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If you have it off lavender but do n’t have the correct grunge or exposure condition to make it flourish in your garden , why not try on acquire it in a pot ? With its silverish foliage and showy spikes of purple flowers , lavender is a stunning container plant , either alone or in assorted arrangements . Plus , growing lavender in a container offer other advantages , including easier harvest of its fragrant blooms and the ability to savor your works on a patio , balcony , or even indoors .
Likelavender develop in the garden , potted lavender is very low upkeep and drouth - kind , making it the ideal container works for gardener who have piddling time to water . As long as you see its basic penury , this perennial herbaceous plant can fly high in a container for many years . Here are tip for restrain your potted lavender healthy time of year after season .
1. CHOOSE THE RIGHT VARIETY
Although all type of lavender acquire well in pots , some may be better suited for your needs than others , depending on your climate , the usable space , and whether you intend to employ your plant life for culinary purposes or entirely for ornamental interest .
English lavendersare more cold - broad than other lavender varieties , making them a ripe choice for climates with insensate winter . If you have limited blank , stress compact cultivar such as ‘ Hidcote’,Sweet Romance ® , and‘SuperBlue ’ .
Spanish lavenderis less cold hardy than its English cousin-german , but more patient of of heat and humidity than other lavenders . ‘ Bandera Pink ’ Spanish lavender , which develop no taller than 9 inch , is especially container - well-disposed and puts on a dazzling presentation of mystifying roseate flowers with soft pinkish bract .
heavyset miscellanea ofFrench lavenderare also perfect for grow in container , which is a good option in areas where the plant is n’t stout . French lavender incline to be longer blooming than its English and Spanish counterparts and is the only lavender type with jolly fringed foliage .
2. PLANT IN WELL-DRAINING SOIL
All varieties of lavender are native to Mediterranean region having liberal , sandy soils that drain freely . To double those weather condition for your potted plant life , consider adding some perlite or coarse George Sand to your potting mix to avail facilitate drainage and prevent theme rot triggered by waterlogged soil . Another option is to buy apre - blended potting mix specifically formulated for growing lavender plants .
Lavender also uprise best in slightly alkaline soils . To hike up the pH of your soil , amend your potting mixture with a tablespoon of bitter spar birdlime .
3. PICK THE PERFECT POT
Because good drainage is essential to the wellness of potted lavender , always choose a container with several drain holes at the bottom to preclude water retention and potential root bunkum . Another way to help prevent the soil from becoming too soggy is to habituate pots made of unglazed terracotta or remains , since their porous wall appropriate for better airflow .
When choosing the best size of it for your container , consider your lilac works ’s size of it at maturity date ( unless you plan to grow it as an annual ) . Generally , a container that is at least twice the width and astuteness of the rootball will give your plant stack of room for next growth .
Potted lavender in container herbaceous plant garden . Photo by : melima / Shutterstock
4. PROVIDE AMPLE SUNLIGHT
Lavender plant postulate full sunshine to thrive and bloom and will not be happy growing in the shade . That means it ’s all important to place your potted plant life in a location where they will receive at least 6 to 8 hours of lineal sunlight day by day . If you ’re produce lavender indoors , believe using supplemental artificial firing to provide the light they need .
5. DON’T OVERWATER
The most common reason pot lavender die is because of root bunkum due to overwatering . Because lavender is native to a spicy , teetotal Mediterranean climate , it will grow best when you wait until the grease is almost juiceless before lachrymation .
A serious fashion to look into the moisture stage is to stick your finger’s breadth knuckle - deep into the stain ( or about 2 inch below the aerofoil ) and then water if it feel dry . But be sure to check the wet tier on a veritable basis , since container - grown plant can dry out quickly , specially during the hottest solar day of summer .
6. FERTILIZE SPARINGLY
Lavender does n’t ask much fertilization and actually prefer to produce in nutrient - poor soil . Applying a balanced , slow - release fertilizer in the give is broadly speaking sufficient . Another option is to blend a handful ofworm castingsinto your potting mixture . Just be careful not to feed your lavender too oft , which can induce a surge in foliage ontogeny at the disbursal of flower production .
Sweet Romance lavender . photograph by : Proven Winners
7. PRUNE AND DEADHEAD REGULARLY
Although potted lavender is low sustentation when it come to watering and fertilizing , you do postulate to prune it on a regular basis to asseverate the desired size and shape . The estimable meter to prune lavender is in late summertime , justly after it has finish blooming . If you have a mixed bag that blooms with a big flush in previous spring , rationalise it then to help prevent woody stems from develop for as long as possible .
Using hand pruner , cut your plant back by about 1/3 the length of each stem , sculpt it as you go to remove leggy maturation . Be careful not to ignore back into the older , woody section of the plant life , since lavender will not regrow from old wood .
In addition to pruning , deadheading the flowers after they have faded can also be beneficial . Not only will this facilitate keep your industrial plant tidy , it will also promote more blossom and gallop the blooming period .
8. OVERWINTER IN A PROTECTED LOCATION
If you are develop a variety of lavender that is n’t wintertime dauntless in your develop geographical zone , you should move the sens into a garage , shed , or other indoor tax shelter for overwintering . Because lilac plants growing in pots are more vulnerable to the cold than those growing in the ground , even the cold - hardy English lavender ( Zones 5 - 9 ) can gain from some aegis in areas with abrasive wintertime . To guarantee the survival of the more sore Spanish and French lavender , move the plants indoors if you live north of geographical zone 7 .
mention that most lavender require a period of quiescence in cooler temperature to bloom the following time of year , so your indoor shelter should be unheated , but not freezing . During this time , you should also cut back on watering until your plants come back to life in the spring .
Sweet Romance lavender and Superbena ® Stormburst vervain . photograph by : Proven Winners
9. CHOOSE GOOD COMPANIONS
When plant lavender in mixed container combinations , be sure to pair it with other plants that are drought - broad and lust full sunlight .
Like lavender , quite a fewculinary herbshail from the Mediterranean and deal a love of the sun and the pauperization for fairly dry soil . example let in sage , thyme , rosemary , oregano , and marjoram .
For a beautiful monochrome container combination , try pairing lavender withcatmintor a purpleverbena , such as Superbena ® Stormburst ( see thiscontainer recipe ) . Lavender ’s purple blooms are also the perfect complement to plant with yellow-bellied flowers , such asLuscious ® Royale Lemon Tart ™ lantanaandLady Godiva ® Yellow pot marigold .
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Which lavender is best for pots?
Almost any lavender can be grow in a container , but if want of place is an subject or you want to grow your lavender indoors , dwarf and other compact varieties that do n’t spring up larger than a foot marvelous and all-inclusive will take up the least distance and offer up leisurely portability .
Will potted lavender come back every year?
Under idealistic mature condition , a potted lavender works can outlast for many years , but it often bet on the specific variety . English lavender has the longest life and can exist in a container for as foresighted as 15 old age with proper care . The lifespan of Spanish and Gallic lavender tend to be short , typically around 5 year .
Can I grow potted lavender indoors?
Although pot lavender grows and blossom adept alfresco in a spot where it can bask in full sun , you could also develop it indoors in a gay south - facing window or under grow lighter if natural Christ Within is insufficient . Because most lavender do not wish humidity , fend off growing it in a randy bathroom or other orbit with high humidness .
Can lavender survive winter in pots?
English lavenders and their loan-blend are cold unfearing N to zone 5 and can unremarkably survive wintertime open . However , other types of lavender may need to be moved to a sheltered fix or indoors to insure their survival in mood where temperatures drop below 10 ° F.
How often should I repot lavender?
That often depends on the growth rate of your plant and its sizing at maturity . heavyset varieties of lavender can usually stay in the same container for several years , while larger lavender that mature into small shrubs may need to be repotted more frequently to assert their vigor and forestall them from becoming rootbound . When transplanting your lavender into a unexampled pot , choose a container a duet of sizes large than the existing one and swap out the old filth for fresh potting mix .
