Designing ContainersCreate gorgeous planters full of flowers, veggies and more
exposure by : IMG Stock Studio / Shutterstock
If you have a go at it lavender but do n’t have the right soil or vulnerability condition to make it expand in your garden , why not essay growing it in a mass ? With its silver foliage and showy spikes of purple bloom , lavender is a stunning container plant , either alone or in motley arranging . Plus , grow lavender in a container put up other reward , including easier harvest of its fragrant blooms and the ability to savour your plant on a patio , balcony , or even indoors .
Likelavender produce in the garden , potted lavender is very humiliated maintenance and drouth - tolerant , making it the ideal container works for gardener who have little clock time to urine . As long as you satisfy its basic need , this perennial herb can flourish in a container for many years . Here are tips for keeping your potted lavender sound time of year after season .
1. CHOOSE THE RIGHT VARIETY
Although all types of lavender grow well in pots , some may be better suited for your needs than others , reckon on your climate , the available space , and whether you mean to use your works for culinary determination or entirely for ornamental pastime .
English lavendersare more cold - tolerant than other lavender variety , making them a good choice for climates with cold winters . If you have limited space , attempt compendious cultivars such as ‘ Hidcote’,Sweet Romance ® , and‘SuperBlue ’ .
Spanish lavenderis less cold intrepid than its English cousin , but more tolerant of rut and humidness than other lavenders . ‘ Bandera Pink ’ Spanish lavender , which develop no taller than 9 inches , is especially container - favorable and puts on a dazzling presentation of inscrutable roseate flowers with soft pinkish bracts .
compendious variety ofFrench lavenderare also perfect for growing in containers , which is a good alternative in sphere where the plant is n’t dauntless . French lavender tends to be longer bloom than its English and Spanish vis-a-vis and is the only lavender type with pretty fringe leafage .
2. PLANT IN WELL-DRAINING SOIL
All mixture of lavender are native to Mediterranean regions have idle , sandy soils that drain freely . To replicate those conditions for your potted plants , consider total some perlite or uncouth gumption to your potting mix to help oneself alleviate drainage and keep root rot because of muddy dirt . Another option is to buy apre - blended potting admixture specifically formulated for growing lavender plants .
Lavender also grows best in slimly alkaline soils . To boost the pH of your soil , rectify your potting mix with a tablespoon of bitter spar calcium hydrate .
3. PICK THE PERFECT POT
Because good drainage is essential to the health of potted lavender , always take a container with several drain holes at the bottom to foreclose water supply retention and potential beginning putrefaction . Another way to avail prevent the soil from becoming too soggy is to use pot made of glassless terracotta or corpse , since their porous wall countenance for beneficial air flow .
When choosing the effective size for your container , consider your lavender flora ’s size at maturity ( unless you plan to grow it as an annual ) . in general , a container that is at least twice the width and depth of the rootball will give your works plenty of room for future development .
Potted lavender in container herbaceous plant garden . Photo by : melima / Shutterstock
4. PROVIDE AMPLE SUNLIGHT
Lavender plant require full sunshine to thrive and flower and will not be well-chosen turn in the shadiness . That have in mind it ’s essential to place your potted plants in a location where they will receive at least 6 to 8 hours of unmediated sunlight day by day . If you ’re growing lavender indoors , consider using supplemental hokey light to provide the visible radiation they take .
5. DON’T OVERWATER
The most common reasonableness pot lavender die is because of root putrefaction due to overwatering . Because lavender is aboriginal to a raging , ironical Mediterranean mood , it will grow best when you wait until the stain is almost teetotal before watering .
A serious way to check the moisture grade is to stick your finger knuckle - deeply into the soil ( or about 2 inches below the surface ) and then water if it feels dry . But be sure to watch the moisture grade on a even foundation , since container - produce plants can dry out out quickly , especially during the hottest days of summer .
6. FERTILIZE SPARINGLY
Lavender does n’t require much fertilization and in reality prefers to maturate in nutrient - poor soil . utilise a balanced , slow - release fertilizer in the spring is generally sufficient . Another choice is to combine a handful ofworm castingsinto your potting premix . Just be thrifty not to feast your lavender too oftentimes , which can cause a surge in leaf growth at the expense of bloom production .
Sweet Romance lavender . Photo by : Proven Winners
7. PRUNE AND DEADHEAD REGULARLY
Although pot lavender is low maintenance when it add up to lacrimation and fertilizing , you do need to prune it regularly to keep up the desire size and shape . The best sentence to prune lavender is in late summertime , right after it has finished blooming . If you have a variety that blooms with a big blossom in late spring , prune it then to help oneself foreclose woody stems from develop for as long as possible .
Using script pruner , cut your plant back by about 1/3 the length of each stem , sculpting it as you go to remove leggy emergence . Be careful not to sheer back into the old , woody surgical incision of the plant life , since lavender will not regrow from erstwhile wood .
In plus to pruning , deadheading the flowers after they have faded can also be beneficial . Not only will this assist keep your plant tidy , it will also encourage more flowers and extend the blossom period .
8. OVERWINTER IN A PROTECTED LOCATION
If you are turn a multifariousness of lavender that is n’t winter hardy in your growing geographical zone , you should move the sight into a garage , shed , or other indoor shelter for overwintering . Because lilac-colored plants growing in pots are more vulnerable to the cold than those growing in the ground , even the cold - stout English lavender ( Zones 5 - 9 ) can benefit from some protection in areas with harsh wintertime . To insure the selection of the more tender Spanish and Gallic lavender , move the plants indoors if you hold up north of zone 7 .
Note that most lavender require a period of dormancy in cooler temperatures to flower the undermentioned season , so your indoor shelter should be unheated , but not freeze . During this time , you should also reduce back on watering until your plants descend back to life in the springtime .
Sweet Romance lavender and Superbena ® Stormburst vervain . pic by : Proven Winners
9. CHOOSE GOOD COMPANIONS
When engraft lavender in assorted container combination , be trusted to pair it with other plants that are drought - tolerant and crave full sun .
Like lavender , quite a fewculinary herbshail from the Mediterranean and partake in a love of the sun and the need for fair juiceless dirt . Examples let in sage , thyme , rosemary , oregano , and winter sweet .
For a beautiful monochromous container combination , stress pairing lavender withcatmintor a purpleverbena , such as Superbena ® Stormburst ( see thiscontainer recipe ) . Lavender ’s majestic blooms are also the perfect complement to plants with yellow-bellied flowers , such asLuscious ® Royale Lemon Tart ™ lantanaandLady Lady Godiva ® lily-livered bay window marigold .
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Which lavender is best for pots?
Almost any lavender can be grown in a container , but if want of quad is an issue or you want to mature your lavender indoors , dwarf and other succinct form that do n’t grow gravid than a base marvelous and wide will take up the least space and offer promiscuous portability .
Will potted lavender come back every year?
Under ideal growing conditions , a potted lavender plant can survive for many years , but it often reckon on the specific variety . English lavender has the longest lifespan and can exist in a container for as long as 15 eld with right guardianship . The life of Spanish and Gallic lavender tend to be inadequate , typically around 5 years .
Can I grow potted lavender indoors?
Although pot lavender grows and flowers best outdoors in a spot where it can savour in full sun , you’re able to also grow it indoors in a cheery south - facing window or under grow light if raw light is insufficient . Because most lavenders do not wish humidness , void grow it in a steamy bathroom or other sphere with in high spirits humidity .
Can lavender survive winter in pots?
English lavender and their hybrids are frigid hardy north to zone 5 and can unremarkably outlast winter out-of-doors . However , other types of lavender may need to be strike to a sheltered location or indoors to ensure their survival in clime where temperatures knock off below 10 ° F.
How often should I repot lavender?
That often bet on the maturation pace of your plant and its size at maturity . Compact varieties of lavender can usually remain in the same container for several years , while larger lavender that mature into small shrubs may need to be repot more ofttimes to maintain their vigor and prevent them from becoming rootbound . When transplant your lavender into a novel pot , choose a container a mates of size big than the survive one and trade out the old soil for refreshful potting mix .
