How to Grow Lavender

Lavender is a beautiful plant and fairly easy to grow. Let me teach you a little about the soil requirements, how much water it needs, when to plant and the spacing between plants that will all help you to add beautiful lavender plants in your landscape or garden.

​Lavender is a mediterranean plant that flourishes best in a more alkaline soil with a pH balance between 6.5-7.5, nice aerated or rocky soil, with full sun and very little water. 

Soil 
Soil pH is a way to start your plant off right. Depending your region and the condition of your soil you may need to add a little lime to your soil to raise the pH to around 7. A simple soil test can tell you what the value of your soil is so you know how to help set up the plant for success. You want a nice airy type soil so if you have a lot of clay you may consider adding a little bit of mushroom compost to lighten up the soil. Lavender doesn't require many other amendments.

Spacing
Lavender loves its space and doesn't like to be crowded, it will thrive better if it has more breathing room. Spacing requirements depend on the type of lavender you get. If you get an Angustifolia variety also referred to as English or culinary your spacing should be about 3’ between plants. If you get a Lavandula x intermedia, also referred to Lavandin or French lavender you will want a 5’ spacing. This will allow your lavender to breathe and have room to expand their flowers spikes in their season of blooming.

Water
Lavender needs water to get established you will water it frequently as you want the soil to be moist for the roots to begin to reach into your soil. This may be every other day to begin with. After about a week spread the watering to every couple days then the following week see if you can spread the water out one more day. By this time your lavender is beginning to make its root system into its new location and getting established. Once it is gets established in your garden, after its first season, it requires very little water so it is recommended you plant it with other drought tolerant hardy plants that have similar watering needs.

When to plant
Lavender typically gets planted in Spring or Fall, 6-8 weeks after last frost date or before frost date in fall. This will enable your plant to get established before the heat of the summer and or before dormancy of winter.

Lavender is beautiful plant for your landscape and with this information it will be beautiful in your yard or garden. I recommend you get both Angustifolia and Lavandin varieties as they bloom at different times this will help to extend your color bloom during the season. In addition the flower use from these two types are different. For example the Angustifolia you can use in your culinary adventures where the Lavandin is used for it's more fragrant nature in sachets, and eye pillows. I'll write another blog post on this, but here is to wishing you a happy planting season!