Mulch does a great job retaining moisture in the soil. It’s why we try to heavily mulch around all of our plants and trees, and why our spades so easily lift the soil.
But…too much water can be detrimental to plant growth and root development.
Over the past week or so, we’ve accumulated more than 4 inches of rain in a very short time.
All this rain has been great for the swales and pond, but almost too much for our kiwi and my sole lavender plant.
The leaves are turning black and curling inward. We are not sure exactly what is going on. It could be fungal or bacterial or signs of root rot from all the moisture in the ground.
Plants need oxygen, water and sunlight but due to all of the rain, all of the air holes that are normally present in good soil are full of water.
It could be something fungal or bacterial, but I don’t think so. If that were the case, it would be spreading faster than it is.
Also, the same symptom is affecting my lavender that is too far away for a fungus to spread leaf to leaf.
We are worried, but not overly so. I’d really just like to figure out what is causing these blackened edges.
The kiwi fruit continues to develop and looks healthy, but it would sure be a shame if we weren’t able to finally harvest the fruit.
We’ve been patiently waiting for four years to taste that first kiwi…and I’m not all that patient.
Dark blackened edges
Curling leaves, rolling inward
Due to soaking rains
a pinch of homestead 
Hi Melissa. On your Lavender plant, it is likely stem rot setting in. I lost all my Lavenders over this last winter due to having mulch around the perimeter of the root base which allowed water to pool a little too much this past winter and the freeze thaw cycles we had with it being warmer damaged the stems near the root base causing them to become woody and then developed root rot and died over winter even though it was a warm winter. Try and dry out the plant as quick as possible by moving the mulch away to allow the sun to better dry out the water logged soil. They may recover if you can get the water to drain. Lavender really like well drained soil so adding some sand to the soil will help them as well. My plants were only two years old but when the plant stems turned woody from water exposure that was it unfortunately.
Thank you Tom! We are going to try that both birth kiwi and lavender.
Good Luck I hope they pull through for you!