I want to grow lavender, and have yet to succeed for any length of time. Closest I got was Provence (I think) in a clay pot...lasted almost a year.
What am I doing wrong? I know in some cases I watered it too much, or it didn't get enough sun.
If any of you keep lavender in the ground--as a perennial that stays healthy rather than buying a new one every year--would you advise me on what you do, soil type, and what cultivar you plant?
(I'll post another thread on culinary sage...I have trouble with that one too.)
Thanks in advance!
recommend a lavender for Central Tx?
You may want to look at a Vitex. The one I just bought said it was a Texas lavendar. I know they are beautiful.
Thanks--I do have a vitex. They're gorgeous--and you'll enjoy yours immensely! Give it plenty of room and decide if you want a tree form or shrub. They're very easy to prune into the direction you want it to grow. They're drought tolerant but will grow like crazy with sufficient water.
The one I have now is one I rooted from a cutting last year when I knew we were going to move. The momma tree was a scrawny 2' ft when we planted her, but she was 12' monster four years later!
Still searching for the right tx microclimate for lavender, though. ;~)
Here may be one http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/289/
Hi, Dollie...I have had a Spanish lavender growing for 12 years now in the ground, Provence for more than 5 and I put a Hidcote in right before the drought. None of the plants are in full sun -- don't care what the instructions tell you...all three of the plants are in high shade, excellent drainage and amended soil with minimal moisture except during a dry period...and there are excellent results with perpetual blooms from all 3 of the cultivars...keep looking, lavender is worth the effort...bees love it, too!
Thanks I.L.J. ! This is the one that Garret recommends in his book, "Herbs For Texas". I guess if one is going to work here, it might well be this one. I just had an idea where to plant it...I have an oak tree that is still very young--maybe only ten feet wide at the dripline.
The landscaper who put this tree in (before we bought the house) planted these trees in absolutely the wrong way: back-filling with compost instead of the native soil! I know this because the "mate" to this tree died of such poor planting...and when I dug it up, there was this great knot of roots circling themselves in a "bucket" black clay. I plant to only water the surviving tree at the drip line from now on, hoping to encourage it to "venture out".
Maybe the relief from mid-day sun and the super-fast drainage at its base is the micro-climate I'm looking for? :~)
This message was edited Oct 8, 2013 8:36 AM
Aggiegal, you have made a big difference. High shade? Really? Holy cow. I have lots of that, and some good dry spots with high shade as well. Of course, now I have to try all three of those kinds of lavender, instead of just one. :~P