I live in an apartment, and have dozens of container plants, and everything has grown wonderfully for me this summer. The only thing that I can't keep alive, much less get to flourish, is lavender. I bought 5 different kinds of lavender, and every single one of them died.
My rosemary,w hich I thought was a similar herb, is *huge*, and has grown over 2 feet.
Can anyone give me a short "lavender for dummies" tutorial? With step by step directions on what kind of container, soil, fertilizer, and watering conditions I need to provide?
Step by Step Directions for Lavender, please?
I would think that rosemary and lavender like similar conditions. I do believe that lavender is supposed to like a less acidic soil, so if you are potting up in a mix with a lot of peat moss, you may need to add some lime. Lavender likes to be watered but needs to have excellent drainage, which shouldn't be a problem in containers. DeBaggio suggests a mulch of sand or pea gravel to keep the roots moist/cool and to reflect heat up into the foliage to keep the top nice & dry.
I have read that lavender likes the worst soil possible. I believe this because my lavender is huge and in terrible dirt. I know that I have killed my rosemary in the pot by over watering so maybe this is what has happened to the lavender in the pot. If you can get some dirt from outside (vs. bagged potting soil) try that in a pot (terracotta) and keep it in the sun. Allow it to dry out befor watering again. Good luck!
Sorry, but I'm going to disagree. Dirt from outside will have very poor drainage compared to potting mix, and your lavender will sulk with wet feet. My lavenders (also huge) along the driveway are planted in rich topsoil, and I have an enormous rosemary (also said to "like poor soil") in a mini raised bed that I filled with Miracle Gro potting mix. If you want a less rich mix in a container for herbs, you could add sand, but remember that sand is very heavy, LOL.
I think DeBaggio's has good culture info in the lavenders section of their catalog, http://www.debaggioherbs.com/
thanks, y'all!
Critter, what's the downside to having heavy sand? Does it just make things harder to move, or is it bad for the plant somehow?
I can't *wait* to go back to the nursery for some more lavender :)
herbs like sandy soil just fine, and it drains very nicely.... but wow, does it make a pot heavy and hard to move! I used a sandy mix in a ceramic pot for a cactus, probably just 10 inches across, and I think it may be heavier than my 20 inch citrus tree pots (foamcore planters filled with regulation potting mix). Think of the way a 50 pound bag of sand at the home center doesn't look all that big.... That said, the only problem with using sand in containers is if you have to move the container around!
I hope you'll have better luck with your lavender this time! I think there are 3 key things -- a potting mix that drains well, adding lime to counter the acidity of the peat moss in the mix, and using a mulch of sand or pea gravel on top of the potting mix (I think refected heat to keep the foliage dry is especially important where there's lots of humidity, and I'll bet it's at least as humid in AL as it is in MD in the summer). That's what I've learned about lavender from Tom DeBaggio, and his culture methods work for me. I'm thinking there's a book called something like Herbs for Southern Gardens that I've heard folks talking about.... might be some good info in there for you too.
OK, I looked over in the Bookworm and didn't find it, but I did find another book about gardening in Alabama that looked interesting, http://davesgarden.com/gbw/c/784/
It is in the bookworm--it's 'Southern Herb Growing' by Madeline Hill.
lamcarolyn, just so you'll know it's not just you, my rosemary is thriving and I can't get lavender to do anything much. But someone in another thread (you may have seen it) said the Spanish and fern leaf varieties might do well down here, and I'd guess your zone is similar if not the same.
Thanks, y'all! I've got the book on order, and the nursery said Spanish lavender would be in next week :)
lamcarolyn,
I found this site on growing lavender in containers. It says that growing lavender in containers is tricky, but it provides tips that will hopefully let you do so successfully:
http://www.purplehazelavender.com/containers.html
Good luck!
Well, I have a similar problem. My rosemary is also thriving. On the other hand, One of my lavender plants is thriving, while the other is in sad shape..hanging on by a thread. Both of these are in the same area, planted in the same kind of soil, watered the same.
I can't figure it out.
Dee
I have that happening with one of my lavender in my front yard, too. It got leggy versus bushy and is much smaller overall than the others. I think I lost one of the original six, too for some reason. I cut the leggy one way back this year, and we'll see if it bushes out. I don't have much luck with them in pots. I've had mixed luck with rosemary in pots indoors, but currently mine is doing well.
I ordered some Spanish lavender seeds and plan to plant a few every month and see what happens.
Just an update...
The leggy plant I cut back is beginning to fill out. It's slow, but I can see all kinds of new shoots along the old wood in the center. I was a bit nervous about pruning it hard, but looks like this will work.
Thanks to all of you for the great info. I, too, have tried to grow lavender (in several states) with no luck. My rosemary always does well. I have two here that are growing wonderfully. I've blamed the poor lavender results on our humidity. The ideas you have given should cure that.
DMJ, I have the book by Madeline Hill that you found. I've had it for years and it is a wonderful resource for growing herbs in the South.
I have lived in our current home for 3 years and am just now getting around to planting a bed strictly for my herbs. Right now they are scattered everywhere (the oregano and marjoram are planted BEHIND my fish pond - totally out of reach and are going crazy - they love it there). I have rosemary, basil, parsely, mint and thyme in pots stuck here and there among my other plantings. I'm glad to have found DG and you guys. I mostly hang out in the Mid-South gardening forum but am venturing out a bit.