).

Prune it right back. Hard. Leave it till next spring. If it doesn't come back then, then bin, but give it a chance.

You might possibly be able to salvage it, but you won't be able to get rid of the dead wood without completely killing it. I would get rid.

Picture of it in the pot

I’d get rid. It’s alive but lavenders don’t regrow very well from old wood so it will always look spindly.

To bear in mind if you replace it or get a different plant… are there drainage holes at the bottom of the planter?

@sashagabadon- I've strangely become attached to it so would prefer not to!

Ah, such a shame.

There are no drainage holes at the bottom of the planters.

Your only chance of salvaging it is a hard prune and give it time.

(I have 3 of the same hence 'planters')

Very new to gardening- does pruning mean to cut the stems right back?

Probably dead. You can try cutting it right down to the last leaf/any green looking buds and see if it regenerates next year but it has probably gone.

It's definitely not dead! But lack of pruning means the new growth is happening far up the stem so you'd need to prune really carefully to resurrect it. You should never prune lavender beyond where there's visible live growth.

I'd get new plants tbh and make sure you prune them annually, but even then they are often past their best after 5 or so years. Lavender also needs lots of drainage so starting afresh means you can use better planting matter too.

Yes, that’s dead. If there were any life in them, there’d be a layer of green just under the bark, and there’d be some springiness

ABrotherWhoLooksLikeHellMugYou · Yesterday 13:41
Prune it right back. Hard. Leave it till next spring. If it doesn't come back then, then bin, but give it a chance.“

this. Been surprised by lavender more than once, tough old stuff.

You definitely need drainage holes otherwise the roots will be sitting in wet soil and that's not good. If you cut it right back it will probably pick up in the spring.

Move it to a pot that does have drainage holes, and use compost with added grit. They really don't like their feet wet and a planter with no holes is pretty useless, not only for lavender, but most other outdoor plants as well.

You should never prune lavender hard back, a third at the most!

Redbone · Today 22:19
You should never prune lavender hard back, a third at the Most!”

been pruning mine back hard for 30 years, it’s always come back gloriously. It’s 12 years old in our current garden 🤷‍♀️

It’s not dead, lavender looks rubbish at this time of year and more so depending on how it’s been pruned.

I would chop the top third off now, leaving some bits with leaves on. In the spring, keep an eye for new shoots coming near the base and then cut it down to just above the lowest shoot on each stem. That way you won’t accidentally over prune it. I’ve brought a lavender hedge back from the dead using this method.

I would cut it right back: we have some lavender - admittedly in the ground, not a pot - it always starts to look really spindly and worn by the start of September, so I cut it right back at that point - almost to ground level - and it grows again beautifully the following year. If you don't cut it back it will get really woody and spindly and never looks as good. Not sure how this method will fare if applied to one in a pot, but give it a go. If it doesn't work, then chuck it in the spring.

The plant looks dead-ish so anything you can do to make the situation better has got to be a positive. I'd suggest:
a) prune back. If you over-prune then you could definitely kill it so you could leave, say, a third of the stems unpruned (randomly, don't have a clump all in one place!). If the rest of the plant comes good next spring then cut the unpruned back to a new shoot.
b) try to take cuttings from the above prunings. video here. It's not really the right time of year but we are working on the 'give it a go' principle. It will only cost time and effort.
c) As said, it's the wrong time of the year. Garden centres may be selling off old stock cheaply.

Looking forward to next year, think about the drainage in those pots. The RHS says "Lavender is a Mediterranean plant (in needs if not always in geographic origin) and needs lots of sun and fast-draining soil. It will not survive long in shady, damp or extremely cold conditions.
"It prefers poor, dry or moderately fertile soil, including chalky and alkaline soils. Lavender will not thrive in heavy clay soil or any soil that becomes waterlogged over winter."
You could always turn the containers on their heads and make them into columns. Then place pots, with proper drainage, upon them.

@MrsSkylerWhite Its what the RHS and, even more important Monty, advise!