The roots go a lot further down than an inch, and it doesn't look like that pop bottle has any drainage holes. I still suspect they are too wet most of the time, and probably are not getting enough sun as another poster noted. Lavender is originally from the Mediterranean region, along the coast. Yes, they manage to grow a lot of lavender in England - it is still a Mediterranean plant, however, that grows best in dry, chalky, poor soils. I think the Brits just tend to be better gardeners on average than the average 'merican, LOL! Plus they have lots of chalky coastline ... think the White Cliffs of Dover ... Lavender does NOT do well in soil that is moist all the time. If they are doing "better" since you started daily watering, I shudder to think how they were doing before, because those plants are not doing anything like "well", especially given that you started those plants way back in the spring. Here's a picture of a potted lavender that is doing well: Potted lavender advice Lavender needs 8 hours of sun a day, at least. Full sun in the garden is what they are talking about there. I don't think your plants are getting near that on your balcony. It will only be worse sitting near the window there in your kitchen (or where ever you plan to put them over winter). I understand that you are in an apartment and have VERY limited access to light and space for growing plants. Lavender is a very challenging plant (so is rosemary) for growing indoors. I've never had any luck growing either plant indoors myself. I'm not saying it can't be done; but it is a challenge. Your setup is not adequate to the task at this time. You're not getting nearly enough light; the soil mix in your pop bottles looks too heavy (lavender does better in a soil-less mix, in fact I think potted lavender may be a prime candidate for some version of Al's gritty mix). There are no drainage holes that I can see in that pop bottle and you are overwatering if the soil is never allowed to dry out. Lavender also like an alkaline soil. Adding some lime could help. ESPECIALLY if there is any peat moss at all in your soil mix, or if you are using pine fines as mulch or a soil amendment. So - alkaline soil, allow the soil to dry between waterings - not totally since these are first year plants but it shouldn't be wet or even damp all the time; and it loves the heat but dislikes humidity (hence it does pretty durn well in our dry near-desert conditions in N. Nevada). However at this point in time I hold out little hope for the survival of your plants over the winter, given their stunted condition now. I'm not trying to be discouraging; go ahead and try, you've come this far with them. But you need to repot them in a soil-less mix more suited to the plant and be prepared to supply extra heat and light, else they will not survive. Here is a discussion and fairly clear description of how to make Al's gritty mix. Personally I have found ALL the ingredients difficult to impossible to find. Turface, in particular, I have never been able to lay hands on - and though it is the virtually same stuff as certain types of cat litter or adsorbent, it isn't ALWAYS the same stuff. For instance, Napa Floor Dry has been touted as a replacement - but there are TWO KINDS and only one of them is suitable for this purpose. And I'm too tired to go dig up the links that tell you which is which. Also, having to screen and discard large portions of your ingredient isn't exactly lending itself to being affordable - let alone easy. That said - for this particular instance, I think gritty mix is your best bet - if you can only find the ingredients and get them properly screened and mixed.

OK, so the thermometers aren't to problem. The puzzle of temp difference continues. In the link I referenced previously, they say: Radiation Cooling: On clear, cold nights, plants and other objects within a greenhouse will lose heat to the outside by radiation cooling. Because objects within the greenhouse are much warmer than those outside, they lose heat by emitting infrared radiation through the glazing and into the clear sky. Under such conditions, the foliage temperature may be 5 F cooler than the surrounding air. Radiation cooling occurs very little when skies are cloudy. If the same applies to the humid air trapped in the greenhouse, it could explain the difference. Since surfing the net trying to figure this out was more fun than doing my income tax return, off I went. This USA Today article explains why humid air (counter intuitively) is lighter than dry air. Ding! maybe lighter air radiates heat at a greater rate than dry air. Off I went on that tangent. I then stumbled across this Texas Gardener article on frosts/freezes that references the temperature differences between solid objects and the air around them... back to the point made in the original link. It further explains how wrapping / covering plants (as inside a greenhouse) will protect plants from frost. I'm more confused that when I started. I knew one day I'd regret reading comics during my Grade 2 Thermodynamics lessons. I'm going back to doing my income tax.

I am no expert, but I am about a week into hardening off around 30 pepper plants. They were raised from seed in a very pampered environment, with flourescent lighting right over their heads, a fan blowing them around just a bit, and heating mats to keep the temp just right day and night. These strengths all turned into weaknesses on their first day outside. They were not ready for sun and wind. I got them out of there after 2 hours; some leaves were burned, most plants were droopy and unwell. They all recovered, but the weeklong process has been difficult for them. They are really toughening up now, though. Though I am a first-year pepper grower with minimal knowledge, I have to say this experience taught me how very important it is to set aside a good-sized block of time for hardening off, and to do it right - a little bit more each day as the plants adjust, while keeping an eye on weaker plants to make sure they are dealing with it. I also recommend you put your spindlier or otherwise more at risk plants more in the shade or part shade, and leave the full sun only for plants that are robust and strong. Please keep in mind that it does not take a lot of sun to overwhelm a plant that has been coddled indoors. One hour of strong direct sun can discolor leaves and leave the plant a mess, and it even killed a few of my tomatoes - just one blazing hour of sun. Gotta be careful when hardening off.

Discoveries and inventions in the field of gene technology or genetic manipulation, respectively, will continue, for events must unfold --- contrary to the desires of the foes of genetic manipulation who even now persist in ranting and raving against it. The time is no longer that remote when, through genetic manipulations, plants and animals will be successfully cross-bred, and totally new life forms created. Hence, the stupid, antagonistic gripers will scream in vain; they should be grateful instead that science has advanced to a point where genetic manipulations become feasible. For only through genetic manipulations will future rectification of the terrestrials' genetically-manipulated degeneration be guaranteed, so that they may be able to again fit into the normal progression of negative and positive. Creational secrets will, of course, not unravel through this process and will remain a mystery to Man for the time being, even though he will actively search for them while on space stations beyond Earth. This does not signify, however, that science will be inactive; on the contrary. Scientists will unveil the secret of gravitation. In doing so, they will begin mastering certain facets of space and mass. But just before this transpires, terrestrials will develop the capability of allowing human organs to "re-grow" for organ transplants. These organs will always be adapted to the particular body in need of the organ. As a result, the danger of organ rejection is eliminated. Geneticists will eventually... discover a method that enables plants to produce the animal protein required by human beings. Scientists will finally realize that this process is actually feasible through genetic manipulation. This realization is to be expected very soon, although its enactment will not occur until much later. Blame for this delay can be placed on the anti-genetic-manipulation gripers who, insanely and incomprehensibly, are against gene technology and gene manipulation. Antigripers' efforts must be blamed, therefore, for the burden upon life for long-time mass-breeding, mass-transports and mass-tortures of billions of animals. The solutions brought about by vegetable-animal protein production and a perfectly acceptable meat substitute could have been effected long before through gene technology to be marketed as food supplies, were it not for the decades of insane anti-griping efforts that impede these actions. The blame for the suffering of many billions of animals must be directed toward these idiotic gripers until they are ultimately forced into silence and kept quiet. Only then will the ills of mass animal breeding and all other related tortures for animals find an end. Source,... http://theyfly.com/articles/Contact_251.htm