Lavender is one of the classic sun-loving, drought-tolerant plants from the south of France and Italy, so it’s easy to think that it’s tough enough to take whatever summer extremes come your way. But this iconic beauty with its vibrant purple blooms and aromatic foliage needs some help to make it through the season. July can bring sweltering heatwaves and intense bouts of sunshine that can wilt many a perennial. So a little midsummer TLC is key to sustaining those vibrant hues and potent oils.

Just because lavender originates on sun-baked Mediterranean hillsides, that doesn’t mean it thrives on neglect. While established plants are drought tolerant, some midsummer lavender care can make all the difference to its vitality and longevity. If you leave your lavender to its own devices during a hot July, you risk accelerating its transition into seed production, which shuts down the flowering cycle early. Worse, improper care now can trigger root rot or stunt growth, leading to that leggy look every grower dreads.

Fortunately, keeping your lavender in peak health is easy. By dedicating less than an hour this week to these 5 simple checks, you will promote a lasting splash of purple vigor and vitality throughout the season, guaranteeing a garden filled with humming pollinators and intoxicating scent all summer long.

How to Help Your Lavender in July

It’s finally July and time to reach for the sunscreen! As the month begins, your garden is thriving, and hopefully you’ll be seeing flowers everywhere. However, the scorching sunshine and limited rain will soon take its toll, wilting blooms and baking leaves. Certain perennials do very well in hot sun, and lavender is actually one of them. But these timely lavender care tasks will help you to get even more from your blooms, both in terms of flowering windows and aromatic potency.

How you approach midsummer care will depend on the type of lavender you are growing and your local climate. The three main lavenders are English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia, such as Hidcote or Munstead), French or Spanish lavender (L. stoechas), and the robust hybrid Lavandins (L. x intermedia, like Grosso). These respond slightly differently to the midsummer elements. English lavenders are cold-hardy (USDA zones 5-8) but can struggle with excessive humidity, while Spanish types thrive in warmer hardiness zones (7-10) but have a shorter individual lifespan and a different blooming rhythm that peaks earlier.

Whether you’re growing your lavender in the ground or in containers presents its own challenges. Ground-based lavender benefits from an expansive, deep root system that can search for subterranean moisture, making it resilient against all but the most severe droughts. In contrast, container lavender lives in an artificial microclimate. The limited soil volume inside a pot will heat up rapidly under the July sun, drying out within hours and running the risk of baking the delicate root network.

Take a few minutes to check your soil’s existing condition. Investing in a multi-purpose soil diagnostic tool like the Raintrip 4-In-1 Meter, available from Amazon, is an excellent way to eliminate the guesswork, allowing you to check root-zone moisture and also light levels. If need be, amend with a little coarse sand or perlite to ensure the site is well draining before starting on these tasks.

1. Water Deeply but Infrequently

Lavender is not a plant that needs a lot of water. In fact, keeping lavender’s soil wet is a sure way to kill the shrub. But that doesn’t mean that lavender has no need for water. While lavender is very drought tolerant, every plant needs some moisture, and that need comes to the fore in summer. The question is not whether to water lavender in summer, but how to do it.

In July, water your lavender deeply, once a week. Prioritize depth over frequency. When you give a plant a frequent, shallow sprinkle of water, you encourage its root system to stay near the surface of the soil, where it remains vulnerable to being scorched by the afternoon heat. Watering deeply gets water to the bottom of the plant’s roots, around 24 inches (60cm) below the soil surface.

By applying a slow, deliberate drench directly at the base of the plant once a week, you encourage the roots to plunge deeply into the ground, reinforcing the plant’s natural drought defenses. This is especially true for heavy-blooming English varieties like Munstead, which require a reliable touch of moisture to sustain their heavy flower flushes without dropping their lower leaves.

Use a targeted delivery system like the Teknor Apex Zero-G Lightweight Vinyl Hose from Walmart to deliver a gentle stream at the soil line. For containerized lavenders, check them every 2-3 days using a moisture probe. When the top couple of inches (2cm) of compost feel dry, drench until water leaks from the drainage holes.

2. Move Containers into Full Sun

Lavender loves full sun, so July is a perfect time to check the positioning of all potted plants. Just because your container was in full sun back in May, that doesn’t mean it is still getting adequate light in July. As trees leaf out and neighboring perennials reach maximum height, a potted lavender can easily get thrown into partial shade.

If your plant doesn’t get 6-8 hours of unobstructed sunlight daily, its essential oil production plunges, stems grow weak and floppy, and soil stays damp for longer. Avoid tucked-away corners, north-facing shadows of walls, or dense groupings beneath patio umbrellas. And where you see potted lavender sulking in the shade, this is your time to take action and move it somewhere with more direct sunshine.

At the same time, check the soil in the container. Be sure that it is sandy or gravelly so that it drains well. If you find that the soil is clay, repot the plant and mix gravel or sand to allow the water to drain away from the roots. If your container plants are struggling with dense, compacted soil, add a little Miracle-Gro Potting Mix, available from Home Depot, along with some coarse grit or sand for the perfect porous base.

3. Avoid Pruning Lavender in July

Lavender plant care involves both actions you need to take and actions you must avoid. You probably pruned your lavender plant in spring to clean it up after winter. Another pruning is needed – but the timing is important. You need to prune lavender for the second time after the plant has stopped blooming, and that time is not July.

Pruning stimulates aggressive new, tender green growth. In the middle of July, these young shoots will be scorched by the intense sun, draining the plant's core energy reserves and leaving it susceptible to winter dieback. So resist any structural pruning until late August or early September, once the final flowering cycle has concluded.

However, you can (and should) deadhead spent lavender blooms through July. Remove faded flower spikes down to the first set of clean leaves, just above where new buds are forming. This channels plant energy into a second summer flush of color. To do this cleanly without crushing stems, use a razor-sharp tool like team favorite Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears, available from Amazon.

4. Monitor for Pests and Diseases

Lavender has grown happily on sun-baked Mediterranean hillsides for thousands of years. The general idea in France is: plant it in direct sun, give it top drainage, and leave it be. But you need to watch out for two different threats in midsummer. The first (and worst) is a plant disease known as root rot. It results from wet soil and can kill the plant.

If your plant seems to be turning brown or yellow, dig in the soil and look at the roots. If they are black or mushy, pull out and toss the plant. In July, root rot is likely caused by overwatering, which means you can avoid this problem if you water your plant appropriately and check air flow. Where plants are healthy, drenching the surrounding soil with a little Arber Organic Bio-Fungicide from Walmart can help suppress the fungal spores and protect adjacent healthy tissue.

Pests are the second threat, though less serious. Keep a look-out for aphids, whiteflies, and spittlebugs. Wash them off with the hose, or apply an insecticidal soap. Avoid harsh chemical pesticides that wipe out bees and butterflies. Instead, opt for a gentle blast of water from the hose, or use a pre-mixed, pollinator-safe soap, like Bonide Ready-to-Use Insect Soap from Amazon.

5. Add Mulch to Keep Down Weeds

Usually, you mulch plants to help hold moisture in the soil. This is not the case with lavender, which does best in dry, well-drained conditions. Traditional mulches, such as shredded hardwood or bark chips, are not a good idea. These trap moisture and form a cool, damp layer over the soil surface, inducing wood rot and fungal blight.

That said, you do still need to add a layer of mulch beneath your lavender. The idea is to keep down weeds and prevent the soil from getting too hot. But the best mulch for lavender is mineral based. A two-inch (5cm) layer of clean pea gravel, washed river stone, or crushed white quartzite helps to reflect heat, bouncing the intense July sunlight back up into the lower canopy of the shrub.

This extra light exposure directly stimulates the oil glands within the foliage, resulting in a noticeably more fragrant growing space. Furthermore, these stones dry out instantly after a summer storm, keeping the crown dry. For a quick and efficient lavender mulch, buy light-colored Fantian Pea Pebbles from Amazon and distribute them precisely around the base.

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For me, the epitome of lush and healthy lavender tends to be tied up with picturesque scenes of rolling hillsides, coated with fragrant purple. Trouble is, the reality of growing lavender can often be a little less picturesque (and how many of us are lucky enough to have rolling hillsides to fill with plants?). Summer comes round, and we hope for those nascent spikes of baby blooms – and it can be genuinely gutting when our own lavender plants seem to be losing their mojo.

Visions of intoxicating evenings inhaling evocative fragrance seem mocking when the reality is a sad, woody clump that looks like it’s giving up on life. It can be tough when you feel like you're doing everything right by your lavender. You’ve given it a sun-baked spot and resisted the urge to drown it, yet the blooms are sparse and the fragrance is barely a whisper. Seeing this quintessential tough beauty underperform, it's tempting to just chalk it up to fate and assume you don't have the magic touch.

But don’t give up just yet. The thing is, your lavender doesn't want to be pampered with expensive, rich fertilizers. In fact, the secret to unlocking a flurry of billowing summer blooms is likely hiding in a box of school supplies, by which I mean ordinary chalk. Now, I know, the idea of crumbling kiddie’s chalk into your flower beds sounds like a playground prank. But chalk really can work wonders for your glum-looking lavender in early summer, and here’s how it works….

Why Does Lavender Crave Chalk?

To understand why a humble piece of chalk can transform your lavender’s fortunes, consider where this fragrant diva feels most at home. Most backyard soil across the US is naturally rich, slightly acidic, and dense, which is basically the exact opposite of what lavender wants. Native lavender enjoys clinging to the sun-baked soils of Provence or the rugged coastal cliffs of Greece, and thrives in lean, alkaline earth.

Now, back to that packet of chalk. Standard white chalk is pure calcium carbonate. Basically, when introduced to your garden bed, it acts like a soothing antacid, neutralizing the acidity and mimicking the chalky, high-soil pH environment that your lavender is secretly homesick for. This gateway to high summer is your best chance to take action. As we hit the peak of the sunny season, your lavender is working overtime to push out those iconic spikes. By introducing chalk to your soil now, the plant has both the energy and the incentive to grab that chalk with gusto.

Of course, it’s all a balancing act, and chalk isn’t going to be a magic fix if your soil is claggy or sulking in full shade. But allowing for your lavender type, growing zone, sunshine exposure, and soil drainage, checking in with your soil pH levels is vital. When the soil is too acidic, lavender is unable to absorb the nutrients around it. By lifting that barrier, you allow the plant’s roots to freely drink in what they need to produce robust stems, vivid purple spikes, and potent essential oils.

What Kind of Chalk is Best?

If you are eyeing a dusty box of chalk in your kid’s art box or play closet, let’s clear a few things up. Yes, you absolutely can use traditional white blackboard and sidewalk chalk, which is primarily composed of calcium carbonate (the ingredient found in agricultural lime). However, leave the neon, glittery, and washable outdoor chalks alone. Those modern varieties are loaded with artificial dyes, polymers, and binders. Stick to plain, old-school white chalk. You can grab Crayola Anti-Dust White Chalk (12 Count) from Amazon for a safe calcium carbonate top-up.

The way you use it is also important, though: this isn’t about burying chalk sticks randomly in your borders. It’s best to apply your chalk either as a fine powder or a chalk tea. And don’t expect overnight results: this is a slow-release treatment. For growers who don't fancy tucking into art supplies for that chalk fix, you can also lower acidity in your soil by using agricultural lime or finely crushed eggshells or even oyster shells. They all do the exact same job: boosting alkaline levels for your lavender. You can buy Espoma Organic Garden Lime from Walmart. This granular garden lime is formulated to dissolve quickly into the soil with larger lavender beds.

How to Tell Your Lavender Needs It

Signs of an underperforming lavender plant are most apparent during June and July. Midsummer is the ultimate stress test: the sun is super-hot, and your lavender is likely burning through massive amounts of energy trying to push out those signature summer spikes. If your soil pH is off, this is when things grind to a halt quite noticeably. Telltale signs can involve yellowing on the lower leaves, while the rest of the plant stays a dull gray. If lavender growth has stalled, or you pinch a leaf and barely detect any sort of fragrance, your plant is sending out a definitive SOS.

If any of this describes your lavender right now, don’t panic: this is just a time to stage an intervention. Where the soil has likely become too acidic, this is your cue to take action, However, the maxim is: don’t guess, always test. Don’t just throw chalk into the mix before testing your soil first. Use a good diagnostic tool like the Luster Leaf Rapitest Digital Soil pH Meter from Amazon to get a precise reading of your soil's current acidity levels. It can let you know in minutes whether your lavender is genuinely homesick for an alkaline boost. If it reads below a neutral 7.0, it’s fine to get that chalk working for you.

Are All Lavenders Chalk Addicts?

Before you start sprinkling your new secret weapon, just bear in mind that not all lavenders share the exact same level of chalk dependency. Our yards are usually home to the Big Three lavender types (English, French, or Spanish), each with their own personality. English lavender (L. angustifolia) is a real chalk lover. If you want sweet culinary blooms and potent oils, a high-soil (alkaline) pH is non-negotiable. French (L. dentata) and Spanish (L. stoechas) lavenders are slightly more laid back about a neutral soil, but they still heavily rely on the structural calcium that chalk provides to develop strong, heat-resistant stems.

Plant age matters, too. Tender, young transplants need a gentle hand so you don’t shock their developing roots. Woody, established old-timers will happily welcome chalk to rejuvenate their stale beds. Where you are growing lavender in containers, take note: several commercial potting soils still have peat moss, which is acidic, so check the bag. Container-grown lavenders are susceptible to shifting soil conditions. Potted lavenders in container gardens can run out of steam quickly and almost always require a regular pinch of chalk to keep their root zones sweet.

If you’re looking to extend your lavender family, Southern Living Phenomenal lavender, available from Nature Hills Nursery, handles US humidity and summer stress like a champ. It pairs beautifully with a sweet, chalky soil mix.

How to Add Chalk to Your Soil

Transforming a stick of blackboard chalk into garden gold is simple. But again, please don't just bury a whole stick in the earth. Instead, place a couple of sticks of plain white chalk per plant into a heavy-duty zip-top bag. Use a rolling pin or a pestle and mortar to smash them into a coarse powder. Take your freshly crushed powder and gently sprinkle it around the drip line of your lavender. Using a light hand tool, carefully scratch the chalk into the top two inches (2cm) of the soil, being careful not to dig too deep or disrupt the shallow root system. Dutch-crafted DeWit Forged Hand Cultivator from Amazon is a lovely hand tool for delicate soil scratching.

There is an alternative, especially if you have a container-grown lavender or a plant that is actively sulking in a heatwave: you can use chalk tea. Dissolve your crushed chalk powder directly into a watering can, giving it a vigorous stir, and then pour around the base of the plant. Whichever method you choose, give the area a light, gentle drink of water immediately. This helps to further dissolve the calcium carbonate particles and wash them down to the root zone, where they can get to work. However, when if you think you need faster results, you can use a bit of Jonathan Green Mag-I-Cal Plus for Acidic Soil from Lowe’s for a fast-acting calcium formula that gives instant root relief.

Best Summer Care for Your Lavender

Once your chalk has been watered in, you can step back. In the blazing heat of July and August, watering sobriety is advised. Overwatering in a heatwave can steam the roots and trigger root rot. Instead, if you do wish to give your lavender a little TLC in the weeks after adding your chalk, try a light midsummer haircut. Use sharp bypass pruners to snip away faded flower spikes, cutting to the first two sets of green leaves. Don’t cut into the woody part, which will stunt the plant. Trimming forces the lavender to channel its newly unlocked energy into fresh, fragrant growth.

While feeding is not generally necessary in summer, you can treat your lavender to a teeny splash of organic liquid seaweed or tomato feed. A liquid tonic like Neptune's Harvest Seaweed Fertilizer from Walmart can help to deliver a gentle, potassium-rich multivitamin hit that intensifies flower color. Finally, if you have organic wood mulch packed around your lavender, replace it with a clean ring of light-colored pea gravel such as best-selling Kolor Scape 0.5 cu. ft. Multicolor Pea Gravel from Lowe's. This protects the root crown from rot and reflects the hot summer sunlight back up into the foliage, keeping the base of your plant bone-dry.

Shop Lavender Essentials

Bringing out the best in your lavender doesn't require plenty of pricey extras. However, a few little care treats can make a huge impact on plant health, flower volume, and essential oil production. This curated trio can help you nurture your favorite fragrant shrubs through the summer heat and set them up for a breathtaking extended season of vibrant color and gorgeous fragrance. Chalks away!

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June is an important time for lavender care. In many growing regions, this is when the fragrant herb starts to bloom. In warmer regions, your lavender should already be actively flowering. This means that maintenance is important for keeping your plants healthy and productive.

Growing lavender isn’t difficult, but it does require timely care, including these June tasks that will ensure healthy growth, continuous flowering, and a tidier appearance.

Let's dig in to the essential care tasks for your lavender plants in June.

1. Start Harvesting

This is one of the best summer chores for lavender. If your plants have begun flowering, you can start harvesting now. English lavender is in peak bloom in many regions in June, while other types are just getting going. Harvesting lavender now—and throughout the summer— allows you to enjoy the flowers and prevents plants from getting leggy.

Use sharp, clean shears or scissors to snip off entire stems in bloom. (Our editors swear by the Felco 2 pruning shears, which can be found on Amazon). Make the cut a few inches below the flower spike, but avoid cutting down to the woody part of the stem. Lavender plants won’t produce new growth from old wood.

Use your harvest as fresh cut stems for arrangements or let the flowers dry for use in potpourri or sachets, soaps and other beauty products, or culinary recipes.

2. Deadhead Spent Flowers

You probably don’t want to harvest all of your lavender flowers. The pretty, fragrant flower spikes that remain on plants are part of their appeal in garden beds and along walkways. However, it is important to deadhead these as they fade.

Deadheading lavender redirects energy away from seed production and back into the plant to keep it healthy and to promote strong growth next season. Depending on where you grow lavender, deadheading may also encourage a second flush of blooms this season.

Snip off flower stalks once they are totally spent and before they start producing seeds. Snip each stem just above the first set of healthy leaves. You can use any flowers that dried on the stalks as long as they haven’t begun to rot. They should still be fragrant.

3. Check Soil Moisture and Water as Needed

Lavender is generally a drought-tolerant plant. In fact, it can suffer if grown in soil that stays consistently moist and will not survive standing water for long. On the other hand, rising temperatures and dry spells in summer can be problematic for any plant.

Finding balance in the soil for lavender is key. Check the soil around your plants periodically. If there is too much moisture, you may need to improve drainage. If the soil is always dry due to weather conditions, water your lavender periodically. Use a moisture meter like this one from Amazon, or check the soil with your finger. Water when the first two inches (5 cm) or deeper is dry.

Use a soaker hose irrigation system to water deeply and avoid getting the leaves wet. Give the roots a good, deep soaking infrequently during dry periods without rain. Water more often for new and young plants to help them establish deep roots. Regardless of the age of the plant, less is always more when it comes to watering lavender.

4. Prune Lightly and Check for Problems

Lavender can get leggy and floppy during its active summer growing season. Pruning lavender can prevent or fix this issue, but keep it light. Save heavy pruning for later in summer or fall. Now is the time to tidy and gently shape your lavender plants to keep them looking shapely and healthy.

When you make pruning cuts on lavender, always keep at least an inch of green growth above the woody part of the stem. New growth rarely comes from the old wood on lavender plants, so if you cut too far, that stem might not recover.

You can double up this chore with another important one: checking for pests and disease. Lavender isn’t as susceptible to these as other plants, but it’s still worth being vigilant. Look for aphids, spittlebugs, root rot, and fungal diseases. Signs of issues include wilting or blackened stems, especially if the soil is moist, yellow foliage, and sticky residue on leaves. Remove diseased parts of the plant and use a spray of water or neem oil to manage minor pest infestations.

5. Manage Weeds and Airflow

Too much moisture is the most common killer of lavender plants. Water that gets trapped close to stems, on leaves, and in the soil can quickly lead to fungal diseases and rot. Manage the soil with appropriate watering.

To keep leaves and stems dry, take steps to ensure good airflow within and between plants. If your lavender plants have grown over the years to the point they crowd each other, do some light trimming to open up spaces between and within them.

It’s also important to keep up with weeds. Not only do they compete with plants for nutrients, but they also reduce airflow and trap moisture when they crowd your lavender plants. Pull weeds that are likely shooting up now that the weather is consistently warm.

June care for lavender plants is basic but essential. Start harvesting flowers, deadhead those that remain in place, prune lightly, water as needed, and keep on top of weeds, pests, and moisture to ensure ongoing healthy growth and a summer of delicate, aromatic lavender flowers.

The type of lavender tea that you might be aware of is drinkable, refreshing, and well documented for calming frayed human nerves. But there is another type of lavender tea that can give some of your most beloved plants the ultimate pick-me-up. It comes from the clippings of lavender prunings you’ll be starting to make in June. So before you head to the compost pile to dump armfuls of aromatic stalks, read this.

It turns out the compounds that make lavender so insect-resistant and structurally resilient are really useful to plants, too. They can be extracted to form a defensive shield for key backyard favorites. When their fresh stems and spent blooms are steeped in water, they release water-soluble elements, including tannins and polyphenols, which carry mild antifungal and pest-deterrent properties. So why should the compost heap get all the benefit of that deal?

You can make a lavender tea or tonic that can be used as a foliar spray in your yard, in much the same way as you apply many other types of fertilizer. Of course, this herbal steep can’t fully replace a balanced soil approach to plant care. But the unique blend of antifungal and pest-deterrent elements you find in lavender prunings simply don’t come with most other conventional sprays and applications. So why not take advantage of this easy lavender tonic?

Why Lavender Tea Plant Tonics Work

The main compound you need to know about for this lavender tonic is linalool. This is what produces that crisp, recognizable fragrance we love. In the insect world, it also functions as a warning sign. In terms of lavender tea benefits, a cold water steep won’t produce the same clout that concentrated oils achieve, but soft-bodied pests like aphids and whitefly treat even a dilute chemical signal as a suggestion to look elsewhere. It’s about natural displacement rather than chemical destruction, which is exactly what we want for sustainable, preventative backyard maintenance.

Beyond the insect-repelling powers of linalool, rich stores of plant tannins handle the defensive antifungal side of the equation. Lavender is reasonably tannin-rich, and those tannins have recognized antifungal properties. When you spray this mixture over clean foliage, it can thwart devastating fungal issues like powdery mildew. Another of your great lavender tea uses involves the trace amounts of potassium that will leach into the tonic. When absorbed by target plants, potassium helps to fortify plant cell walls, making the tissue tougher for pests to pierce.

Applied before problems appear, the combination gives treated plants a strong head start. Used as a foliar spray, the antifungal compounds can limit fungal development. So if you grow lavender and you have more June trimmings than you know what to do with, this lavender tonic is a win-win. If you’re worried about early signs of pests on plants like roses, grab a loupe or magnifying glass. You can buy XYK’s 40X Jeweler's Loupe from Amazon to steal a closer look before making our tonic.

Best Lavender Varieties to Use

Not all lavender varieties are made the same way, and understanding the distinct profiles can be helpful. If you fancy a potent, high-vitality garden tonic, then true English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is ideal. Thriving in USDA hardiness zones 5-9, these varieties are packed with a clean, concentrated volume of linalool and polyphenols. Cultivars like classic 'Munstead' or robust 'Hidcote' yield a potent tea from mid-season trimmings. If you’d like to add to your lavender collection, you can buy Munstead Live Plants from Burpee for a reliable, oil-rich plant tonic source.

Then there are massive hybrid lavandins (Lavandula x intermedia), like the popular 'Phenomenal' or 'Grosso' varieties. These gorgeous, long-stemmed beasts love the heat and offer a profusion of stalks. Their oils lean much heavier into camphorous notes. While this makes them slightly less sweet to our noses, that high-camphor punch makes them perfect if your main garden headache is repelling soft-bodied insects. For a heavy-blooming hero, buy Phenomenal Live Shrubs from Nature Hills.

Avoid using French or Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) for brewing tea. Their ruffled blooms look stunning, but their resinous chemical composition is less effective in a simple, cold-water backyard bucket setup like this one. So now we know about the benefits of lavender tea, it’s time to crack on with making some…

Making Your Lavender Tonic

The best time to gather your raw ingredients is during June, as we enter the summer pruning and deadheading window for lavender. Collect a mix of spent flower spikes, tender green stems, and small leafy debris from shaping plants. Just exclude woody old growth or any parts showing signs of disease. A rough working ratio is a loosely packed double-handful of freshly chopped garden material for every one gallon (3.8L) of clean water. If you’re after precision snips or shears for harvesting, Corona Forged Steel ClassicCUT Bypass Pruners from Amazon make clean cuts.

Place your chopped prunings into a clean container and submerge in cool or ambient room-temperature water. Don’t use hot water, which drives off the volatile linalool oils faster than they can steep out. Pour into a bucket or jar and cover with water, then stir. Place in a cool spot out of direct sun. A daily stir can help to pull out more water-soluble tannins. When the time is up, strain through a fine mesh filter, such as Reusable Fine Mesh Straining Bags from Walmart. The resulting tonic should be amber or pale-straw in color. Aim to use it within a week, before it begins to sour.

Using Your Lavender Tonic

Dilute your fresh lavender tonic before using it. Go for a straightforward 1:1 ratio with clean, fresh water for foliar use. Some gardeners skip the dilution for a more concentrated application, but starting diluted is safer for sensitive plants and young, tender leaves. A standard pressure sprayer is fine for foliar sprays, as long as it gives you a fine mist that coats each leaf smoothly. If you’re after a good model, Chaplin’s 1-Gallon Pump Sprayer from Amazon gives excellent uniform coverage.

Apply your foliar spray early in the morning on a dry, calm day. This schedule gives the lavender wash plenty of time to dry before nightfall. Spraying late in the evening leaves foliage wet and cold overnight, which creates the exact stagnant environment where fungal diseases like black spot can thrive. Every 2 weeks through summer is a workable cadence for established plantings. For new transplants, skip the spray and instead apply a diluted drench at the root zone, at least until plants have settled.

Plants That Love It – and That Don't!

So which plants are most likely to benefit from this lavender tonic? Try to target plants that are prone to seasonal pest invasions and fungal leaf spots. Ornamental garden roses are perfect candidates for your lavender tonic. Given their soft, succulent spring growth and high susceptibility to powdery mildew and aphids, they will really appreciate a bi-weekly preventative coating. Don’t forget to deep-feed roses with a balanced granular feed, too, though. A good option is Espoma Organic Rose-Tone Plant Food, available from Home Depot, for robust root nutrition.

Perennials like garden phlox, stately delphiniums and colorful zinnias also benefit, as they are magnets for midsummer fungal leaf infections. And if you grow vegetables, treating heavy-feeding crops like tomatoes and squash will help to keep whitefly numbers down without introducing harsh synthetics around edible harvests.

Avoid drought-loving plants like stonecrops (sedum) and soft succulents. Gray-leafed Mediterranean herbs like rosemary or sage also loathe having their foliage frequently wetted. Also avoid spraying plants with fuzzy or velvety leaf surfaces, such as lamb's ear or alpine woolly thyme, as the extra trapped moisture can leave plants vulnerable to rot. And don’t spray blooming plants where beneficial predatory insects or native pollinators are working. Even natural bug deterrents can disrupt foraging patterns.

What to Expect from this Tonic

The results of using this lavender tonic tend to be cumulative rather than dramatic. A few applications over a few weeks typically push soft-bodied pest numbers down rather than eliminating them outright, but in most cases that’s enough to keep things in check. You should notice a steady downward trend in visible numbers. The bugs simply find the treated leaves deeply unappealing and quietly relocate elsewhere, allowing your plants to outgrow any initial, early-season damage.

The long-term antifungal benefits are harder to track directly, because success is defined by an absence of symptoms. By late August, your treated perennials will be clean, green, and vibrant, while untreated neighbors will likely be showing signs of mildew. Remember to show your lavender some love, with a light top-dressing of organic mulch and a light feeding of a balanced feed, You can buy Dr Earth Premium Gold All Purpose Fertilizer from Amazon to keep your hard-working lavender vibrant, healthy, and pushing out oil-rich stems for many summers to come.

Shop Lavender Tonic Essentials

Making this useful lavender tonic doesn't require a massive financial investment or a shed full of complicated equipment. Just a few well designed, hard working items are all you need to prepare, store, and apply this super-useful plant tonic. This trip of lavender tea goodies will help you cleanly harvest your materials and safely deliver every drop of your homemade pest-busting tonic where your garden needs it most.

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Lavender deserves a place in every garden, and this easy addition will make your plant feel more at home and produce abundant flowers and more of that exquisite fragrance. It takes minutes to do and works however you grow lavender, whether that's in a pot, a raised bed or in the ground, for all lavender varieties and types.

This perfumed perennial herb, loved for its tall spikes of purple flowers and silvery evergreen foliage, is native to the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean basin. From southern Europe to north Africa, western Asia and India, lavender thrives in the full sun and well-drained soil of harsh mountainous and coastal environments and has evolved to flourish with little in the way of water or nutrients.

Now, does this habitat sound like the conditions you’re raising your lavender in? Because if you’re growing Lavandula in a rich potting mix or compost-improved soil and feeding it in the hope of growing a bigger plant and more flowers, you’re missing a trick. Because the key to success with lavender is to mimic the conditions it naturally grows in, which is easily done with a mulch of sand and gravel.

June is lavender's primary growing month, when it's forming lots of flowerbuds so, make the switch now to give your plant the conditions it craves, and you'll see fast results.

How to Mulch Lavender

Whether your lavender is in a planter or in the ground, top-dress the surrounding soil with a 1-2 inch layer of coarse sand and gravel. Use a ratio of three parts gravel to one part sand.

This helps the plant in multiple ways:

• The coarse sand naturally moves down into the soil and gradually improves drainage.
• The gravel improves airflow around the base of the plant and keeps the growing environment drier.
• The gravel also reflects sunlight onto the plant, and retains warmth.
• Weeds are suppressed, as with any mulch.

Finer gravel such as pea gravel like this from Amazon brings best results, though you can use use any type of gravel you already have. It’s important to use coarse sand, though, and preferably sand intended for horticultural use like this from Amazon. Don’t use fine play sand as it can compact and clump together when wet, defeating the purpose of your dry mulch.

If your lavender is currently mulched with organic matter such as bark chips, rake this layer off the soil surface first. An organic mulch works in the opposite way to a gravel mulch, holding moisture around the plant – leading to conditions that lavender hates, and even rotting stems and roots.

Leave a 3-inch gap all around the plant’s core woody stems, and extend the mulch past its outer extremities, or to the pot rim. The further you extend the mulch, the drier and warmer a microclimate you'll create. Visit any lavender field or farm and you'll see how it's done, and how effective this dry mulch is.

What Else You Can Do to Help Lavender Thrive

Giving your lavender plant a sand and gravel mulch is the very best thing you can do to help it thrive. But there are a number of other ways to foster conditions that your plant will flourish in.

1. Skip the fertilizer

For a start, don’t feed lavender plants. Lavender thrives in poor, nutrient-deficient soils and over-fertilizing it stresses the plant, results in weak, floppy growth and can significantly reduce the number of flowers produced. Even in a container, where the plant has limited access to nutrients, it’s better to refresh the top layer of potting mix every year rather than apply fertilizer.

2. Don’t Overwater

While lavender plants should be regularly watered when first planted, once they’ve had a chance to grow their roots down into the ground to source their own moisture supply, gradually reduce how often you irrigate. Depending on your USDA zone, lavender plants will happily rely on rainwater for most of the year, and you need only water once every couple or weeks through prolonged dry spells of weather. Don’t worry if your lavender is planted among perennials that need watering more often: as long as your soil drains well (and your new sand and gravel mulch will aid good drainage), your plant will be fine.

3. Improve Drainage

Lavender planted in pots needs watering more often, but only when the top couple of inches of potting soil are dry. What containerized lavender plants really need is great drainage. Improve it by drilling extra drainage holes into the pot base, moving your plant into a porous terracotta pot, or raising the pot up on risers so roots don't sit in a puddle of water after heavy rain.

Shop Pot Risers

4. Count the Sunshine Hours

For maximum production of that fabulously fragranced oil, lavender needs at least six hours of sunshine a day through spring and summer. Check just how much your plant gets as the season progresses, and make sure it’s not getting shaded out as its neighbors grow.

5. Prune twice a year

A trim in early spring, and again once it’s finished flowering, will encourage healthy, bushy growth. Pruning lavender is an easy job. Make the spring trim light, just to tidy up your plant after winter, and do any shaping in late summer. Then, as long as you leave at least a half-inch of this summer’s growth (you’ll be able to see the difference between this year’s fresh growth and the older, darker, woodier growth), cut off as much as you want to, depending on whether you want to keep your plant compact or let it grow bigger. Leaving this half-inch safety margin means you’ll never cut into the old growth, which the plant may struggle to resprout from.

Lavender’s ability to adapt to diverse environments is one of the reasons why it’s been cultivated for so many centuries, across the globe, so it likely already grows pretty well in your garden, whatever conditions you’ve given it. But just wait till you make your lavender feel properly at home with a sand and gravel mulch: your plant will flourish, and your reward will be more of its glorious flowers and gorgeous fragrance.

Lavender is a popular perennial herb, beloved for its delicate purple flowers and intoxicating scent. It’s easy to grow, too, and very forgiving, thriving even in poor soil and with minimal moisture. Although lavender tolerates some neglect, you’ll get the most out of your plants with thoughtful spring care.

Lavender care in April is all about helping your plants wake up from winter dormancy and taking steps to ensure they have a great start to the growing season. From pruning to weeding and soil maintenance, now is the time to pamper your lavender. The effort you put in now will result in shapely, dense growth and an abundance of blooms later.

1. Clean up Lavender Beds and Pots

All plants benefit from a spring cleaning. Tackle this chore in April for lavender to keep beds tidy and to minimize the risk that fungal spores hiding in debris will infect your plants. Clear away any old plant material that has accumulated around the bases of the lavender plants. This includes dead growth, leaves, twigs, stems, and old decaying mulch.

Mulching can be useful for protecting lavender roots and crowns from cold in winter, especially in colder climates. But any mulch that holds in moisture can cause issues during the growing season. Pull away protective winter mulch to let the plants get some air and dry out. You can add inorganic mulch around plants to help promote drainage. Use gravel or crushed stones for this purpose, like this pea gravel from Walmart.

2. Spring Pruning

Lavender doesn’t strictly need to be pruned every spring. The plants grow strong and sturdy even in the absence of regular pruning. However, a careful April trim will benefit the plants and help them look tidier and grow less woody and leggy. Do this task right, and you’ll also get more flowers in summer.

The most important thing to remember when pruning lavender in April is: easy does it. April is the time for light trimming, not a heavy pruning session. Remove any stems that look like they got damaged over the winter. Then, trim lightly to shape each plant into a rounded mound. Avoid cutting into the woody growth, which won’t regenerate. Instead, make cuts just above new spring growth on fresher stems.

This light trimming session promotes branching, so you’ll get denser, fuller growth throughout the summer. Extra branches also mean more flowers. If you need some new pruners, then Fiskars' Bypass Pruners are highly rated and excellent value for money.

3. Make Soil Amendments as Needed

April is a good time to ensure your lavender plants are growing in appropriate soil conditions. Lavender grows best in dry soil. Drainage is essential, as soggy roots are the number one killer of lavender plants. Use this time to check your plants for any signs that the soil is retaining too much water:

• Soil that stays wet for a while after snow melt or rain
• Yellowing leaves
• Wilted or limp growth
• Signs of rot in roots, including soggy, mushy, or stinky roots

If you are concerned about moisture, spend some time amending the soil to improve drainage. You can gently dig around the plants to remove some of the heavy soil and to mix in grit, sand, or small gravel.

You might also be tempted to add compost or fertilizer in April, which is beneficial for many plants waking up from winter sleep. This is not the case for lavender. It actually grows better in poor soil. Fertilizer now will promote a lot of leafy growth, but this can hinder flower growth later.

4. Start Weeding

Weeds are inevitable, no matter what you do to try to prevent their growth. Some gravel or stone mulch will help keep them down, but expect weeds to grow regardless. Early management of weeds is essential for keeping them under control. An abundance of weeds is a messy look, but it’s also a situation that can take moisture and nutrients away from your garden plants, compromising their growth and health. Weeds can also harbor and spread disease and pests.

April is an ideal time to start weeding. It can be an onerous chore, but starting now means they’re easier to pull and they won’t fill in so much of the space later. Focus on pulling weeds from the root zones of your lavender plants, but do so gently and carefully, avoiding damaging the lavender’s shallow roots. Grandpa's Weeder makes it easy to target each weed, without having to bend down.

5. Propagate for More Lavender

All of the above steps will help you enjoy more flowers on your existing lavender plants, but another way to get more is to propagate. Spring is the best time to take softwood cuttings. With a little patience, you’ll have new lavender plants at no extra cost.

Take cuttings of soft stems, not the woody stems. Cuttings should be at least three inches (7.5 cm) long. Remove the bottom leaves and put the cut end into moist potting medium. While not strictly necessary, dipping the cut end in rooting hormone first will promote faster root growth – like this Garden Safe TakeRoot.

Cover the cutting with plastic and set it in a warm area with bright, indirect light. Once you have several roots growing, remove the plastic and move the pot to a sunnier location. After a few weeks, it should be ready to be transplanted outside. Pot the cuttings on in this Soil Sunrise Lavender Potting Soil Mix.

Lavender April Essentials

Lavender is known for thriving on neglect, but the plants do welcome intentional and thoughtful care in April to support breaking winter dormancy and starting healthy, new growth. A little attention in April goes a long way toward a summer full of fragrant blooms.

Few plants captivate gardeners quite like lavender. With its vibrant purple blooms, intoxicating fragrance, and versatility in the garden, it’s no wonder lavender is a favorite from backyard plots to full-fledged herb farms.

If you’ve fallen in love with lavender and want to expand your collection without buying new plants every year, learning to collect your own seeds is the perfect next step. Not only is it cost-effective, but it’s also incredibly satisfying to grow lavender from seed you’ve harvested yourself.

Let’s dive into the what, when, and how of collecting lavender seeds—plus a few extra tips to make your experience even more successful.

How Does Lavender Produce Seeds?

Before you start snipping stems, it helps to understand how lavender sets seed.

Lavender plants reproduce through pollination. However, not all lavender varieties will produce viable or “true” seeds. Many popular lavenders, like Lavandula x intermedia (‘Grosso’ or ‘Provence’, for example), are hybrids. These may produce seeds that are sterile or won’t grow into plants that resemble the parent.

If you want to grow lavender from seed, start with an open-pollinated variety like English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). It’s more likely to produce viable seeds that grow true to type.

When to Harvest Lavender Seeds

Timing is everything when it comes to seed saving. Harvesting too early means immature seeds that won’t germinate. Wait too long, and they may drop to the ground before you get a chance to collect them.

After blooming, the flowers fade from vibrant purple to a dull brown or gray. They'll dry out and become papery or brittle to the touch.

If you gently tap a flower head and seeds fall out, you're good to go. You might even notice some small, dark seeds already falling to the soil—a sign you need to collect soon or risk losing them.

If you’re unsure whether the seeds are viable, crack a few open. Mature seeds will be hard and dark-colored inside. Immature ones are often white or soft.

Harvest in the morning once the dew has evaporated, but before the heat of the day. This helps prevent condensation in storage.

How to Collect Lavender Seeds

Use the following steps to collect seeds from your lavender flowers:

1. Extract the Seeds

There are two main extraction methods you can use:

1. The Manual Method

This will get you every last seed, but it'll take a lot longer.

Hold a dried flower head between your fingers and roll or crush it gently over a clean surface like a plate or baking sheet. Tiny, dark brown to black seeds—about the size of ground pepper—will fall out along with dried petals and chaff.

2. The Shake Method

This method isn't as precise, but it's quick and efficient.

Place flower heads or full stems into a brown paper bag, large bowl, or ubiquitous Home Depot bucket. Shake, tap, or roll them around with your hands to dislodge the seeds.

You can also rub the flower heads through a fine mesh sieve, like this one on Amazon, to help separate seeds from chaff.

2. Clean the Seeds

Use a fine mesh strainer or a flat surface and gently blow across it to winnow away light, papery debris. For precision, you can use tweezers or your fingers to pick out any leftover chaff.

Don’t worry if it’s not perfect—a little plant material won’t hurt, but the cleaner the seeds are, the better they’ll store.

Seed Storage

After collecting your lavender seeds, proper storage is essential to ensure they stay viable until planting time. Seeds are living things, even in dormancy, and poor seed storage can cause them to lose their ability to germinate. Here’s how to keep your harvested seeds in peak condition.

The three enemies of seed longevity are heat, moisture, and light. Exposure to any of these can drastically reduce germination rates. To protect your lavender seeds:

• Use breathable seed containers like paper envelopes, small cardboard boxes, or mesh seed bags like these on Amazon.
• Place the containers in a sealed jar or airtight container with a desiccant packet (like these silica gel ones on Amazon) or even a few grains of dry rice to absorb any stray moisture.
• Store in a cool, dark location, such as a basement, cupboard, or refrigerator (not the freezer). Ideally, temperatures should stay between 32 F and 50 F (0 C - 10 C).

Stratification

Lavender seeds are notorious for low and uneven germination. But there’s a trick to improving your odds - stratification. To mimic the winter dormancy lavender seeds would naturally experience in the wild, follow these steps:

1. Moisten a paper towel and wring out excess water.
2. Sprinkle the seeds onto the towel, then fold it up and seal it in a plastic bag.
3. Place the bag in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks.

After stratification, sow the seeds in a well-draining seed mix and place them under grow lights or in a sunny window. Be patient—lavender is slow to germinate, but with a little care and a lot of light, those tiny sprouts will emerge.

There are some gardening traditions that hold true even though they might seem a bit odd – such as planting aphid-loving plants like nasturtiums next to crops you want to protect, even though you know they will attract the very bugs you don’t want. Or using a pinch of cinnamon as an anti-fungal agent in the garden (and yes, this one has worked for me!). Then there are a few hacks I keep doing out of habit (like singing to plants, for instance – but maybe that’s a story for another time).

Still, there are certain rules that stick in your head and acquire a certain status, even though you’re not entirely sure where you first heard them. The 8-8-8 lavender rule is one such piece of advice I was told many years ago. And around this time every year, a little internal alarm goes off and I duly inspect my lavender bushes to assess my next steps. But what is the 8-8-8 rule, you may well be asking – and how can it help you maintain healthier, happier lavender shrubs and specimen plants? Here’s what I’ve learned about this lavender pruning tip, how it works for me, how you can use it, and how it can be adapted to suit your needs…

What is the 8-8-8 Lavender Rule?

At its heart, the 8-8-8 rule – or the rule of three-eighths – is a pruning maxim. Quite simply, it is a moment in the pruning calendar to pull out our snippers or shears, with a view to helping prepare our lavender plant for the slower months ahead. Over early summer, many of us will hopefully have been deadheading lavender plants to extend the flowering season. But the approach to the eighth day of the eighth month (8th August) is a chance to think about reducing our lavender plants by at least 8 inches (depending on the size and overall condition of the plant).

I’ve heard a couple of variations on this pruning rule, as it goes. One variation, which seems fairly hardcore, is to reduce your lavender plant so it is 8 inches (20cm) tall and 8 inches wide (again, allowing for size of plant). However, the variation I follow for lavender I am growing in the garden involves reducing the size of the plant by approximately eight inches all the way around.

This involves creating a more rounded, compact shape and removing tatty, leggy stems, dead branches and remaining flower stalks. The intention is to give lavender, whether potted or in garden beds or borders, the very best chance to slow down healthily on the approach to dormancy.

Why Does the 8-8-8 Rule Matter?

The lavender 8-8-8 rule provides a useful assist in determining a tidy-up operation – based on the idea that certain lavender flowers are starting to die back as August begins. It pinpoints a moment (after flowering, but before the fall) when it is good to prune lavender to allow it chance to rejuvenate and develop new growth before slowing down for the dormant period. Ideally, it’s a good idea to give lavender plants at least a month to recover from that ‘end of season’ pruning before the colder months kick in.

So the 8-8-8 rule for lavender matters as a barometer for formally marking the end of the flowering cycle, and welcoming in a quieter phase for growth generally, before the plants come to rest entirely. Making these important cuts now promotes a burst of new green growth which can establish before the plant starts to rest. It then wakes up next spring with the necessary foliage required to fire up the engines for the new flowering season. So this timely August prune is vital to helping the lavender ‘stock up’ on fresh supplies ahead of winter, basically.

That said, I take the 8-8-8 rule as a guideline and a prompt, rather than a set of rigid principles. For example, I was told that it can only be used with English lavender. This is based around flowering habit and flowering time (English tending to flower later than certain other types), but there will be variations depending on cultivar, weather, soil, and regional fluctuations.

I would take some cues from the plant in question – such as, is it still flowering, or has it stopped? Does the plant generally look a bit straggly? Are there any purely woody lavender bits that haven’t performed that well over summer? This can all help make a decision about how to apply the 8-8-8 rule on a case-by-case basis.

How Rigid is the 8-8-8 Rule?

The way you apply the 8-8-8 rule for lavender plants will hinge on a few specifics, but the exact nature of both timing and amount still requires a measure of instinct and adjustment. For me, the big determining factor is whether or not your lavender is indeed reaching the end of its particular flowering season. Some shrubs will seem to bloom all summer long. If your lavender plant is still looking flush and vibrant, I wouldn’t just start snipping out of some mechanical desire to follow the crowd. As with many tips, it’s one you can adapt for your own situation. It is, I believe, a valid checkpoint, though – a chance to inspect and assess, and formulate next steps.

The ‘hard pruning’ style does favor English lavender varieties, which can bounce back impressively from extensive late summer snips. Within that broad category, there is plenty of variety in terms of plant shape and size. Plant age and growing conditions (and location) should also be factored in. So in terms of rigidity, I would keep another saying in mind as you decide on the date and extent of your hard prune: check twice, cut once.

Look at the color of the flowers – if they seem gray, that’s the big clue. Pollinators will also tell you when the lavender’s flowers are on the way out – by refusing to flit around in the same way. Appraise the overall shape and spread of the plant – is it becoming unwieldy or ungainly? Look out for legginess, and also gaps in the plant. Where there are opportunities to reduce weariness but also give the shape a lift, don’t be afraid to use this rule to prompt a phase of targeted rejuvenation.

How to Prune with the 8-8-8 Rule

If you’re satisfied that your lavender has stopped flowering, is mostly covered in faded blooms, looks leggy and seems to have collapsed into itself, your summer cutting is sure to be beneficial. Make sure your shears, secateurs and pruners are sharp. I would also say it’s well worth using a measuring stick or measuring tape to check both the height and width of the plant. Again, some gardeners go in really hard with this haircut, and apply the 8-8-8 rule as leaving 8 inches rather than removing 8 inches. I would be looking to remove 8 inches (or thereabouts) but only if I was still confident that at least half the plant remained.

Where making cuts, don’t slice indiscriminately into the wood zone. Look closely and check along the branches. You don’t want to cut into the woody part – unless it looks fairly lifeless, hasn’t produced any green or bloom during the summer, and isn’t adding anything to the overall shape. The ideal is to cut just above the area where the foliage begins. Along the length of woody stems, where you see blue-green nobs of color, cut just north of those. The result will hopefully be a smattering of foliage color, with significant reduction in plant scale and shape. You can use this opportunity to take lavender cuttings and start off your next generation in pots.

I find it helps to use shears for bulk cuts and pruners for targeted, precise cuts. Cut just above a node (where the foliage meets the stem) to give the best chance at healthy regeneration. Take your time, and treat this rule as a great chance to set the tone for next year’s growth. You won’t need to feed your lavender after pruning – just the usual watering, and you’re done. When you aren’t able to get to this rule in time, and you miss out on a late summer cut, it’s best to wait until spring for a lighter prune – and resolve to go in hard at the end of next summer’s flowering phase.

Lavender Pruning Essentials

Many types of lavender are a useful addition to most any garden. As an ornamental, blooms serve as an invaluable asset to pollinators. Growing different types of lavender plants within herb or vegetable beds may also serve a great many purposes.

Lavender has been praised for its use as a companion plant within vegetable gardens, and its purported ability to repel troublesome insects. Learning more about the different lavender varieties available to home gardeners can help those growing lavender for the first time select those which will thrive.

Check out these different types of lavender plants to see which is best suited for your garden and your needs.

Different Types of Lavender

Though most within the genus are quite similar, there are over fifty different types of lavender plants. Commonly cultivated varieties are generally divided into one of several categories, depending upon their species. Each plant will vary slightly.

Most often, these differences are related directly to requirements for growth and bloom period. In this article, we will explore the importance of distinguishing between these types, as well as learn more about each of their characteristics.

Choosing the Right Type of Lavender

Though there are hundreds of lavender plant varieties available to gardeners, deciding which to grow can be difficult. While some species will only flourish under very specific conditions, others may be much more adaptable.

Before planting, growers will need to consider their own garden spaces. This includes soil conditions, summer temperatures, and moisture levels throughout the growing season. It also depends what you will be doing with your lavender. Do you want it for a border plant, or are you looking for edible lavender for culinary use? With careful planning, gardeners are certain to enjoy gorgeous lavender blooms for many seasons to come.

English Lavender Varieties

Native to the Mediterranean, English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is commonly referred to by growers as “true” lavender. Varieties of English lavender are available in both large and compact forms. Most cultivars will begin blooming in early summer, producing immensely fragrant purple-blue flowers. When cooking with lavender, you should choose the English variety so your food doesn't end up tasting bitter or soapy.

Their long stems are ideal for use in cut flower arrangements, dried bouquets, and craft projects. Some of the most useful varieties of English lavender include ‘Hidcote’ and ‘Munstead.’

French Lavender Varieties

French types of lavender flowers are also quite popular. French and English lavenders are related, but French is better suited to warmer areas. Also known as Lavandula dentata, this species is ideal for use in pots, containers, and raised beds. French lavender is best grown in regions where winter temperatures remain moderate.

Growers should expect plants to begin blooming in mid to late summer. French lavender seeds and plants are commonly available at local nurseries each spring. The 'Royal Crown' variety of French lavender is a compact shrub that is perfect for cottage gardens.

Spanish Lavender Varieties

Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) is most common in warmer regions that experience prolonged periods of drought. This waterwise species is able to withstand the harshest of conditions without noticeable decrease in the number or quality of flowers.

Disease-resistant plants are able to tolerate both heat and high humidity. Those who have grown Spanish lavender make special note of its unique, pine-like scent. The 'Royal Anouk' variety of Spanish lavender, available from Proven Winners, is a unique take on traditional lavender shrubs and is perfect for container gardening or landscape use.

Portuguese Lavender Varieties

Also known as Lavandula latifolia or spike lavender, evergreen cultivars of Portuguese lavender are praised for their immense ability to attract bees and other beneficial insects. Latifolia means "broadleaf" and you will notice that these varieties have much broader leaves than other types of lavender. They are ideal for use throughout the growing space, serving as an important companion plant.

Tolerant to drought, Portuguese lavender plants are best suited to drier regions and those with warm summer temperatures. Spike lavender seeds can be purchased from Eden Brothers and the plants are particularly fragrant.

Lavandin Varieties

Lavandin plant (Lavandula x intermedia) varieties are a type of hybrid. In most instances, these plants are created by crossing English lavender with another species. Hybrid lavenders are celebrated for their robust growth habit and overall vigor. This includes resistance to disease and damage caused by common garden pests.

These types are also among the most tolerant to cold. The 'Grosso' lavender variety is fairly common. Many lavandin varieties are considered to be the most fragrant of lavender plants.

Can lavender grow in shade? The short answer is – yes, and no. The slightly longer (and hopefully more helpful) answer is that it will struggle in complete shade – but it does stand a very good chance of thriving in partial shade where certain other conditions are met.

Making the most of lavender in shade relies on an understanding of what the plant needs, what your garden can provide, and how you can eke the most potential out of both, even when the sun seems elusive. It’s also about being willing to keep on top of plant vitality and development, every day if necessary, and being able to think creatively and make adjustments where necessary.

So if you’re looking to grow lavender, even if you aren’t blessed with an excess of natural direct light, these tips will help. Find out how to grow lavender in the shade – so it doesn’t just survive, but goes on to flourish.

Will Lavender Grow in the Shade?

Growing lavender in shade – well, let’s be honest, it’s not ideal. These plants are native to the Mediterranean and their preferred way of being is to soak up the sun, every day. A generous intake of sunshine (at least eight hours a day) is massively beneficial in the development of strong stems and masses of vibrant flowers.

A good source of light is also crucial in determining how aromatic your lavender plants will be. The more sunshine your plants receive, the more natural oils they will produce and the more potent their eventual fragrance will be. Of course, there are some variations depending on whether you are growing French or English lavenders, for example – but in the main, good light equates to stronger floral oils, which are essential for these quintessential cottage garden beauties.

Lavender also relies on regular exposure to direct light to help regulate soil conditions – lavender plants don’t like wet feet. As well as the primary issues of light deprivation, there are secondary issues relating to the quality of the earth in shady areas. Conditions are likely to be damper and cooler – an absolute anathema to lavender, which needs to be kept as dry and well drained as can be. If you stray from the light, you risk developing leggy plants that are starved of natural nutrients and lacking in vigor.

So will lavender grow in shade? They certainly can’t reach their full potential in total shade. However, it is possible to maintain healthy lavender in partial shade – as long as other elements of plant care are met, and certain ideas explored to their fullest. Here are a few easy ways to tip the balance in your favor where shade is an issue.

How to Grow Lavender in Shade

Now we’ve established the ideal growing conditions for lavender, and accepted that we need to compensate for a lack of light, here’s the good news. While lavender plants generally prefer at least eight hours of sun a day, certain varieties can manage well on six hours where other care essentials are covered. Make sure you have given due attention to water, soil and warmth, and you’re well on the way to vibrant lavender displays.

If you’re willing to adapt the way you grow your lavender, by thinking beyond conventional beds and borders, you’ll greatly increase your chances. Incorporating elements like extra lighting or vertical gardening are all ways of beating the odds and preventing the painful sight of a dying lavender plant. Create a warm, dry environment where the growing medium is well draining, and you can still enjoy lavender in areas where diminished natural light is an issue. Here’s how to get the most from a lavender plant in shade.

1. Understanding your Garden

Before growing lavender in partial shade, it helps to understand how light changes in your entire garden – and not just over the course of one day. Ideally, you need to have a solid awareness of how light plays over several days with different weather, and at different times of year. It’s not always possible to know this until you’ve seen your garden over the course of a year. But if you are pushed for time, you can learn a heck of a lot in a fortnight with the help of sunmapping.

Sunmapping is about tracking natural light in a methodical and systematic way. By making a sun map, you can process the impact of simple domestic objects and gardening supports – like clothes lines, freestanding shelves, or a trellis – on your gardening space. It is an excellent way of identifying the extent of issues you may have overlooked, like fence line shadows or overhanging tree branches.

Even making a simple decision like removing or cutting back a specific shrub can have a profound effect on light availability for sun-worshipping plants like lavenders. Every hour you can claw back can make the difference – so a full light audit is a great way of making those critical adjustments in an informed way. This is not just good for lavender planting, but for all manner of perennial flowers and shade plants.

There are a few gizmos that can help determine the exact distribution and quality of sunlight in your garden. Some of the calculators and meters available at Amazon, such as those manufactured by Rapitest, can help you identify which parts of your garden are less or more conducive to healthier lavender growing. You may be surprised at what you find!

2. Select the Best Varieties

If you want to grow lavender for partial shade, one of the best ways to stack things in your favor is by choosing varieties with some affinity to trickier, less-ideal areas. French lavenders (Lavandula stoechas) and fernleaf lavenders (aka French lace lavenders) are best if you need something that is more shade tolerant.

French and Spanish breeds (USDA zones 7 and above) are able to balance the light deficit against the support they receive from warmth, soil regulation, and good watering, especially if you grow your lavender in gravel-based or course-mix mediums. Conditional on some direct sunlight, you can also grow a couple of English lavenders in spots with partial shade – most notably, ‘Munstead’ and ‘Hidcote’. You can get ‘Hidcote Blue’ from Walmart, hardy in zones 4-9. You can also buy ‘Munstead’ lavender seeds and ‘Hidcote’ lavender seeds from Amazon.

Another great option for growing in partial shade is ‘Phenomenal’ lavender. This tough beauty has impressive resilience in less-than-great growing conditions, including damp and shade. ‘Phenomenal’ lavender seeds are available from Burpee.

3. Grow Lavender in Containers

Where some shade is inevitable, another way to court success with your plants is being open to growing lavender in containers and being willing to move your pots around a little. Experiment with different parts of the garden, and don’t be afraid to relocate containers if you feel like you missed the mark on your first attempt.

This is the beauty of container gardening – the flexibility it gives you to change the growing position. You just have to make sure that whichever pot you use (and preferably this should be a stone or clay-based pot), the growing medium is well draining and features a strong mix of gravel and sand as well as potting soil.

There’s another key advantage to growing lavender in containers – it allows you to experiment with different elevations. Deploying vertical gardening allows you to raise pots to a level where they can access light they might not otherwise be able to enjoy. Raised walls and shelves can similarly be used to literally bring your lavender into the light. Impediments to natural light on the ground can be irrelevant where plants are raised above them, thereby creating better growing conditions: win-win!

4. Create Extra Light Sources

As well as using elevation to bring plants into the light, you can also boost natural light levels with a couple of sensible planting strategies on the ground. Where you are growing lavender in ground-based containers, make sure you place containers (and individual plants) at good spacings from other plants, particularly taller plants (which cast more shadows). Steps are great for containers, but try to avoid placing lavender on lower steps, as they will then be competing for light in a different way.

Try to think about the 360-degree environment. As well as seeking to eliminate any barriers to light in the form of walls and so on, consider places where you can catch extra sunshine in multidirectional ways. For instance, think creatively by using windows or mirrors placed at strategic angles to capture reflected light.

Finally, where you have the opportunity to increase light in artificial ways, embrace it. There are grow lights available that can help boost light levels, whether that’s as part of a greenhouse culture, a balcony-based lavender planter, or something more adventurous that requires man-made light sources. The Relassy Outdoor Grow Light from Amazon is great for balconies and smaller spaces where sunlight can be hard to free up. You can find a wider range of grow light options at Amazon.

Frequently Asked Questions

The allure of lavender in a garden border or patio container cannot be overstated. Lavender flowers attract pollinators, and effortlessly add elegance and structure to low hedges and flower beds – and we all want those potent fragrant blooms to last for as long as possible. Knowing how to keep lavender blooming means you can enjoy the flowers for longer in the growing season – so if you’ve never bothered to deadhead lavender, this expert insight is going to transform your lavender enjoyment over summer. If you love growing lavender and want more of it, here’s what you need to know about why, when and how to get more lavender flowers by deadheading.

Why Deadhead Lavender to Keep it Blooming?

The process of deadheading flowering plants is an important step in encouraging repeat flowering of your lavender. Removing spent flowers means the plant doesn’t waste energy on them any longer. The process of removing them redirects the plant’s energy into making more flowers. This is why deadheading can lead to repeat blooms, and it’s something you can do for the duration of the flowering season.

Deadheading is a process that works to promote continuing and repeat flowering on many types of plants, including all types of lavenders. Those that naturally repeat bloom, like Spanish lavenders, benefit the most. Deadheading is equally effective for lavenders in pots and in the ground. So if you’re worried about a weary or faded lavender plant, or keen to keep your cottage garden classic bursting with blooms for longer, knowing how to deadhead lavender is your best chance for extended flowering.

When and How to Deadhead Lavender

So how do you deadhead lavender, and when? Timing is important for optimal deadheading. It depends on the type of lavender you have, and when it starts to bloom. But as a golden rule, the best time for removing lavender flowers is when they are fading. You can remove them before they are completely spent if you want to use the flowers. If not, remove them when all the flowers on a stem have faded.

Start with a sharp, clean pair of shears, snips or pruners. A clean cut minimizes stress to the plant. The Gardening Know How team loves the Felco 2 Bypass Pruner Classic from Walmart – it’s exceptional value for money, durable, hard-wearing and great for precision cuts. A decent budget option for left handed deadheading is the Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Left-Handed Bypass Pruner from Amazon, with its neat ergonomic action.

Find spent stalks of flowers and make a cut just above the last set of leaves before the flowers. You should soon see new growth near the cuts, which will likely flower later in the season.

Keep deadheading the lavender as needed, and as more flowers fade. They may not all fade at once, of course. Appraise your lavender plant every day, if you can. You cannot remove too many flowers. However, you can leave some on to go to seed if you want to collect the seeds for lavender propagation.

Deadheading versus Pruning

It’s important to remember that deadheading isn’t the same as pruning. Lavender pruning is also important for keeping your plants healthy, shapely and blooming. But they are implementing fresh growth in slightly different ways – one is prompting fresh blooming during the flowering season, while the other is helping you keep your overall plant in good shape ahead of the next dedicated season of growth.

Prune your lavenders annually, beginning in the second year. You can do light pruning at any time, but you should save the most drastic shaping for fall, after the last flowering. Cut lavender bushes back by about one third. Just don’t cut into the woody stems, as they won’t regrow.

What Else You Should Do to Help Lavender

Knowing how and when to deadhead lavender is a great way to encourage repeat flowering, but overall good care is essential. If you want to get more flowers, consider the growing conditions and take steps to optimize them. For example, you can use a bloom-boosting fertilizer to promote flowering. Feeding lavender plants early in the growing season can help with flowering and also create stronger stems for developing flowerheads.

Consider a potash-based feed, a diluted tomato feed, a seaweed-based supplement or a balanced flowering concentrate like Seedlingers Flower Food from Amazon to help give flowers a little kickstart. However, it’s important to avoid over-fertilizing lavender, as it can promote more foliage growth and fewer flowers. Too much overfeeding can also run the risk of root burn. It can even affect the intensity of the fragrance produced by the flowers. A little goes a long way, as they say.

Make sure your lavenders are watered regularly, but that they never get soggy. The soil should drain very well to avoid standing water. They also need full sun to bloom, so always plant lavender seedlings, cuttings or young plants in areas where they will get six to eight hours of sunlight.

Which Lavender Varieties Flower for the Longest

It’s important to choose lavender types that match your garden’s climate and growing conditions. To maximize repeat flowering of lavenders, consider the types that bloom longer and have the potential to flower more than once in a season.

Spanish lavender naturally blooms twice, or even three times, throughout the growing season. They bloom first in spring, again in summer, and sometimes, to a lesser degree, in fall. English and French lavender can be coaxed into reblooming with proper deadheading. Here are some examples of varieties that naturally bloom for longer:

• Hidcote: This English lavender has a long bloom period with a mounding shape. You can buy Hidcote Lavender from Nature Hills for a satisfyingly compact growth habit.
• Irene Doyle: This is one example of an English lavender that naturally blooms twice per season.
• Grosso: This French lavender is a larger lavender bush. You can grab Grosso lavender from Burpee for a longer-lasting bloom period than other types.
• Goodwin Creek Grey: This French lavender has an exceptionally long bloom period, from early summer right through early fall. It’s best for warmer climates, though.

Frequently Asked Questions

Attractive, fragrant, and beneficial—it’s easy to understand why lavender is so popular. This is especially true of more common species, such as Lavandula angustifolia. Varieties of this type thrive across a wide range of conditions, with their ease of growth most valued within herb gardens. One cultivar, 'Munstead,' has gained special fame.

Caring for Munstead Lavender

Here we'll cover the ins and outs of 'Munstead' lavender care, including watering, light, fertilizing, propagation, and much more.

Lighting Conditions

English lavender plants grow best where they are able to receive full sun throughout the day, at least 6-8 hours. Though it's possible to grow 'Munstead' plants in part shade, doing so may negatively impact their overall vigor and flower production.

Temperature and Humidity

‘Munstead’ lavender will thrive in regions where weather remains warm and dry throughout summer. Though plants are able to tolerate brief periods of heat, most lavenders will languish where conditions are especially humid. The same can also be said of the variety’s hardiness to cold, with winter damage to plants beyond USDA zone 5.

Watering Needs

In general, lavender plants are well-adapted to dry conditions. Still, routine irrigation will be needed during periods of drought or where rainfall is insufficient. Water at a rate of approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) every 7-10 days.

Fertilizing

Fertilize lavender plants with care, making certain to avoid high-nitrogen feeds. Though nitrogen can aid in promoting growth, excess use with lavender may cause plants to droop or become leggy. The production of flowers will also suffer in these instances.

Soil and Compost

English lavender plants will grow best in neutral or slightly alkaline soils. Good drainage is a must, with most types preferring that which is sandy. Finished compost and other amendments can be added to improve drainage or help to adjust the pH levels of garden beds.

Where and How to Plant Munstead Lavender

Those growing ‘Munstead’ lavender will first need to amend beds. Fertile, well-draining soil is a must, as is the plant’s proximity to the sun. This variety is said to be especially attractive when planted en masse, in cottage gardens, and when used in pots and containers. This is due to its immense bloom and compact, dwarf growth habit.

Prune and Deadhead Munstead Lavender

Like most types of lavender, ‘Munstead’ plants will benefit from routine deadheading and pruning. The removal of spent or faded blooms will help to keep plants and beds looking tidy. Further pruning, or a light shearing, may be needed after flowering has ceased. In ‘Munstead’ lavender, growth rate may be increased by this technique. Annual pruning will also help you to better maintain the desired shape of plants and prevent them from becoming excessively woody.

How to Harvest Munstead Lavender

‘Munstead’ lavender harvest time falls approximately 100-110 days after planting. As lavender is best harvested when the flowers are fresh, you should wait until approximately one-third of each flower stem has opened before clipping them from the plant. Harvest only healthy stems, making certain to discard those which are damaged or show any signs of pests or disease. Flower heads can then be dried, used in the kitchen, or used in various crafts.

Munstead Lavender Problems, Pests, and Diseases

Lavender plants only seldom have trouble with disease. However, both under- and overwatering can be problematic. Issues with drainage may lead to wilt, or even the development of fungal diseases like powdery mildew or rot. Though lavender is frequently used to deter garden pests, it is not without its own worries in terms of insects. You should routinely monitor plants for damage throughout the season, with special attention given to the presence of spider mites, scale, and whiteflies.

Best Ways to Propagate Munstead Lavender

Lavender is most commonly propagated through cuttings. This is best done in spring, when small cuttings are taken from plants. Leaves are then gently removed from the bottom one-third of each cutting, just before being dipped into rooting hormone. Clippings are placed into moist rooting medium, where they will remain until growth resumes.

Like many perennials, lavender seed propagation often requires special treatment before germination can occur. Those hoping to start plants indoors should cold-stratify seed for several weeks before planting. Another option, the winter sowing method, may also be useful in mimicking the natural needs of lavender. Regardless of technique, you can expect germination times to vary, ranging from several weeks to several months.

Frequently Asked Questions

With its vibrant blooms, delicious aroma, and therapeutic properties, lavender is a prized herb. However, it needn’t be confined to the garden. Growing lavender opens up a world of possibilities for creating craft projects that can enhance your home and well-being.

Harvesting lavender from the garden allows you to harness its calming qualities to enjoy for months on end. Depending on the project, lavender can be used fresh or dry.

To capture its essential oils and preserve its fragrance, lavender is best harvested in the morning after the dew has dried, but before the heat of the day. Aim to cut the stems just as the flowers begin to open, as this is when they are most fragrant and contain the highest concentration of oils.

Drying lavender is a straightforward process that ensures the flowers retain their color and aroma. Bundle 10-15 stems together and secure them with a rubber band or string. Hang the bundles upside down in a dark, dry, and well-ventilated area for about two weeks. This method preserves the essential oils and prevents mold growth.

Once your lavender is dried, it can be used in a variety of ways that make the most of its delightful aroma and therapeutic qualities. Whether you are an experienced gardener or a crafting enthusiast, these projects offer a rewarding way to enjoy the many benefits of lavender.

1. Lavender Oil

Infusing oil with lavender is a great way to preserve the flowers’ aroma for long periods. Lavender oil is the most widely used essential oil and has numerous therapeutic qualities, including promoting restful sleep and acting as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.

Making essential oils is easy to do and the resulting product can be used in the bath, in cosmetics, or in oil diffusers.

1. Put 2-4 cups of fresh lavender flowers into a large jar.
2. Fill with your chosen carrier oil, covering the flowers – jojoba and sunflower oil are good choices.
3. Put the lid back on and place the jar in a warm place, avoiding direct sunlight, for at least 48 hours.
4. Shake the jar occasionally to help the flowers infuse the oil.
5. Using cheesecloth, strain the oil into a fresh jar.
6. You may need to repeat this process two or three times to achieve your preferred level of strength, infusing a fresh batch of flowers each time.
7. Store the oil in a dark glass bottle in a cool, dark spot.

2. Linen Water

Once you have made your own lavender essential oil, you can use it to make lavender water – this is ideal for use when ironing, as it imparts a delicious fragrance. Alternatively, leave out the alcohol and add it to a spray bottle to use as a refreshing face and hair mist.

1. Fill a jug with 3 cups of distilled water, then add about 20 drops of homemade lavender oil.
2. If making linen water, add 6 tablespoons of vodka.
3. Decant the solution to a spray bottle, or use it directly in the iron.

3. Therapeutic Teabags

Lavender tea is a wonderful bedtime drink, aiding peaceful sleep, calming nerves, and even easing headaches. While you can make tea using flowers fresh from the garden, turning dried lavender into tea bags is an enjoyable craft.

Only the lavender flowers are suitable for turning into tea, so don’t use the foliage. The flowers will need to be dry, otherwise they will go moldy in the teabag.

If you like, you can combine lavender with other therapeutic flowers or herbs, such as chamomile or rosemary.

1. Cut up a piece of cheesecloth into squares measuring around 3x3 inches (8x8cm).
2. Add 1-2 teaspoonfuls of dried lavender flowers to each fabric square, heaping it in the middle.
3. Take the edges of the fabric, and gather at the top, forming a ball or pouch with the lavender.
4. Tie tightly with a thin piece of natural twine, around 4-5 inches (10-13cm) long.
5. Attach the other end of the string to a kraft gift tag, which you can label or stamp as desired.
6. To make your tea, steep the teabag in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Remove the teabag and, if desired, sweeten with honey.

4. Sugar Syrup

Lavender syrup makes a delicious addition to cocktails and soft drinks. It’s very easy to make, but the syrup will be extremely hot while being boiled, so take health and safety precautions.

1. In a large saucepan, combine a cup of water and 2-3 tablespoons of lavender flowers – these may be fresh or dried.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and gradually add 1 cup of sugar, stirring constantly until it is fully dissolved.
3. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 30-60 minutes, checking the flavor every 15 minutes until you are happy with the intensity.
5. Strain the mix into a bottle and store in the refrigerator.

5. Lavender Sachets

Lavender sachets are perfect for freshening up clothes drawers. They are made with the addition of rice, which adds weight to the sachets and absorbs the intense aromas.

The sachets can even be warmed in the microwave to make a therapeutic heating pad that soothes aches and pains.

1. In a bowl, combine dried lavender and dried rice to a ratio of two parts lavender to one part rice.
2. Cut out two pieces of fabric to your desired size – 4x4 inches (10x10cm) is a nice size. The fabric can be decorative cotton or a rustic plain linen. The important thing is that the fabric is breathable.
3. With right sides together, sew the edges of three sides of the sachet, either by hand or on the sewing machine. Turn it the right way out.
4. Fill your sachet with the rice and lavender mix, then sew the remaining edge by hand, folding the edges inwards for a neat finish. Alternatively, close the sachet by tying it tightly with a ribbon.

6. Summer Wreath

Make a lavender wreath to add a pretty, summery touch to your front door. Use freshly harvested lavender, so it dries in its wreath shape. Harvest stems just before the flowers begin to open in full.

1. Cut lavender stems, at least 4 inches (10cm) in length.
2. Create small bundles of lavender stems, tying them together with florist wire or string.
3. Use a metal wreath form and florist wire to securely attach the bundles in a wring shape.
4. Overlap each bundle with the next to cover up the wire and stems.
5. Add a wire loop to one side of the wreath to hang, or lay the wreath flat to act as a table centerpiece.

7. Lavender Wand

A hand-woven lavender wand is a traditional French handicraft that can be used to add a decorative fragrant touch to rooms, or even hung in closets as a moth repellent.

They are made by weaving the stems together with ribbon, which then acts as a cage for holding the flowers inside.

1. Harvest fresh lavender stems that have just begun to open. These need to be at least 12 inches (30cm) long.
2. Strip the leaves from the stems, but leave the flower heads intact. Bundle them together, tying at the top with a piece of thread, just below the flowers. Tie a length of ribbon at least 12 inches long around this thread.
3. Bend the stems out and over the lavender flowers, so that they are enclosed inside, then weave the ribbon between the lavender stems – this forms a decorative design. The ribbon needs to be fairly taut to hold the flowers inside.
4. Once all the flowers have been covered, tie the ribbon around the base and tie it off.
5. Neatly trim the ends of the lavender stalks so they are all the same length.

8. Bath Salts

Soothe aching muscles and relax at the end of the day in a lavender-infused bathtub. It’s easy to make your own spa-inspired bath salts, and they can also be added to a mason jar to give as a gift.

1. Mix together 1 cup Epsom salts with 1 cup sea salts – pink sea salt flakes make a pretty addition.
2. Add about 4 tablespoons of dried lavender flowers and 20-30 drops of your homemade lavender essential oil, then give it a good stir.
3. Pour into an airtight mason jar.
4. When filling the bath, add about a quarter of a cup to the running water. Soak and enjoy!

Some of our gardening readers ask, “Is all lavender edible?” Culinary lavender plants, or those good for eating, are indeed a different variety than other types of lavender plants.

Lavender’s history goes back 2500 years. Ancient Egyptians used it for mummification and scent and Romans for cooking, bathing, and perfuming the air but is all lavender edible? Which types produce edible lavender flowers? Read on to learn all about edible lavender.

Types of Lavender

There are at least 47 species of lavender (Lavandula) encompassing over 450 varieties, as well as many as yet to be classified. Of these, there are five most commonly included in the landscape.

Native to the Mediterranean, English lavender or True or Common lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the stereotypical type linked to the purple fields of the Provence region of France. Blooming in hues of blue, purple, lavender, violet, or pinkish/white in early to mid-summer, English lavender is a small, semi-woody, semi-evergreen, clumping perennial hardy from zones 5-9 and it is the “queen of herbs” for herb gardens, borders, rock gardens, and formal or informal edging.

French lavender (Lavandula dentata) is native to Eastern and Southern Spain. This upright, medium-sized shrub isn’t as aromatic as other varieties. Blooming from early summer through fall, the light purple bracts are offset by serrated, gray-green foliage with a strong rosemary aroma. The appearance of the foliage lends itself to French lavender’s other common name, Fringed lavender. It is hardy here in USDA zones 8-9.

Additional Lavender Varieties

Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) is a hybrid lavender combining the cold hardiness of English with the heat tolerance of Portuguese lavenders. Fragrant dark-violet to white blooms are borne above the compact, shrubby herb in mid to late summer and it’s hardy to USDA zones 5-9.

Portuguese or Spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia) is hardy in zones 6-8. Also with a heavy scent, the pale lilac blooms spike up on long stems above the broad, evergreen leaves of this shrub.

Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) tolerates humidity better than English lavender and blooms almost continuously from mid-spring through late summer in zones 8-9. Native to the Mediterranean and Africa, Spanish lavender is also sometimes referred to as Butterfly or, confusingly, French lavender. This lavender forms distinct purple, pinecone-shaped blooms that are only slightly aromatic atop highly fragrant silvery foliage.

Is English Lavender Edible?

While taste is subjective, by most accounts, the lavender varieties to use for cooking come from Lavandula angustifolia or English lavender. Any cultivar from this species will be flavorful. Recommendations include “Royal Velvet,” “Folgate,” “Melissa,” “Munstead”, or “Lady.”

All English lavenders are on the sweet side, which is what you’re looking for. Avoid other varieties. Although they aren’t toxic their high camphor content makes their flavor too strident resulting in food that tastes perfumy or soapy.

Tips to Using Lavender in Recipes

Lavender does have a marvelous aroma and a distinctly unique flavor. The flavor of this herb is intense so remember less is more; use lavender sparingly.

Lavender can be used dried or fresh, whole or ground, most often in baked goods, and is excellent in lemonade. Lavender marries well with foods that are rich and fatty as its fresh taste cuts through and elevates the palate.

Lavender, along with fennel, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, and thyme, is an integral part of the classic French seasoning Herbes de Provence used in meat marinades, bread baking, and even in cheeses.

Lavender is anti-microbial which means it should never be used in yeast bread. When using lavender in liquids, do not boil. Boiling the herb makes it bitter; instead crush the buds to release flavor and add them after removing the liquid from the stove.

Knowing when to plant lavender, both as seeds and as plants, is key to longevity. With so many positive attributes, it’s easy to understand why gardeners become interested in growing lavender in their backyards and gardens. Lavender has long been praised for its usefulness in the herb garden. Planted traditionally for its ability to calm and soothe, lavender buds are also popular when used culinarily.

Lavender flowers add further appeal around the home through crafting ideas like scented sachets, wreaths and floral arrangements. Learning more about lavender seeds and what they require for growth can help improve healthy and fragrant lavender plantings. Here we show you how to master the timings for better lavender health, beauty and fragrance.

When to Plant Lavender Seeds

While many types of flower seed germinate readily, lavender germination time is known to be quite long. It is not uncommon for this process to take up to a month or more. So knowing when to plant lavender seeds involves an element of working backwards from an anticipated germination point.

As a seasoned grower, I suggest growing lavender plants from seeds indoors or using other germination methods rather than sowing them directly into the garden. If you do choose to start the seeds indoors, do so in late winter to allow for ample germination time and a long establishment period before moving the new seedlings to the garden. The lavender type will be a contributing factor to when you plant. When it comes to growing English lavender, when to plant may be debatable, as some gardeners prefer sowing seed later in the year.

Can You Plant Lavender in the Fall?

Lavender can definitely be planted in the fall. However, there are a few special considerations to note. If you want to start lavender in the fall, begin the process around eight-10 weeks before the arrival of the first average frost date. This will allow time for the seeds to germinate and put on new growth before being moved into the garden. If you live in a region with milder winter weather, you have more flexibility within this timeline.

In general, the best time to move lavender outside is when temperatures are still cool. During this period, the seedlings will continue to establish new roots. This is essential to ensure that they can withstand conditions in the garden during their first year of growth. You may decide to sow your seedlings in winter. This method is good for making use of recycled materials to create miniature outdoor greenhouses. Winter sowing is often the best option for beginner gardeners or those who lack experience in starting seeds indoors.

Transplanting Lavender Seedlings

Before moving your lavender seedlings outdoors, they need to be properly hardened off to avoid added stress or complete loss of the plants. This needs to be factored in when you are deciding the best time to transplant lavender – either into the ground or a larger container outdoors.

As a general rule, you can move a lavender plant any time between early spring and early summer. Along with knowing when to plant lavender, the choice of planting material can influence growth and fragrance. Lavender planting beds should drain well. We recommend planting sites with sandier soil. Ample sun throughout the day is also imperative for the production of high-quality flowers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lavender has been used for over 2,500 years. A member of the mint family, lavender has been used both medicinally and for its potent aroma but what about cooking with lavender? Lavender has been used in food for centuries so, while it may be new to you, there are plenty of historical recipe references on the subject. 

Lavender for Food

Lavender is often found in soaps, perfumes, aerosol sprays, lotions, potpourris and even candles. Most people love the scent but can’t imagine it in food. 

The type of lavender used in cosmetics is French lavender while the type for culinary use is called English lavender. While all lavender is safe to eat, English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) or “true” lavender contains much less essential oil than its aromatic cousin used in perfumes and soaps. If you want to try cooking with lavender use English lavender, otherwise your food may taste bitter or soapy. 

That said, less is still more. Culinary lavender has a more delicate flavor than French, but it can still be quite an overpowering flavor if used in profusion. Dried lavender is three times as potent as fresh. 

Lavender for Baking

Lavender in baked goods should be used sparingly, but in the right proportion is delicious. It can be ground and used in baking cookies and cakes or bury the buds in sugar and allow the essential oil to soak into the sugar crystals for a week. 

Lavender can also be used to kick up your homemade pizza dough. Just add 1-2 teaspoons (4.9 -9.8 ml.) of the herb to your favorite dough recipe. For toppings, stick to vegetables and creamy mozzarella. 

Lavender honey is another option for use in baked goods, or just drizzled into a hot cup of tea. 

Lavender is an anti-microbial, which means it should never be used in yeast bread recipes.

Lavender Recipes for Food

Lavender isn’t just delicious in baked goods. It pairs extremely well with rich, fatty ingredients which cut the strong flavor of the herb. Lavender is one component of the French herbes de Provence commonly sprinkled on meat and fatty fish like salmon and tuna. 

A great way to use either lavender alone or in herbes de Provence is to make a brown butter wherein the herb is fried into melted butter. The resulting flavored butter can be spooned over steak or tossed with roasted vegetables. 

Lavender can even be used in risotto; lavender-lemon salmon risotto for instance. Try a touch of lavender in lemon pilaf. 

Add lavender to whipping cream, milk or custard to make a unique and delicious whipped cream or ice cream. 

Lastly, don’t overlook lavender’s use in beverages. Simple syrup can be made by melting equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan with either fresh or dried lavender to taste. Cool and you are ready to be the cocktail master or to create non-alcoholic beverages like pink lavender lemonade with strawberries or lemon, ginger and lavender iced tea. 

Lavender (Lavandula) is a beautiful, aromatic plant native to the Mediterranean which many gardeners incorporate into their landscape, sometimes with dismaying results. If you notice your lavender plants dying, you’re probably wondering why and how to revive lavender.

Why is My Lavender Plant Dying? 

If you’ve noticed your lavender plant is looking a bit peaked, the first order of business is to identify the cause. Lavender plants can be a bit persnickety. For one thing they require well-draining soil with a pH of 6 to 8. A soil test will help to determine if the pH needs adjusting. You can buy a soil test kit on Amazon. To raise pH, amend the soil with limestone.

As lavender hails from the Mediterranean, this plant needs plenty of sun; six to eight hours per day. New plants are not yet able to tolerate the heat, however, so plant them in early to mid-spring so they have time to acclimate before the hot temps of summer.

Also, some people may think their lavender plant is dying when in fact it is dormant. Dormancy happens when temps cool and sunlight is less available. Dead lavender will have no sign of green but instead the branches will be brown and hollow.

Temperature is another reason why your lavender plant may be dying. Snow doesn’t affect mature lavender plants, but chilly temps will. Mature lavender tolerates lows of 10 degrees F. (-12 C.); however, newly planted lavenders may succumb to temps below 40 degrees F. (4 C.) at night.

Lavender in Pots Dying

Growing lavender in pots has its own set of special considerations. If you have lavender in pots dying it may be because the plant is over or underwatered, the soil is inconsistent with the plant's needs, the plant is too little, getting too much sunlight, or the plant may need to be fertilized.

Again, cold temperatures may affect potted lavender. It is a good idea to protect potted lavender when temperatures dip by moving the plant into a garage, covering the plant, or mulching heavily. Mulch is available at Home Depot..

Both potted lavender and those in the earth can be affected by over or underwatering. Overwatered lavender may have yellowing leaves, initially on the lower leaves. Drooping, a rotting odor, and of course sodden soil are also indicators of an overwatered lavender dying.

Underwatered lavender will droop and the soil will feel completely dried out. To correctly water potted lavender, soak the soil well and then allow the top inch (2.5 cm.) to dry out completely before watering again.

Additional Reasons for a Dying Lavender Plant

Root rot is a common problem caused by overwatering that results in a lavender plant dying. If you suspect root rot you must act quickly to save the plant. Remove the plant from the soil and prune off any affected roots. Then replant the lavender in well-draining soil, like this indoor potting mix from Amazon.

Insects can also cause a lavender plant to die. Spittlebugs and froghoppers both suck the sap from plants. You can detect them by observing the white, frothy blobs that appear on the stems and leaves of infested plants.

The four-lined plant bug (FLPB) is another sucking insect that feeds on new leaves and stems from late May to early July. Infested leaves end up being spotted with uniform white or gray dots. Generally, the damage done here is more ornamental than deadly.

Disease can also affect lavender. Septoria leaf spot is caused by a fungus that weakens plants in the late summer to early fall. It is fostered by humid, wet conditions. Another symptom of Septoria leaf spot is round spots on the leaves. This fungal disease is spread by wind.

Lavender shab is another fungal disease which results in twisted, brown stems along with tiny black dots on the stem. This disease is easily transmitted so pull out infected plants and destroy them.

How to Revive Lavender

• If root rot is suspected, prune out infected roots and replant the lavender in well-draining soil, like this indoor potting mix from Amazon.
• Be sure your lavender, potted or otherwise, receives six to eight hours of sun. 
• Water deeply but wait until the top inch (2.5 cm.) of the soil is dry until watering again. Use a soaker hose or water at the base of the plant to keep the foliage dry to minimize fungal disease. You can find several options for soaker hoses on Amazon.
• Lavender naturally becomes leggy with open, woody regions at the center of the plant. Prune lavender back the plant by one third to one half before new growth starts. 
• Test your soil. The ideal pH for lavender is 6 to 8. Amend with limestone to raise the pH. You can buy a soil test kit on Amazon.

Best Aftercare For Revived Lavender

Those who have successfully saved dying lavender plants should continue care until they have retained vigor. This means moving each plant, if possible, to a sheltered location where it is able to recover for several weeks. During this time, moisture and light levels should be monitored carefully. This will help to prevent the lavender from becoming too stressed as it regains its strength.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mulching lavender plants is tricky, as lavender prefers arid conditions and well-drained soil. Be careful about applying mulch for lavender if you live in a climate that receives more than 18 to 20 inches (45.5 to 51 cm.) of rain per year. Light-colored mulches are good because they reflect light, thus helping keep lavender plants dry.

When it comes to lavender mulch, what type of mulch is best and what mulches should be avoided? Read on to learn more.

How To Mulch Lavender

Lavender requires well-drained soil and plenty of space to allow air circulation around plants. When it comes to lavender mulching, the goal is to keep the foliage and the crown as dry as possible. This means using about an inch (2.5 cm.) of mulch that won’t trap moisture around the roots.

Suitable mulch for lavender includes:

• Small, crushed rock
• Pea gravel 
• Nut shells
• Pine needles
• Oyster shells
• Coarse sand

The following mulches should be avoided:

• Wood or bark mulch
• Compost
• Straw (almost always)
• Fine sand

Using Straw or Evergreen Boughs when Mulching Lavender

Straw should nearly always be avoided. However, if you live in an arid climate north of USDA hardiness zone 9 and your soil drains well, you can apply a layer of straw to provide a little extra insulation against punishing winter cold. You can also lay evergreen boughs over lavender plants.

Apply straw after the ground freezes and the plants have gone completely dormant. Never use straw if you live in a moist climate because wet straw is likely to rot lavender plants. Don’t allow straw to pile up against the crown. Be sure to remove straw mulch for lavender as soon as the danger of extreme cold has passed.

There are a lot of reasons to grow lavender; the amazing aroma, as a pretty border along walkways and beds, attracting bees, and to harvest and use the flowers for cosmetic or culinary purposes. Harvesting lavender plants isn’t tricky, but you need to know when and how to do it in order to get the most of your bounty.

When to Pick Lavender

If you are just starting out growing lavender, keep in mind that it takes about three years for the plants to reach their peak maturity and to give you the greatest harvest. You can pick some in the first year or two, although leaving the plants alone allows them to grow and develop more.

The best lavender harvest time is early in the morning if you are picking them for aromatic uses. Most of the flowers should still be closed buds. Morning is when the oils in the flowers are at their most concentrated and intense.

The fragrant oils dissipate throughout the heat of the day, which is why it’s important to harvest in the morning if you want the scent. If you plan to use the flowers for decoration, you can wait for them to open more. Open flowers can be used fresh in arrangements or can be dried for later use.

Harvesting Lavender Plants

When picking lavender, use sharp shears or pruners rather than breaking stems by hand. This will give you clean cuts without damaging the stems. Cut the stems low but leave a couple of sets of leaves at the base on the plant.

Bundle sets of lavender stems with twine or rubber bands to keep them organized and tidy. If drying, you can hang these bundles in a spot that is warm and dry but avoid direct sunlight. Once fully dry the buds and flowers can easily be shaken or rubbed from the stems for storage.

Lavender is a beautiful herb that’s relatively easy to grow if you have a little extra space and the right growing conditions. You may even be able to make a little extra money by planting a lavender field. There are countless ways to make money from lavender farming. For instance, you can sell fresh or dried lavender, or create fragrant sachets, lotions, soaps, teas, flavorings, medicines, essential oils, and other products.

How do you go about growing a field of lavender? The following information explains more.

Growing Conditions for Lavender Farming

Lavender grows in Mediterranean climates where summers are warm and dry and winters are cool and mild. Don’t be discouraged if your climate isn’t ideal; some of America’s loveliest lavender farms are located in the rainy Pacific Northwest and the chilly Midwest.

Some hardy lavenders tolerate winters as far north as USDA plant hardiness zones 5 or 6, but plants don’t do well in punishing cold winters with lots of snow. However, plants can be protected in various ways, like using row covers, wind barriers, or heavy mulch.

Soil for lavender farming should be well-drained and not too rich. Sandy soil works well, but lavender may not survive in clay. You may need to amend heavy or poorly drained soil with large amounts of mulch, gravel, sand, or compost.

Proper spacing is also essential, especially in damp or humid climates. Growers recommend a distance of at least 2 to 3 feet (61-91.5 cm.) between plants and 3 to 6 feet (1-2 m.) between rows. Lavender also does well in raised beds.

How to Start a Lavender Farm

Planting lavender seeds is risky and time-consuming and generally aren’t true to type, meaning they may not produce the desired variety.

If you’re planting a small area, you can start transplants from a nursery. Most growers will start cuttings or root divisions in order to retain the desirable traits. A reputable nursery will carry reliable plants that are appropriate for your area.

It is usually recommended that you try planting small, trial areas first to determine what works best in your situation. Your local cooperative extension can also advise you.

Lavender Types for Planting

• English lavender (Lavandula augustifolia): A popular, widely grown lavender species. The fragrant plants are commonly used for oils, perfumes, flavoring, and dried flowers. English lavender is suitable for growing in USDA zones 5b through 8, where summers are warm and days are long.
• Spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia): Primarily grown for its essential oils and used to make fragrant soaps. It is also popular for florals. However, spike lavender (also known as Portuguese lavender) needs a Mediterranean climate and isn’t practical for many areas of the U.S.
• French lavender (Lavandula dentata): An extremely fragrant lavender that grows in warm climates. French lavender is grown as an annual in many areas of the United States.
• Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia): Also known as Dutch lavender, lavandin is a hybrid of English and spike lavender. It produces a high yield of flowers and oil, although the oil may not be of the highest quality.
• Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas): Produces dark purple blooms that are often used for dried flower arrangements. Spanish lavender plants aren’t cold hardy and are often grown as annuals for ornamental purposes.

Sometimes you’ll want to relocate your precious lavender plants - either from a pot to the ground, or to a different part of the yard. Perhaps what started as a small clump has started blocking a pathway, or maybe it isn't getting the requisite hours of sun it needs. Because these are woody perennials with brittle root systems, transplanting lavender might feel like a high-stakes gamble. However, transplanting lavender is possible – and manageable – if you take the right steps, at the right time.

The key to a successful relocation is a combination of thoughtful timing and handling roots carefully. Of course, basic lavender care relies on a great spot from the start, but garden layouts can evolve, and plants grow, casting new shade where there was once sun. In those cases, transplanting gives the plant another shot.

Find out how to transplant lavender the right way, and you’ll find yours can be surprisingly resilient. Whether you are moving a mature bush or a young starter, the goal is to minimize the amount of time the roots spend exposed to the air. Here’s how and when to transplant lavender right, so it bounces back with more vigor and more fragrant blooms than ever before.

When to Transplant Lavender

Timing is everything. Early spring is the best time for transplanting lavender in most climates (USDA zones 5-9). At this stage, the plant is just waking up from its winter dormancy. The sap is beginning to flow, but the plant hasn't yet diverted its energy into producing flower spikes. Moving it now allows the roots to knit into the new soil before summer heat rolls in.

Fall is also a great time, particularly in the south or places where winters are mild. In this case, aim for at least 4-6 weeks before the first hard frost. This window is critical, as the roots need soil warmth to establish. If you wait too long, the heaving of freezing and thawing soil can pop a newly moved lavender right out of the ground.

Avoid moving lavender in the dead of summer. The combination of high evaporation rates and root disturbance is usually fatal. Furthermore, older, woody lavender (over 5–7 years old) is harder to move than young, flexible plants. If you're moving an older specimen, be extra generous with the size of the root ball you excavate.

How to Transplant Lavender

How do you transplant lavender? Before you dig, evaluate your new location with a critical eye. Lavender requires a minimum of 6-8 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight. In partial shade, the plant becomes leggy, stems weaken, and the oil concentrations that provide that iconic scent will diminish significantly.

Drainage is the non-negotiable factor. More lavender dies from wet feet than from cold or pests. If your soil is heavy clay, you must amend it before you even think about digging up the lavender plant. Do not use pure standard compost, which holds too much moisture. Mix in coarse or horticultural sand, perlite, or fine poultry grit.

Work amendments into the top 12 inches (30cm) of soil. You can get Leca Horticultural Sand from Amazon to improve drainage, ensuring water moves away from the crown of the plant. Soil should feel gritty and crumbly, not dense and sticky.

1. Prepare the Lavender

Preparation begins 24 hours before transplanting. Water your lavender deeply at the base. Moist soil holds together better around plant roots at the time of transplant, preventing them from drying out during the transition. Dry soil simply crumbles away, leaving the sensitive roots naked and exposed to damage.

A light prune can also help your plant before moving it. If your lavender has lingering flower spikes or heavy, leggy growth, trim these slightly. Using snips, garden scissors or pruning shears ensures clean cuts that heal faster. Team favorite Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears is available from Amazon. By reducing top-heavy foliage, you reduce transpiration (water loss) while the lavender puts energy into root establishment.

2. Dig up the Lavender

When it’s time to dig, use a sharp, long-handled spade or a garden fork to dig a circle around the plant. Use the DeWit Perennial Spade from Amazon for controlled digging around neighboring plants. Start your circle 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) away from the base of the main woody stem. Lavender roots are wide reaching. Dig straight down, then angle slightly under the root ball to cut underneath.

Work the spade all the way around the circumference before attempting to pry the plant up. Slide the spade under and lift carefully. You want to lift the entire pancake of soil and roots in one piece. The more soil that stays with the root ball, the less shock the plant takes. If the plant is large, sliding a piece of burlap or tarp under the root ball makes transporting to the new hole easier on your back – and the plant.

3. Plant in the New Spot

Make sure the new planting hole is twice as wide as the root ball, but no deeper. When planting, don’t plant your lavender too deep, which leads to crown rot. The plant should sit at the same level as it was previously, or even slightly higher (on a small mound) if you have drainage concerns.

Fill the space around the root ball with a lean soil mix. While it's tempting to add rich potting soil or manure, lavender thrives in poor, slightly alkaline soil. Too many nutrients will give you a giant green bush with zero flowers. Firm the soil with your hands to remove air pockets. Backfill without compacting the earth too tightly, which can suffocate emerging roots. Water thoroughly to settle soil around roots.

Post-Transplant Care

Water regularly for the first month after transplanting. Aim for once or twice a week, depending on weather and hardiness zone. Established lavender is drought-tolerant, but a lavender transplant is effectively drinking through a straw until roots re-attach. Water based on whether the top two inches (5 cm) of soil is dry. Use a meter like the Yamron 4-in-1 Soil Moisture Meter from Amazon if you are unsure about soil levels.

In terms of mulching, avoid wood chips or dyed bark, which trap moisture against the stems. Instead, use a light layer of pea gravel or white pebbles. This looks beautiful and reflects heat and light back up into the plant, mimicking the rocky hillsides of the Mediterranean. It’s also a good idea to apply a diluted mineral and vitamin top-up to usher the roots to life. Buy Superthrive Liquid Vitamin Solution from Lowe’s to help roots wake up.

Transplanting Into Containers

If you are upsizing a container plant, use a terracotta or clay pot. These types of materials are breathable, allowing moisture to evaporate through the walls of the container. Choose a large terracotta pot or planter to provide the necessary room for a mature root system, while preventing the stagnant humidity plastic pots often trap. We love Deroma Standard Terracotta Pots from Amazon, with their wildlife motifs.

Don’t forget drainage holes. Choose containers at least 12-16 inches (30-40cm) wide and deep to handle lavender's extensive root system. Use a dedicated well-draining potting mix like a cactus and succulent potting mix, or create your own by mixing 50% standard potting soil with 50% perlite or grit. If you’re planting a companion for your lavender, rosemary or thyme share the same tough love requirements for water and sun.

What about Transplant Shock?

Don't panic if your lavender looks a bit sad for the first 48 hours after transplanting. Wilting is a natural response to root disturbance, and you might also see some drooping. However, if the leaves start to turn a greyish-yellow or become brittle, the plant is struggling to move water.

Check the stems, and if they are still flexible, the plant is alive. If they snap like dry kindling, that section is dead. To help a shocked plant, provide temporary shade using a Floating Row Cover from Burpee for the first few afternoons of intense sun until the roots settle. Keep a close eye on watering, taking care not to overwater or underwater, and adjust accordingly. The plant should perk up within a week or two once moisture levels stabilize. New growth from the base signals the plant is recovering and establishing in its new spot.

Patience is your best tool. A transplanted lavender spends its first year sleeping, focusing entirely on its roots. Don't be discouraged if blooms are sparse in the first season. Don’t hard prune until the plant is fully established. By the second year, your lavender will reward careful handling with a profusion of color and that unmistakably calming scent. With the right drainage and a sunny spot, your relocated lavender should thrive for many years, proving that a little move can lead to a big life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lavender Transplant Essentials

Looking to take some of the legwork out of repositioning your lavender? The process of transplanting your plants is a lot simpler with this trio of essentials for optimal conveyance, before, during and after moving:

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Like other varieties of lavender, fernleaf lavender is a fragrant, showy shrub with blue-purple flowers. Growing fernleaf lavender is similar to other types, requiring a warm climate and drier conditions. Grow this lavender for edging, as a low shrub, and to harvest the flowers and leaves for herbal uses.

About Fernleaf Lavender Plants

Fernleaf lavender (Lavendula multifida) is also commonly known as French lace lavender. The names refer to its fern-like leaves, which are grayish green, deeply lobed, and can be described as lacy. You can grow fernleaf lavender in your herb garden and harvest both the flowers and leaves. Use them in cooking or in soaps and other care products, potpourri, and scented sachets.

This lavender need not be limited to herbal uses, though. It’s a woody shrub that can be used as a low hedge, border, or edge—fernleaf lavender grows up to about 2 feet (61 cm.) tall and wide. Grow it in clumps for visual interest and garden fragrance. In warm climates, it will produce pretty flowers year-round.

How to Grow Fernleaf Lavender

Good fernleaf lavender care begins with climate considerations. Native to the hot, dry Mediterranean, lavender in the U.S. grows best in zones 8 through 10. It prefers sun and dry conditions, but this particular variety can tolerate more moisture than others.

Where winter temperatures dip to 20 degrees F. (-7 C.) or lower, this plant won’t survive. You can still grow it, either as an annual or in a container that you bring indoors for the winter, if you live somewhere colder.

Make sure the soil has good drainage and some organic material. Only water the lavender in drought conditions or as it is getting established. Remove the spent flowers to encourage more blooming and prune the shrubs in spring just as the new leaves start to grow.

Harvesting Fernleaf Lavender

You can harvest and use both the fragrant leaves and flowers of fernleaf lavender. Harvest them at any time, clipping the stems low on the shrub for leaves and blooms. With the interesting texture and shape of the leaves, you can use them along with the flower stalks in fresh arrangements.

Dry the leaves and flowers to use in baking or in making fragrant beauty and other products. You can also use them fresh, and in fact, the flowers of fernleaf lavender don’t dry as well as those of other varieties. The aroma and fragrance of the leaves is a little more piney than other lavenders.

Whether you're looking to produce homemade lavender products or you just enjoy the sweet smell of lavender flowers blooming in the summer, planting an all-lavender garden can help you achieve your goal.

How to Create a Lavender Garden

Lavender is a low maintenance perennial herb originating in the Mediterranean. Grown for its fragrant flowers, lavender blooms can be used in soap making, potpourri, aromatherapy, and much more. Lavender is often planted along walkways and patios, added to herb gardens, or used in formal knot gardens. With a few simple steps, you can create your own garden of lavender. 

Begin by choosing a good location for your lavender garden. Plants from the various lavender species require a sunny location with good drainage. Lavender prefers a neutral pH of 7 and does well in sandy or gritty soil. In humid or rainy environments, lavender may thrive better when grown in raised beds.

Once you've chosen a location for your new garden of lavender, consider which varieties you wish to grow. With over 200 types of lavender available, gardeners can choose between various sizes, bloom times, hardiness, and flower color. With these choices in mind, the next step is planning a lavender garden design.

Elements of color, composition, and balance can be combined when creating a unique lavender garden design. For mixed flower beds, try contrasting lavender's spiky, purple blooms with bright orange California poppies or yellow black-eyed Susan. Create a subtle color palette by growing lavender in front of a light-colored wall or white fence overgrown with pastel pink climbing roses. Add a bench, rock features, or bird bath for eye appeal.

For centuries, lavender has also been used as a natural insect repellent. Planting rows of lavender near outdoor living spaces combines beauty with practicality. Lining walkways with lavender softens their edges and creates a more inviting atmosphere. Or try your hand at an all-lavender garden planted in an intriguing geometric pattern. 

Growing Healthy Lavender Garden Plants

When plotting an all-lavender garden, consider the mature size of each variety. Leaving adequate space between plants not only makes it easier to weed and harvest lavender, but also creates a healthier environment for the herb.

Fungus and root rot are common problems when growing a lavender garden. Plants that are affected are best removed, but prevention is the key. These issues are often caused by overwatering, poor drainage, excessive humidity, and inadequate air circulation around the base of the plant. In lieu of moisture-retaining mulch, opt for sand or pea gravel as a groundcover. These will not only deter weed growth, but also improve surface drainage and decrease ground-level humidity. 

Once an all-lavender garden is established, it requires minimal care. Annual pruning and regular weeding will keep the garden growing and producing beautiful and fragrant lavender blossoms for years to come.

If you’ve passed through the Mediterranean region of France, Spain, or Italy, you probably still have vivid memories of lavender fields in bloom. The fragrant purple blooms of these gorgeous, sun-loving shrubs contrast brilliantly with their delicate, gray-green leaves.

Lavenders need very warm, sunny weather to thrive outdoors though. If your weather just won’t do, you may wonder about growing lavender indoors. Can you grow lavender indoors? You can if you pick the best indoor lavender varieties and give them the exposure they need.

Can You Grow Lavender Indoors?

As outside plants, most lavender likes a climate that is quite similar to the hot Mediterranean regions where they grow wild. If you live in a fog belt or don’t have the room in your backyard, you might consider installing lavender as a houseplant.

Can you grow lavender indoors? Not all lavender plants grow well in containers in the living room. However, some do, and if you select carefully among indoor lavender varieties, you’ll soon be singing the praises of growing lavender plants inside.

Best Lavender as a Houseplant

Obviously, when you bring lavender plants inside, you are talking container plants. Since some regular lavender cultivars grow waist high, you’ll do best to pick dwarf plants when you are growing lavender indoors.

One cultivar to consider is 'Goodwin Creek Grey,' a fragrant variety that thrives indoors. It grows happily outside in hardiness zones 7 and above, so you can set the plants outdoors in summer if you like.

‘Munstead’ is another dwarf variety that does well indoors. It is compact and fragrant with rosy purple flowers. Another excellent choice is ‘Little Lottie,’ with its soft pink flower spikes.

You can also use cultivars of French lavender (Lavandula dentata) varieties. These are smaller plants and do well in pots inside. Or try Canary Island lavender (Lavandula canariensis) or moisture-loving fern leaf lavender (Lavandula multifida).

Growing Lavender Indoors

When you are planning to use lavender as a houseplant, it’s important to select an appropriate pot and good soil. Pick a pot for lavender that is only a few inches (8 cm.) larger than the plant’s rootball. The plant likes tight quarters, and excess soil can easily stay too wet. Check that the pot has ample drainage holes.

Use a light potting mix that drains well, adding in some sand, perlite, and compost. Mix in a little lime to tip the soil toward alkaline. Adding crushed eggshells every month or so helps keep it from turning acidic.

Lavender is one of the most highly prized aromatic plants in the world, and for good reason. (It’s a personal favorite of mine). While “lavender” is usually considered to be a universal scent, there are actually many different varieties, each with its own unique qualities. One of these is the lavender ‘Goodwin Creek Grey’ cultivar. Keep reading to learn more about growing Goodwin Creek Grey lavender and Goodwin Creek Grey care.

Goodwin Creek Grey Lavender Info

Goodwin Creek Grey lavender plants (Lavandula ‘Goodwin Creek Grey’) are known for their attractive silver to gray foliage and for their relatively short spikes of deep purple to blue flowers. The plants tend to reach 2 feet (61 cm.) without flowers and 3 feet (91 cm.) with flowers. While it is difficult to grow lavender indoors, largely because it can so easily fall victim to humidity and fungus, this variety tends to fare better inside than most. When growing Goodwin Creek Grey lavender indoors, make sure to plant it in well-draining soil and to give it lots of light. At the very least, it should be placed in a bright window that receives six to eight hours of sunlight per day. Alternatively, it can be grown under artificial lights.

Goodwin Creek Grey Care

Growing Goodwin Creek Grey lavender is very similar to growing other lavender varieties, with a few exceptions. As mentioned above, it is a bit more amenable to being grown in pots indoors. It is also a little more heat resistant than other lavenders. It is very drought tolerant and does not need to be watered regularly. It should be planted in well-draining, sandy soil in a spot that receives full sun. After flower stems have faded, cut them off at the base. The whole plant can be cut back after all flowers have faded to maintain a compact, dense shape.

Nothing pleases the senses quite like a mass planting of lavender– the velvety spikes of purple blooms set against silvery blue fine foliage, the busy bees, butterflies, and hummingbird moths flitting from flower to flower, and the heavenly scent of those blooms that can undo all the stressors of the day with just one whiff. However, many gardeners have difficulty growing lavender, as they have a reputation of being somewhat picky about where they are grown. Fortunately, we live in an age where plant breeders recognize problems and swiftly create new, tougher varieties. One such tough, reliable hybrid is Grosso lavender. Continue reading for all the perks of growing Grosso lavender plants.

What is Grosso Lavender?

Grosso lavender, scientifically known as Lavendula x intermedia ‘Grosso,’ is a woody perennial hybrid of English lavender and Portuguese lavender. Lavender hybrids of these parent plants are generally known as lavadins, and incorporate all the beauty and fragrance of English lavender with the resistance and tolerance of Portuguese lavender. Not just a favorite for beds, borders, or mass plantings in the home landscape, Grosso lavender is also the most widely cultivated lavender variety for its essential oils. Its long lasting blooms and fragrance are excellent for cut flowers, dry flowers, oil infusions, potpourri, and other crafts as well as in culinary and herbal recipes. This is also an excellent plant to grow for honeybees. Harvest the large, deep purple to blue blooms of Grosso lavender from mid to late summer, just as the buds open, on dewy mornings when blooms are laden with natural essential oils.

Growing Grosso Lavender Plants

Like all lavender, Grosso lavender plants require full sun and well-draining soil. However, Grosso lavender does not struggle quite as much as English lavender in the cool, wet conditions of spring or fall in cooler regions. It also can stand up to the hot, arid summers of warm regions better than other lavenders. Hardy in zones 5 through 10, Grosso lavender plants will grow best when planted in slightly sandy to rocky soil, with excellent air circulation. Even this tough hybrid cannot handle extremely humid regions or overcrowding and shading from other plants. Grosso lavender plants are rabbit and deer resistant and drought tolerant once established. They seem to thrive in poor, infertile soils where other perennials suffer. To keep plants looking their best, water deeply but infrequently and apply a general slow release fertilizer in spring. For tidy looking plants deadhead spent blooms.

Few herbs have the lasting impact of lavender. The plant is adept as either a culinary, aromatic, or cosmetic herb. One of the most tolerant forms is Phenomenal. What is Phenomenal lavender? The plant withstands both summer heat and winter cold. Best of all, Phenomenal lavender care is a breeze.

What is Phenomenal Lavender?

Plant breeders have really hit a home run with (Lavandula x intermedia 'Phenomenal') plants. Not only are they adaptable to very cold and hot temperatures, but the plants tolerate a variety of soil conditions provided it is well draining.

The biggest tip when growing Phenomenal lavender is sun. In full sun, this plant will provide no fuss beauty and scent in your garden.

Phenomenal is a French lavender hybrid especially developed for winter hardiness combined with heat and humidity tolerance.

Lavandula ‘Phenomenal’ plants form naturally soft mounds of silvery green foliage. The flower spikes are deeply purple-blue and heavily scented, a magnet for a variety of pollinating insects.

Gardeners in deer-prone areas should try growing Phenomenal lavender, which is low on these browsing animal's menu list.

This lavender is fast growing and has copious scented blooms perfect for cutting. The flowers will attract bees and butterflies as well as other beneficial insects.

How to Grow Lavender "Phenomenal"

Select a site in full sun when planting lavender. In partially shaded locations, the blooms will be diminished.

Phenomenal is spectacular in mass plantings. Each bush can grow up to 24 inches (61 cm) tall with a similar spread, so plan accordingly when installing them. The best results occur in gritty, well-draining soil. It thrives in low fertility soil in United States Department of Agriculture zones 6 to 9.

Plant in spring and summer in zones below USDA 6, and in fall in warmer regions. If the soil is alkaline, incorporate lime several weeks prior to planting. Use Phenomenal lavender in borders, rockeries, low hedges, kitchen and formal English knot gardens.

Phenomenal Lavender Care

Phenomenal has a high resistance to root rot and other fungal diseases. Alfalfa mosaic virus is a common disease which is spread by aphids. Other pests to watch for are whiteflies, leafhoppers and spittlebugs.

During the hottest months of the year, keep soil moderately moist. Prevent weeds around the planting zone and use mulch to conserve energy, keep soil cool and minimize weed pests.

Prune the plant after flowering before the end of September for compact plants or harvest blooms at any time. The flowers may be dried and still retain much of their lavender scent, and can be used in the kitchen or as part of potpourris.

Take cuttings after bloom or divide the mother plant when dormant to produce more of this wonderful lavender.

Xylella (Xylella fastidiosa) is a bacterial disease that affects hundreds of plants, including trees and shrubs and herbaceous plants such as lavender. Xylella on lavender is extremely destructive and the potential for far-reaching damage to lavender growers and lavender gardens is tremendous.

What is Xylella?

Xylella is thought to be one of the most dangerous and harmful bacterial diseases in the world. Although it is native to America, it has spread to a number of countries in Europe, including Italy and France. The bacterium is of special concern in the U.K., where authorities are taking steps to prevent an outbreak, including controls on imported plants, a ban on purchase of plants from countries where Xylella is known to exist, and stringent requirements for inspections. The United Nations is also working to prevent global spread of the bacterium. Xyella affects the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients. The bacterium is spread from plant to plant by sap-sucking insects. The glassy-winged sharpshooter has been identified as a major carrier, as well as a type of spittlebug known as meadow froghopper. The bacterium is native to the United States, where it has created problems in the southeastern states and California, particularly in riparian areas.

Xylella and Lavender Info

Lavender plants with Xylella display stunted growth and scorched, wilted foliage, eventually leading to plant death. Symptoms can vary somewhat depending on climate and other factors. If lavender Xylella symptoms get started in your area, there may be little you can do. However, you can do your part to prevent spread by controlling sap-sucking pests, limiting growth of weeds and tall grass that harbor insect pests, and maintaining strong, healthy, disease-resistant lavender plants. Encourage beneficial insects to visit your lavender garden. Tiny parasitic wasps and dragonflies, in particular, have been identified as an important predator of the bacterium and may be crucial to preventing Xylella on lavender plants in your garden.

The scent of lavender is a wonderful, heady herbal aroma. The sweet purple to blue flower spikes just add further to the appeal. Lavender Hidcote is one of the better performing forms of the herb. What is lavender Hidcote? It is a blue English lavender which thrives in USDA zones 5 to 9. This compact form is easy to grow and very versatile. Some tips on how to grow Hidcote lavender can help you transform your herb garden into a fresh or dried culinary and aromatic dream.

Lavender Hidcote Info

Plants that provide outstanding color and scent, are edible, and attract pollinators are a win-win for the garden. Lavender Hidcote is one such beauty. It is also deer resistant, a bonus in certain areas of the country, and you can dry the flowers for long lasting, scented bouquets. Sunny, well-drained sites are perfect for growing lavender Hidcote. In a massed planting it makes an astounding display, but it stands out sweetly as part of an herb garden or even a mixed container. Most of us are familiar with English and French lavenders, but what is lavender Hidcote? It belongs to the English group, which is probably the most well known. These are native to the Mediterranean but Hidcote is the hardiest of the English cultivars. It is a true lavender that has been cultivated for its oil and dried flowers. Some interesting lavender Hidcote info indicates that the genus name, Lavandula, means “I wash” and the epithet, angustifolia, refers to the narrow leaves. Lavender Hidcote will only grow up to 20 inches tall (50 cm.) but it is packed with bright purple-blue flowers. The needle-like foliage is grayish green, providing an amazing backdrop to the blooms. The summer blooms are attractive to numerous pollinating insects, including butterflies.

How to Grow Hidcote Lavender

Lavender needs well-draining soil, preferably slightly sandy and a sunny location. Hidcote cannot tolerate humidity and will not perform well in areas that are overly moist. In areas with higher humidity, provide plenty of ventilation. The plant will grow well in rockeries, along borders and paths, or as stand-alone specimens. When planting, the crown of the plant should rest just at the surface of the soil. Use organic mulch in drier regions and a rock mulch in areas with humidity. During its first year, provide plenty of water so the plant can establish a strong root system.

Caring for Lavender Hidcote

To promote denser plants when young, shear back the foliage in early spring. Thereafter, every three years cut the plant back in spring to promote new stems and growth. Use a general purpose fertilizer annually in early spring. Lavender has few pest problems and its only disease issues are fungal. Leaf spot and root rot are the primary culprits, especially in wet regions. You can use the aromatic leaves in perfumes, potpourri, as a seasoning, in sachets, or as part of everlasting flower bouquets. This is a lovely versatile plant, perfect for most gardens.

When you think of lavender, it is probably English and French lavender that comes to mind. Did you know though there is also a Spanish lavender? Spanish lavender plants can give you the same aroma and delicate flowers as the English variety, but they are better able to tolerate hot climates.

Spanish Lavender Information

Spanish lavender, or Lavendula stoechas, is just one of about 40 varieties of this fragrant herb. It is native to the hot, dry climate of the Mediterranean region, so it thrives in warmer climates and is hardy to zone 8. Growing Spanish lavender is a good alternative to the more common English lavender if you live in a warmer climate. In appearance, Spanish lavender is similar to other varieties, growing in small shrubs that make great low hedges or bed borders. They have the same silvery green leaves, but one unique characteristic is how they flower. The top of each flowering stem grows larger, upright bracts that resemble rabbit ears. Flowers may be purple or pink, depending on the cultivar:

• Ann’s Purple. This cultivar is larger than others, and it will grow about 30 inches (76 cm.) all around.
• Purple Ribbon. Purple ribbon produces dark purple flowers and is a little bit cold hardier than other cultivars.
• Kew Red. This cultivar is one of the few to produce pink flowers, in a dark raspberry shade.
• Winter Bees. This one will start blooming before other cultivars or varieties of lavender, beginning in late winter in warm climates.
• Lutsko’s Dwarf. This dwarf cultivar grows out to about 12 inches (31 cm.) and makes a good option for container growing.

How to Grow Spanish Lavender

Spanish lavender care is similar to other varieties of lavender, although compared to English lavender it can tolerate more heat and doesn’t require any cold to produce flowers. Find a spot with full sun for your Spanish lavender plants or consider growing them in containers; these plants take well to pots. Make sure the soil is light and drains well. Your Spanish lavender will not need a lot of water and will tolerate droughts well. Growing Spanish lavender is a great choice for hot and dry climates, but it also works for containers that can be brought indoors. In addition to adding a lovely fragrance to your garden beds or home, this lavender will also attract pollinators to your garden.

If you’re reading this article, it means you have an interest in dividing lavender plants and who can blame you? Anyone who has smelled the floral sweet scent of lavender would obviously want to make more of these glorious plants, right? The burning question is, however, “Can lavender plants be divided? The answer is, “it’s kind of complicated.” What do I mean by that? To find out, read on to learn more about how to divide lavender plants and when to split up lavender in the garden.

Can Lavender Plants be Divided?

I recently asked some professional lavender growers about lavender plant division and the general response was that lavender is a sub-shrub and, hence, can’t be divided. Lavender plants are a typical sub-shrub in that they only have a single stem and root system. Branches grow forth from this main stem just above ground level. Lavender plant division performed on the roots of a plant with only one main stem results in a high plant mortality rate, so it is strongly advised against. It not only has the propensity to kill but is the hardest way to propagate lavender plants. Seed, layering, or cuttings are much easier methods and don’t risk plant vitality. Cuttings are the most popular method of lavender propagation. However, if you’re going to buck the advice not to do it and attempt division anyways, the best candidate (or victim) would be a lavender plant which has exhibited a decrease in flower production over a 2+ year time frame, or one which is dying from the center out. As for when to split up lavender, the ideal time would be fall or spring. In summary, lavender plant division performed in this way is for the gardener who thrives on doing things the hard way and embraces challenges.

How to Divide Lavender

Remember how I said it was complicated? Well, there is a roundabout way of dividing lavender – but only on multi-stemmed plants. You are probably asking yourself, “Wait – didn’t she say that lavenders only have a single stem?” Woody perennials, such as lavender, sometimes propagate themselves by forming new plants when one of their branches makes contact with the ground and forms roots. You can create new independent plants from these layered stems by using a sharp sterile knife to cut between the rooted stem and the original plant, then digging up the new plant and planting it elsewhere. This is not probably what initially comes to mind when you think of dividing lavender plants but it is a type of division nonetheless.

Growing lavender plants from seed can be a rewarding and fun way to add this fragrant herb to your garden. Lavender seeds are slow to germinate, and plants grown from them may not flower in the first year, but if you’re patient and willing to put in the work, you can generate beautiful plants from seeds. Read on to learn about starting lavender from seed.

Germinating Lavender Seeds

The first step in lavender seed propagation is choosing a variety and germinating the seeds. Be aware that not all cultivars will come true when you propagate by seed. If you are determined to grow a particular cultivar, you’re better off using cuttings or divisions to get new plants. 

Some good varieties for starting by seed are Lavender Lady and Munstead. It can take one to three months for lavender seeds to germinate, so start early and be patient. 

Also, be prepared to germinate them indoors. Lavender seeds will need warm temperatures, between 65 and 70 degrees F. (18-21 C.). If you don’t have a warm spot or a greenhouse, use a heat mat to keep your seeds warm enough.

How to Plant Lavender Seeds

Use shallow seed trays and just barely cover the seeds with soil. Use a light soil or a vermiculite blend. Keep the seeds moist but not overly wet. A sunny spot is a great location to keep the soil from getting too wet and to add warmth. Your lavender seedlings will be ready to transplant once they have several leaves per plant. 

Your first year of growth will not be impressive, but by year two, expect to have large, blooming lavender. Starting lavender plants from seed is not difficult, but does require time, some patience, and a little extra space for your seed trays.

When it comes to French vs. English lavender there are some important differences. Not every lavender plant is the same, although they are all great to grow in the garden or as houseplants. Know the differences between these popular types to choose the best one for your conditions and needs.

Are English and French Lavender Different?

They are related, but there are different types of lavender. French lavender is Lavendula dentata and it is not actually that commonly cultivated, although we often think of France when picturing fields of lavender.

English lavender is Lavendula angustifolia. This variety is much more commonly cultivated and is typical in gardens and containers. Here are some other important differences:

Hardiness

A big difference between French and English lavender is that the latter is much hardier. French lavender is only hardy through about zone 8 and won’t tolerate cold winters.

Size

French lavender is large and will grow from about 2 to 3 feet (61-91 cm.) tall and wide, while English lavender stays much smaller and more compact, although it may grow up to 2 feet (61 cm.).

Bloom time

The flowers on these plants are similar in size, but they last much longer on French lavender. This variety has one of the longest bloom times, starting in spring and continuing to produce flowers throughout the summer.

Scent

If you’re looking for the characteristic lavender smell, choose English lavender. It produces the strong scent that permeates the air, while French lavender has a much lighter scent, which while nice, is more reminiscent of rosemary.

Other Types of Lavender

French and English are just two of many varieties of this popular plant. You’ll also see Spanish lavender, which like French lavender has a softer scent and is used more for landscaping than for producing the scented oil.

Lavandin is a hybrid cultivar that was developed to produce even more oil than English lavender, so it has a very potent aroma. French and English lavender varieties are both great plants, but they are not the same. Along with the other types of lavender, you have plenty of options to choose the right variety for your home or garden.

Companion planting is an easy and very effective way to make your garden the best it can be. It draws on a few different principles, like pairing plants that repel insects with those that suffer from them, and matching water and fertilizer needs. Lavender does have some specific requirements that mean it can only be planted in certain parts of the garden, but it’s also very good at protecting other plants from pests. Keep reading to learn more about the best planting companions for lavender.

Lavender Plant Companions

Lavender is very particular in its growing requirements. It needs full sun, little water, and little to no fertilizer. It’s usually happiest if left alone. This means that if you place it next to a plant that prefers more attention, one of them is going to suffer.

Some good plants to grow with lavender which share similar needs are:

• Echinacea
• Aster
• Sedum
• Wild indigo
• Baby’s breath
• Drought tolerant roses

These companions for lavender perform well in full sun and dry, less-than-rich soil. Gazania, another good choice, is a beautiful flowering plant from South Africa that fares especially well in poor, dry soils. Like lavender, it will really suffer if you pay too much attention to it. On top of being good companions for lavender based on their growing habits, these plants all also produce flowers that pair strikingly with its purple blossoms.

Some planting companions for lavender benefit greatly from having it nearby. Lavender is a natural repellant of moths, slugs, and deer. Any plants that suffer from these pests will benefit from having a lavender plant nearby.

Fruit trees, in particular, which can be hit very hard by moths, tend to do much better when surrounded by lavender bushes. The same can be said for cabbage and broccoli, which often fall prey to slugs.

The scent is unmistakable but is your lavender really a lavender? You may have a hybrid of lavender called lavandin. Flower spikes, leaves, and aroma can't separate lavandin vs. lavender, but the size of the plants and the amount of camphor in the oil can give a clue as to which is which. Lavandin is most commonly referred to as French lavender and has a featured place in the perfume and cosmetics trade. We'll go over some lavandin information so you can decide which is best, lavender or lavandin.

Lavandin Information

Lavandin is related to the common lavender. What is lavandin? French lavender plants are sterile hybrid crosses between English lavender (L. augusifolia) and Portuguese lavender (L. latifolia). The result is Lavandula x intermedia, or lavandin.

There are many uses for lavandin, most in the cosmetics industry, due to the high amount of aromatic oils in the plant. Lavandin only produces flowers once per year, but the plant is filled with blooms and flowers which have a higher camphor content than English lavender. This makes it suited for aromatherapy treatments, cosmetics and cleaning products.

Another difference with lavandin vs. lavender is the size of the bush. Lavandin tends to produce larger plants with more flowers at one time. The plants form small shrubs that may grow 16 to 18 inches (41-46cm.) in height and have spiked flowers in hues of lilac purple to violet blue. The foliage is grayish green and resinous.

Uses for Lavandin

The aromatherapy industry has made lavandin their own, with high demand for the extremely scented herb. Some of the major species for production of the oil are Grosso, Provenance, Phenomenal, and Giant Hidcote.

While lavender is used for medicinal purposes as well as cosmetic, lavandin is too strong for medical applications. Therefore, it is bred strictly for its aromatic properties and was a large part of the French perfume industry.

Lavandin can be used to repel insect pests and may be antiseptic, which makes it an excellent cleaner. The aroma itself is relaxing and helps relieve body aches and stress.

Lavandin Plant Care

Lavandin should be planted in a full sun location in well-draining soil. The plants are quite drought tolerant once established but best growth will be achieved by keeping lavandin evenly moist but never soggy.

Prune plants when they are young to keep them from getting woody and unproductive over time. Prune stems back one third in early spring. After blooming, lightly shear the spent flower heads. With proper shearing and pruning, the plant can remain a tight mounded form with lively growth. Left alone and unpruned, many lavandin get woody and gradually stop producing flowers and even leaves.

Lavandin is useful in either containers or in a bright spot in the garden. Harvest and dry the flowers to extend the scent and bring it into the home interior.

Lavender is a fantastic plant to have around - it looks good, it smells amazing, and it can be harvested for use in cooking and making sachets. It’s also extremely easy to care for, as long as you know how to do it. Keep reading to learn more about when and how to fertilize lavender plants.

Fertilizing Lavender Plants

Lavender is a tricky plant to grow, though its needs are actually very simple. But time and again gardeners find theirs dying on them. Why is this? More often than not, the plants have actually been cared for to death. Lavender needs very little water to survive, and it’s frequently drowned by well-intentioned gardeners who think they’re doing it a favor. And the very same thing goes for fertilizer.

How and When to Feed Lavender

Lavender plants really prefer nutrient poor soil. Fertilizing lavender too heavily may cause it to grow excess foliage and never flower (particular if the fertilizer for lavender is rich in nitrogen) or it may flat out kill it. This isn’t to say that lavender plant feeding is completely out of the question – it’s all just a matter of doing it right. 

The best (and only) time for fertilizing lavender is in the springtime at the start of the growing season. The easiest and best thing to do is to put down an inch (2.5 cm.) of good compost around the plant. This should provide plenty of nutrients for the year to come. Alternatively, you can feed your lavender with a small amount of slow-release fertilizer. 

Once you’ve done this, leave it alone. Fertilizing lavender too much can hurt it. Don’t fertilize in the fall, either. This will make the plant produce tender new growth that will only get damaged or killed in the winter. With lavender plant feeding, a little really does go a long way.

Whether in the garden or containers, lavender is a fabulous plant to have on hand. You can cook with it, dry it into sachets, or just leave it where it grows to perfume the air. What do you do when it starts to fail though? Keep reading to learn about lavender plant care and how to deal with drooping lavender plants.

Lavender Flowers Drooping

Lavender flowers drooping is a very common problem, and it often comes down to water. Knowing how often to water lavender is usually all it takes to get it fighting fit. Lavender is a Mediterranean plant that prefers sandy, low quality soil that drains very quickly. If you’ve planted it in dense soil or are watering it daily, this might be the cause of your lavender flowers drooping.

The key to lavender plant care is, in a way, keeping yourself from caring too much and killing it with kindness. If you’ve planted it in well fertilized, rich soil, move it to somewhere less forgiving, like a rocky slope that receives full sun. The lavender will thank you.

If you’ve been watering every day, stop it. Young lavender does need considerably more water than usual to get established, but too much will eventually kill it. Always check the soil around the plant before watering-- if it’s totally dry, give it a soak. If it’s still wet, leave it alone. Don’t water from above, as extra moisture on the leaves can spread disease.

Fixing Droopy Lavender Plants

While lavender flowers drooping might be the sign of an unhappy plant, it’s not always the case. On hot days, lavender will droop to conserve water, even if it’s not thirsty. It’s just a natural strategy to stay hydrated.

If you notice your plant drooping but don’t think it’s overwatered or in the wrong kind of soil, check on it later when the day is cooler. It may very well have perked up on its own.

Lavender is loved by herb growers and flower farmers for its delicate aromatic fragrance and soothing properties. In addition to its relaxing properties when ingested, lavender is used in soaps, cosmetics, and is purportedly able to repel insects within companion planting. Lavender has a stellar reputation as a perennial herb, whether grown in the garden or in a pot.

While it can be hardy and prolific, lavender requires specific cultural conditions to thrive. If you’re wondering how to grow lavender in pots and containers, learn more here about how.

Can Lavender Grow in Pots?

Lavender is a good choice for container growing. Growing lavender in pots may be especially helpful for gardeners with unsuitable soil conditions or limited access to green space. Containerized lavender also allows for moving the plant when weather conditions become too harsh, and it can be winterized indoors, such as in a basement.

Lavender pots need to be large enough for the soil to insulate the plants’ roots and still drain easily. Lavender in planters also makes an attractive addition to the landscape, adding both color and scent near porches or patios. Despite their adaptability, to grow potted lavender plants it’s important to consider several specific points related to their care.

Starting Lavender Plants

Lavender can be grown from seed or from cuttings. Seeds should be placed on top of sandy soil and can be covered lightly with a layer of perlite. The planted seeds should be kept warm until they sprout, even using a warming mat if necessary.

Cuttings should be taken from existing plants just below a node where a set of leaves join the stem. Dip them in root hormone, and insert into warm, moist, sandy soil.

No matter how you start your container grown lavender plants, it’s important to choose the right potting mix. Lavender doesn’t like to be damp, but it does need water. This means good drainage is essential to lavender container care. If the pot you choose doesn’t have plenty of drainage holes in the bottom, drill a few more.

If you plan on keeping the pot inside, you’ll need a saucer to catch the water, but avoid choosing pots with saucers attached to the bottom. Lavender cannot stand wet feet. Choose a sandy, alkaline, well-draining potting mix with slow-release fertilizer pellets.

How to Care for Lavender Plants in Pots

Before planting, you should decide which variety to plant. While most cultivars will perform well in pots, it’s important to consider the plant’s size at maturity relative to the container. Dwarf varieties of lavender are ideal, as they often require less time dedicated to their maintenance, and will seldom outgrow their pot.

Lavender plants like heat, and many varieties won’t survive a cold winter, so planning ahead for how and where to situate your pots or other containers is helpful.

Best Soil for Lavender in Pots

Growing lavender in containers requires special attention to soil. Though it is possible to grow lavender in a quality potting soil, proper drainage is key in making certain the plants will be able to thrive. Experts suggest filling lavender containers with a mixture of compost, sand and/or gravel for the best results. Adding lime at planting time may also be helpful as a means to raise the pH level of the soil, which should be only slightly alkaline.

Water Requirements

Lavender is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe where it’s warm and somewhat dry. Established lavender plants prefer soil that is allowed to dry between each watering. Since containers are known to dry quickly, plan for daily or weekly irrigation. This is especially true in regions that are hot or experience sparse rainfall throughout the growing season. Be sure to avoid wetting the leaves or foliage when watering containerized lavender. Most importantly, never let the plant sit in water, and don’t overwater. Well-draining soil, like what's found its natural habitat, will lend longevity to the plant.

Light Requirements

Potted plants should be situated where they can receive 6 to 8 hours of direct light each day. Indoors, a south-facing window works best and a containerized lavender plant might appreciate a grow light if natural light isn’t sufficient. In any case, the more bright warm light the plant receives, the more it will flower. Indoors, the plant enjoys temperatures between 60 to 70 degrees during the day, and it does not appreciate drafty or humid conditions.

Pruning Lavender in a Container

Pruning lavender to help maintain the desired size and shape of the plants will also promote flowering. Trim back new growth in early spring, making certain to avoid the woody parts of each stem. Dead or damaged stems can also be removed at this time.

You can do some additional pruning of lavender plants in the summer after the plants have finished blooming. Deadheading after the first flush of flowers can help to encourage repeat blooming and promote new, bushier growth.

Best Lavender for Pots

Some varieties of lavender work well in pots and thrive if properly cared for. English lavender tends to be more cold-hardy. Dwarf varieties are great in pots. Here’s a list of just a few kinds of lavender that do well in containers:

• Dwarf Munstead English Lavender
• Lacy Frills English Lavender
• Provence French Lavender
• Thumbelina Leigh English Lavender
• Wee One English Lavender
• Anouk Spanish Lavender

Your local garden center can advise you on the best cultivars for your climate, or contact your area’s local extension service for more specific information on which types of lavender are best for your region.

Lavender shrubs bear bright, fragrant blossoms and can live for 20 years or more. However, after six or eight years, they can begin to look woody, filled with dead wood and bearing fewer of their sweet-smelling flowers. Don’t give up on these plants. If you want to know what to do with woody lavender, understand that pruning woody lavender plants can often restore them to their former glory. Read on to learn how to trim a lavender with woody stems.

Preventing Woody Lavender

Prevention is always easier than cure. If you have young, healthy lavender plants, you can work at preventing woody lavender with appropriate planting and cultural care. The keys to lavender care are good drainage and minimal fertilizer. Plant your lavender in well-drained, rocky soil, on a slope (if possible) to ensure drainage. Fertilize them lightly the very first year after planting. After that, do not fertilize regularly. Prune lavender lightly to maintain the rounded shape.

What to Do with Woody Lavender

When you notice that your lavender is woody, it’s time to take action to help it recover. Here’s what to do with woody lavender plants: prune them. Pruning woody lavender plants is the key to rejuvenating them. For restorative pruning, be sure to sterilize the pruners by soaking them in a solution of water and denatured alcohol to prevent disease spread. It's also important that the tool blades are sharp. Prune these lavender in spring when all frost is finished for the season. A frost can kill off new plant growth.

How to Trim a Lavender with Woody Stems

It isn't hard to learn how to trim a lavender with woody stems. The basic rule of pruning lavender is not to trim into brown, dead wood. You’ll usually find brown branches at the base of the plant. 

Remove them only when they are truly dead. Never cut them back, hoping to stimulate new growth. The plant cannot produce new growth from the woody parts. When you're pruning woody lavender plants, it’s also a good idea not to prune all of the plant at the same time. Instead, work slowly, trimming back each branch, but never cutting into the brown wood. You can trim branches back by one-third or one-half. Always be sure that there are green leaves still on the plant when you are done pruning. 

The entire restoration may take several years to accomplish, as you never want to do too much pruning at one time. Prune again in autumn just to shape the plant, then weed all around it and offer a handful of slow-release granular fertilizer to help get your lavender growing well before the winter cold snap.

If you've ever grown lavender, you've probably wondered how to grow more of these delightfully fragrant flowers for free. Thankfully, learning how to propagate lavender plants is as easy as growing these lovely, low-maintenance perennials.

Growing lavender is quite popular. Not only do lavender plants looks gorgeous in the garden, but the leaves and flowers of lavender plants are renowned for their fragrance and uses in food, beauty, and medicinal products. It's no wonder why you might want to propagate and grow more of these amazing plants.

Let's take a look at the best ways to propagate lavender and how you can grow more of these beautiful herbs at home.

Best Ways to Propagate Lavender

There are several ways to propagate lavender. You can propagate lavender from seed or divide lavender plants, though division is nearly impossible since lavender is a woody subshrub type herb.

If you're looking for a quick and easy way to grow more lavender plants for free, there are three basic methods that work best. Let's take a look at each one and the reasons to use one method versus another:

Softwood Cuttings

The process of propagating softwood cuttings generally refers to taking small segments of new plant growth, or that which has just begun to mature.

You can take this type of cutting from lavender plants in the spring and they will yield dependably good results. If you take cuttings early in the growing season, that allows ample time for each one to begin to root. Then you can pot out new lavender plants into individual containers.

You can continue to grow lavender in pots from your softwood cuttings or transplant lavender plants to an in-ground garden. For a clean cut, opt for a pair of pruners like the Felco F6 (on Amazon) which have a strong blade.

Hardwood Cuttings

Gardeners also find success growing lavender from hardwood cuttings. Hardwood stem segments are usually taken much later in the season, from mid-summer until fall. This is often ideal as more mature and woody lavender plants require a longer period for root development and establishment while outdoor conditions are cool.

Layering

Propagation by layering occurs by stretching or bending a living plant’s branches towards the ground and covering a small portion of the branch or stem with soil. Over time, leaf nodes in contact with the soil begin to grow roots.

You can propagate lavender easily this way. Branches with young shoots are the best candidates for layering, provided that soils are kept consistently moist throughout the entire season.

Best Time to Propagate Lavender

The best time to propagate lavender depends upon the technique. Propagating semi-hardwood cuttings, which includes softwood cuttings, is best done in the spring. They are much more likely to root at this time.

When rooting cuttings from lavender stems that are more mature, such as from hardwood cuttings, that's better done later in the season. This allows new plants to overwinter as roots develop.

How to Propagate Lavender from Cuttings

One of the most popular and easiest ways to propagate lavender is by cuttings. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you grow more lavender from cuttings:

1. Take Cuttings

Take cuttings of lavender by removing 6-8 inch (15-20 cm) long stems from the plant. Make each cut just below the nearest set of healthy leaves, at a 45-degree angle, the same way you would when pruning lavender plants.

While softwood cuttings should consist of fresher, green growth, those taken for hardwood propagation should be much more mature.

2. Trim Off Leaves

After taking cuttings, each piece needs to be properly prepared. This begins by stripping or removing any excess leaves from the stem. Remove any leaves that will be covered by soil as well, leaving only 1 to 2 sets of leaves at the top of each cutting.

3. Plant Cuttings

Next, it's time to plant your cuttings. If you like, you can first dip prepared cuttings into rooting hormone. Though this is not required, many find that the use of hormones aids in the rapid production of roots and helps improve your chances of success.

Plant cuttings into a well-draining potting mix in pots or seedling trays. You can make a hole first with a pencil or your finger, or you can gently push cuttings into the soil. Gently firm soil around the cuttings so they stand upright.

4. Water and Keep Moist

Once planted, water new lavender cuttings well. Throughout the rooting period, consistent moisture and humidity are key in encouraging root growth. You can mist cuttings with water to increase humidity around them or use a humidity dome or greenhouse to ensure conditions for rooting are ideal.

An easy way to increase humidity is to place a plastic baggie over top of your cuttings. If you're looking to propagate a lot of plants, it's a good idea is to invest in a specially designed humidity dome like this option from Amazon. The right tools make propagating and starting seeds in the spring so much easier. With a humidity dome like the one from Vego, you'll never have to worry about seeds or cuttings drying out again.

How to Propagate Lavender by Layering

To begin layering lavender plants, first select the stems you want to use. Near the base of the plant, dig a small trench. Carefully, bend the lavender to the ground and cover the prepared leaf nodes with soil.

Water newly layered plants well and make certain they receive consistent moisture throughout the season to help them root and grow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lavender is a favorite herb for its pretty purple blooms and distinctive aroma. You can enjoy this perennial as a low border, hedge, or containers. But no matter where you grow it, knowing how and when to prune lavender is essential for healthy growth and an abundance of its prized fragrant foliage and flowers.

Pruning is key to growing lavender plants that are healthy and full of blooms. If you don’t prune plants regularly, they will become woody and produce fewer fragrant leaves and flowers.

This simple guide will help you learn how to prune lavender properly for lush plants full of sweet-smelling blooms.

Benefits of Pruning Lavender

There are several important benefits to pruning and knowing how to prune lavender correctly:

• Pruning prevents your lavender plants from becoming woody.
• It keeps the growth and shape bushy and dense rather than leggy.
• It promotes flowering and even reblooming later in the season.
• Pruning keeps the plant healthier overall.
• You can prune cuttings to propagate lavender plants and expand your garden for free.
• Use clippings the same way as a regular lavender harvest. Put pruned stems into sachets and pop them into your drawers for sweet-scented clothes or towels.

When to Prune Lavender

Knowing when to prune plants is essential for getting all the benefits of this important garden task.

Don’t prune the first year that you plant your lavender. Plants need a year of growth to put energy into developing strong roots. If you prune now, plants will direct their energy into new leaves and flowers, which can weaken their roots and the overall plant long-term.

Start trimming lavender plants during the second year they’re in the ground and fully established. Spring is the best time to prune back your lavender plants. Wait for signs of new, green growth at the base of the plant before pruning. Also, wait for any danger of frost to pass.

You can also do some light pruning after flowering. This can lead to a second set of blooms in the same growing season. Avoid pruning too late in the season, though—generally not after August.

How to Prune Lavender

Pruning a lavender shrub is easy if you follow a few pruning basics:

1. Use Sharp, Clean Pruners

When pruning lavender, it's important to start out with a sharp, clean set of pruning shears. This pair of pruners from Fiskars is a bestseller on Amazon and perfect for the job.

Wipe down the blades of your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol or bleach to make sure all bacteria and potentially harmful germs are removed from the blades.

2. Make Clean-Up Cuts First

Remove any dead, damaged, or diseased branches to maintain the plant's overall health and appearance. You can do this kind of pruning at any time during the year since you are making cuts to clean up and keep your lavender healthy.

3. Follow the One-Third Rule

Trim back the healthy stems and branches by about one-third. This will force the lavender to create new and more growth, which will not only prevent lavender from becoming woody, but will also help to increase the amount of lavender available for harvest later in the season.

Do not prune all the way down to the woody part of your plants. They won’t regrow well after such a severe cut. Either follow the one-third rule or be sure the remaining stems are at least 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) long after pruning.

4. Always Cut Above a Node

When pruning lavender, make cuts just above a node to promote branching and bushy growth. A node is where the leaves attach to the stem. Avoid cutting into the woody part of the plants, as you might not get new growth from these cuts. Only cut the green parts of the plant.

5. Deadhead for More Blooms

You can help encourage a second bloom from your plants by deadheading lavender later in the season. Once flowers have bloomed, deadhead them and do some light trimming to encourage additional flowers. These thumb knives from Amazon make deadheading extra easy.

Stop pruning by August, though, to let plants get ready for dormancy and store up energy to help them bloom next year.

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Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is a commonly grown herb plant popular for its fragrant aroma. This easy-care plant enjoys hot, dry conditions, making it suitable for use in a variety of landscape settings and an excellent candidate for areas prone to drought. Keep reading to learn more about lavender plant care.

How to Grow Lavender in the Garden

Since lavender seeds are slow to germinate, purchasing seedling plants is the most reliable way to grow this plant.

Growing lavender plants is an easy endeavor provided you give them what they need. Although lavender can tolerate a variety of growing conditions, this plant thrives best under warm, sunny conditions in well-drained soil. In addition, an alkaline soil rich in organic matter can encourage higher plant oil production, enhancing the fragrance in lavender plants.

As lavender is native to arid regions, the plant will not tolerate moist or overly wet conditions, therefore, it's important to consider location when growing lavender plants. They should be located in areas with adequate drainage and spaced far enough apart to ensure good air circulation. This will help reduce the chance of developing root rot.

Lavender Plant Care

Once established, lavender plants require little care or maintenance. While they should be watered regularly early on, established plants need little water, as they are extremely drought tolerant.

Regular pruning not only keeps lavender plants neat looking in appearance, but also helps to encourage new growth. Low-growing varieties can be cut back to the new growth while larger types can be pruned to about a third of their overall height.

Generally, lavender plants take up to a year or more before they are ready for harvesting. However, once they are ready, it's best to harvest the plants early in the day, picking flower spikes that haven't fully opened yet.

Bundle the plants up and hang upside down in a dry, dark area for about one to two weeks.

How to Grow Lavender Indoors

Growing lavender plants indoors is no different from out in the garden. However, when growing lavender inside, make sure that the plants receive plenty of light and warm temperatures. Water only when the plants are significantly dry and do not fertilize. We hope that after reading these growing tips, lavender will make it into your garden. Once you know how to grow lavender, you can enjoy these fragrant plants for years to come.