Lavender seedlings growing12/11/2023 ![]() Just be sure that companion plants also like poor, fast-draining soils with plenty of sun and heat. Companion plants: there is hardly a plant combination that doesn’t look great with Lavender in it.Lavender plants are long-lived perennials, and they require 2-3 growing seasons to reach mature size.The same varieties, when grown in cold winter climates (zones 5-6), tend to be more compact. Lavender plants will be taller and wider when grown in climates with mild winters and hot summers.Top-dress with Yum Yum Mix© and Soil Mender Mineral Boost Fertilizeronce a year in mid-to-late fall or mid-spring as the plants begin to show new growth. Both are slow-acting nutrient sources for the soil's microbial population to support healthy lavender plants. Instead, keep their soil healthy and well-drained by fertilizing with natural or organic soil builders. This delays them from hardening off for winter and can result in freeze damage or death come next spring. They will suffer when fertilized frequently with chemical fertilizers, especially when applied in the late summer and fall. Lavender plants need very little fertilizer. Fortunately, harvesting the flowers each year helps maintain plant vigor. Deadheading will also encourage more flowers, especially for twice-blooming English types like 'Sharon Roberts', 'Pastor's Pride,' and 'Buena Vista'. ![]() When plants begin to show signs of new growth, cut back the old stems by no more than one third to re-invigorate the plant and encourage more flowers. I recommend waiting until mid-spring to prune out any winter-damaged branches, and gently shear off a few inches of the branch tips to shape a round, mounded plant. Prune Lavender plants in spring as needed. Pruning is desirable for the health and appearance of Lavender. Once established, much less frequent, but deep watering is their preference. Plants will reach their full size by the end of the third year in the ground. Their preference for dry conditions begins their second year in the ground as they begin to mature. However, during their first growing season in the ground, they need regular irrigation several times per week to establish. Lavender plants are actually small woody shrubs, that once established, thrive in dry growing conditions. This will keep the crown drier, and promotes healthy plants in all climates. Avoid straw, bark, compost, and other water-retentive mulch materials. Other coarse-textured mulches such as pine needles and crushed nutshells are also a good match for mulching these plants. Mulching is helpful in dry climates, but not recommended in areas that get more than 18-20" of annual precipitation.Ī 1-2 inch thick layer of small crushed (angular) gravel is the best mulch for Lavandula. Learn More: How To Create Well-Drained Soil In wetter climates, plant on a slope or in a raised bed to facilitate faster drainage.Ample coarse-textured compost can be added at planting time to "open-up" heavier soils.In the West, they'll grow well in a wide range of soils, even compost-enriched garden loams, as long as they are well drained. Lavender will tolerate clay and clay-loam in dry climates. In the Eastern US and Midwest, sandy and sandy-loams are a must! Getting The Soil Right: An Essential Step In Growing LavenderĪs you might expect from its Mediterranean roots, Lavender thrives in hot weather, and must be planted in full-sun locations with good air circulation and fast-draining, alkaline soil. Lavender is not a hungry plant and does best in low nutrient soils. Heavy, poorly-drained clay soils can be fatal. Growing Lavender in containers is also a good option. Humid heat and compost-enriched, water-retentive soils are the enemies of Lavender.īack East, full sun hillsides, sloped beds, and raised beds with sand or gravel soils will offer the best growing conditions for long-term success. Lavender are at their very best in the more arid climates found west of the Mississippi, where heat, sun, dry growing conditions and poor soils predominate.
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