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PunkRotten
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Location: Monterey, CA.

Proper pot size for Lavender?

Hi,


I have this bed along the walkway to my door. Gets maybe 2-3 hours of sun daily. The soil is clayey, but I added some cactus soil mix to it. I planted 2 lavender plants and put them up in mounds. One has completely died off and the other has about 3/4 of it's leaves and stems dead. I am thinking about growing it in pots instead. It would be helpful to let me know a good pot size and what a good potting mix or ground mix would be.


I really don't wanna give up on lavender just yet. Also, any recommendations on what to replace in place of the lavender along my walkway? Anything highly fragrant would be desirable. Thanks

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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

Yeah, 2-3 hrs of sun is not nearly enough for lavender, which likes it sunny, hot and dry.

You can grow it in pots, but you want a big pot. You are in southern california. Lavender for me only gets about a couple feet tall and bushy, but that's because it dies back every winter. Visiting my son in the bay area, I have seen lavender bushes about as tall as I am, very large shrubs.

For soil you could mix potting soil with cactus mix. Or here is a recipe:

https://everything-lavender.com/lavender-potting-mix.html

Whatever you use, be sure it is very free draining.

Aromatic plants you could grow in your mostly shady location:

yarrow
tansy
coyote mint
yerba buena
lemon balm

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PunkRotten
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Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:48 pm
Location: Monterey, CA.

Thanks for the help. I have some chocolate mint would that work in this this walkway location? I also grow some yarrow, marigolds and nasturtiums here too. My only concern is if the chocolate mint or any of those other plants would choke these plants out.

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rainbowgardener
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Yeah the chocolate mint would work, but like other mints would be a threat to take the place over, spreading wildly and choking other stuff out, if it likes the area. I have some mint planted in the ground in a dry shady area and while it survives there, it is not being so aggressive in that location.


The coyote mint is in the mint family, but isn't a true mint (Mentha spp). It is a california native wildflower, available from specialty nurseries. It is pretty, attractive to butterflies, drought tolerant, has medicinal uses. If I lived in California, that's the one I'd be looking for.

The lemon balm is lovely in tea mixtures, but is turning into a real pest in my yard, spreading rampantly.



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