Plant Lavender

Lavender is of Southern European origin so it has a liking for warm, sunny conditions and a soil that drains well. They also prefer slightly alkaline soil. Your aim should be to mimic these conditions as much as possible.

If your soil is heavy, dig in as much well-rotted compost as possible. Used mushroom compost is ideal if you can get you hands on some. This will improve the drainage of the soil.

To make the soil more alkaline, click here for our page on acid and alkaline soils.

The best time to plant lavender is in early autumn or mid-spring. Simply turn the pot upside down and tap the plant out of the pot into your hand. Plant it so that it is at the same level with the soil as it was in the pot.

If your soil is lacking in nutrient then feed at planting time with a general purpose liquid fertilise. If you have normal soil there is no need to feed lavender. If the soil is dry at planting time, give the lavender some water but in normal conditions this is not required.

Lavandula angustifolia
'Blue Scent'

To help them lay down a good root system and develop foliage cut off all the flower stems after planting. Another good tip is to pinch out the tops of leaf and stalks which are taller than the rest of the plant. This will encourage lavender to become bushier.

Allow enough room for the lavender when it is fully mature. For spread at maturity see the previous page. If planting for a hedge then subtract about 15cm (6in) from the spread at maturity. This will ensure that the hedge is evenly packed.

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