Set out plants after the last spring frost, spacing them 15 to 18 inches apart. Winter is the time when lavender is more vulnerable to root rot and watering will only compound the problem. Ideal soil conditions for lavender. French lavender is known as a plant that thrives on neglect, however it does have a specific set of soil conditions that it requires to grow successfully and flower well. Give the plants good air … Can I use weed barrier fabric around lavender? Add just 2 or 3 ounces per cubic foot of soil. By using our site, you agree to our. French lavender is easy to grow … The first season may not yield more than a bunch or two. If your soil is heavy, plant on a 20-30cm (8in-1ft) mound, ridge or in a raised bed where the roots will not sit in wet soil. The more sun the more potential for flowering. Finally, water your lavender deeply. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. If it gets cold or very wet where you live, you'll want a hardier species like Mustead or Hidcote. How far apart do you plant lavender plants? Lavender is a small shrub that usually grows 20 to 24 inches tall and wide. References If weed fabric is used, no harm will come to the plant as long as a hole proportional to the root ball size is made in the fabric when planting. French lavender will attain enough moisture from the environment if left outdoors over winter. The most important factor will be the climate. This is simply an adaptation to their native Mediterranean climate. Always place indoor lavender by the sunniest window in the house as although lavender is dormant over winter it will still benefit from sunshine. The easiest way to do this is with a soil gauge from Amazon I personally use and does not require any technical knowledge, as it just gives a clear reading of the soils pH and it is available for a great price. If you have brought your potted lavender indoors for protection from frost then water it once every 4-6 weeks. For the right pot read my article on choosing the best pot for lavender as this is very important. French lavenders can vary in size depending on the specific cultivar and whether the lavender has optimal care and conditions. The soil conditions for French lavender are: To replicate these conditions you will need to add some sand or gravel to your soil so that they make up at least 30% percent of the volume of the planting mix with the rest composed of organic soil. They cope well with drought conditions and may suffer in wet, heavy soils, particularly over winter. Then, prune any dead or decaying parts off the plant, place it in the hole, and fill it with soil. How to grow lavender – French lavender in pots Lavenders thrive in an open site in full sun in a well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil (got acid soil? Keep them out of the more humid rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens and they will bloom indoors and exude their distinctive fragrance. The fragrant purple flowers enhance the beauty of any garden, and harvested lavender may be used in crafts, perfumes and baked goods. French lavenders are drought resistant and thrive in the seemingly harsh conditions of blazing sun sunshine, high temperatures, with low rainfall and in soils that do not retain much water. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. More problems arise from over watering French lavender then they every will from under watering. Note that it is 2-3 feet between planting of each lavender rather then 2-3 feet from the outer most foliage of each plant. How to Plant Lavender Seeds. As gardeners it is our job to recreate soil conditions of their native environment. If you garden in the north, look for cold-tolerant varieties or grow in containers you can bring indoors for the winter. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. One easy tip to recognize the French variety is that its leaves are serrated. Once established the roots will be able to draw up water better before the intense heat and sunshine of summer threatens to dry the plant out. Lavenders do not grow well in the shade and will not last long. This article cover all aspects of growing and caring for French lavender in the following sequence, so scroll down for more information on: The most important aspect when it comes to growing French lavender is know which climates it will grow in successfully. For more information on this read my article on the optimal soil mix for lavenders. A good rule of thumb is to prune the green growth back by a third into a neat and tidy mound shape. Messy. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014. Dwarf varieties of French lavender are also considered the most appropriate plants for indoor potted lavenders as they are a modest size and therefore can fit on a sunny window sill and they can live comfortably at room temperature. French lavender varieties grow very well in pots (as all lavenders do) because the drainage conditions of pots is very favourable to lavenders preference of dry soils. French lavender thrives on harsh, neglectful treatment rather then the consistent care that some plants need. French lavenders are appreciated around the world for the long flowering season and fine fragrance. Select a container that provides your Lavender enough room to grow. Therefore you cannot grow French lavender outdoors if your climate experiences cold winters, however you can grow them outdoors in pots and move them indoors for winter protection. These plants love to be grown in pots, however, if you do so, it’s important to ensure your pot is well-drained to avid the soil accumulating too much moisture. Signs of an over watered lavender are brown foliage and a drooping appearance. The Bee series grows to 1 metre and the Bella to 50cm, while the Baby range includes miniatures that grow to 30cm. Fortunately, growing French lavender is easy, although they do require some specific care and conditions so that they grow healthy and flower to their full potential. If you detect any moisture then refrain from watering for another week or so. French lavender only live for 4 or 5 years even with good care. To learn how to harvest your lavender, keep reading! This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. To learn how to harvest your lavender, keep reading! We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. Avoid using a mulch of organic materials (such as compost or manure) as this will add to the fertility of the soil and retain more water which will to be the detriment of the lavender. link to (9 Reasons) Why Rose Leaves Turn Yellow, mitigate transplant shock and help the lavender to establish, French lavender can live for around 5 years. As with all lavender species and varieties, French lavender will not cope well in areas of persistent high humidity. Always water with a generous soak for every lavender and make sure the surrounding soil is wet, but it also should drain very quickly and not hold onto the moisture. Planting French lavender in pots. Use a light soil or a vermiculite blend. French lavender varieties do not appreciate frequent watering as this will keep the soil moist and the roots will develop root rot. Lavender benefits from being spaced out from each other because they appreciate air flow through the foliage. The advantage of growing lavenders in pots is that you can move the plant indoors in cold weather as French lavender is not cold hardy. The versatile lavender grows well in containers, flower beds or in a edible garden. In their natural environment they are in blazing full sun all day with high temperatures and low humidity. pot (30-40 cm) will be perfect. Cover with plastic to form a greenhouse-like environment for the cuttings. Step 3 - Planting Your Lavender Plants. This article has been viewed 49,092 times. This is significantly less time then English lavenders which can live up to 15 years with the right conditions. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. The more sun the more potential for flowering. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. Select a good sandy potting mix that easily drains water and fill the pot three quarters full. http://bonnieplants.com/growing/growing-lavender/, http://sunshinelavenderfarm.com/planting.php, http://www.sunset.com/garden/flowers-plants/guide-planting-care-harvesting-lavender, https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=127, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Create some bath bombs using your lavender. French lavender is valued for its particularly long flowering season which may last several months, if the faded flowers are regularly deadheaded which encourages more flowers. Care for French lavender in winter by planting them in well draining soil and do not water them if they are left outside as wet soils in winter will cause fungal disease. Approved. Prune back the green growth of the lavender with a pair of shears or pruners. Pruning Lavender ‘Provence’. If drainage is a concern, you can also mix in a handful of pebbles so the water drains through more easily. Wait till after the plant has flowered and round the plant as this will prevent it from becoming leggy or splitting at the vulnerable woody base. Remove leaves and organic material from around them that hold moisture. You can improve soil drainage by tilling the soil to a depth of about six inches and mixing in some builder's sand. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 49,092 times. French lavender varieties grow to different sizes at maturity with the smaller ‘. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Double-check that the pot has a hole. To learn how to grow lavender indoors read my article for a full guide. Before you place a Lavender plant in a pot think about container placement. Which climate is best for growing French lavender? Instead some commercial growers use a mulch of white stone as this helps to reflect more sunlight onto the plant (the more sun the better) which reportedly increase blooms and production of oil. If you're using potting soil, check the label and buy soil with the correct pH. This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. Sunlight, well draining soil, infrequently watering and alkaline soils are all important, however sunlight is usually the most important factor, with the more sun the better. Whether the plant will grow to its greatest potential size also depends on growing conditions. Lavender stems may be kept in a vase filled with fresh water. Pruning lavender at least twice a year is an important way to ensure it stays bushy and healthy, so there’s no harm in taking the offcuts from routine pruning to create even more lovely lavender plants.. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Lavender is divided into five main groups: English, French, Hybrids, Egyptian, and Spanish. This allows water to drain quickly so the roots are in cold wet soil. If you have acidic soil then it is a good idea to add some lime to the soil which has the effect of raising the soils pH from acidic to alkaline. It features pretty leaves or “ears” that grow out of the plant’s “bracts”, which grow out of the thin stems. Annual pruning also encourages new stems to grow. When you harvest flowers, avoid cutting into the woody part from which the shoots emerge. You can prune French lavender in the Fall in a warm climate that has a mild winter (between USDA zone 7-11) as the lavender is less susceptible to damage from the cold in these climates. When you’re ready to plant, dig a hole large enough for the roots, and leave 1 to 2 feet between each hole if you’re planting more than 1 plant. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/ce\/Plant-Lavender-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Plant-Lavender-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/ce\/Plant-Lavender-Step-1.jpg\/aid794130-v4-728px-Plant-Lavender-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"