Lishke
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Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 8:54 pm
Location: Oklahoma

Help! I know nothing about lavender.

:oops: I just bought some lavender and plan on growing it in a pot. I have only tried to grow it once before. I killed it pretty quickly :shock: so I need all the help I can get. Thanks in advance.

. I plan on potting it up so that I can bring it in in the winter. I tried to grow some a few years ago in my flower bed and it didn't live long.

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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

You shouldn't need to bring it in for the winter... mine stays out through the snow and ice here in Ohio. Doesn't get as big as it will for you because it is dormant so much, but it does just fine. Lavender does better in the ground than in containers. If you have that option, just plant it in the ground and leave it.

It is a mediterranean plant, meaning it likes dry, poor, sandy, alkaline soil. Don't over water or over fertilize and it should thrive... Maybe you had your flower bed too rich and moist for it? Biggest killer of lavender is dampness. And of course it needs enough sun. They usually say full sun, but mine is growing in less than full sun and there in Oklahoma it may benefit from a bit of protection from the hottest summer afternoon sun.

Susan W
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Location: Memphis, TN

I have done both (pot and ground) with lavender. One problem I have in the mid-south is water and warm soggy summer nights. It can take the hot days, but not the warm nights!
Before I yanked a pitiful specimen out of the ground last summer, I did get a new (large) start of Munstead lavender. Potted it with a 'cheaper ' top soil, and topped the top inch or so with a better potting mix (so it wouldn't cake up. ) Now, the one in the ground is doing OK with new growth and telling me to leave her there. The potted one sprouting all sorts of new growth.

Now I am about to make one new min-garden for a couple of lavender and sage (both like well drained, less rich conditions). The pot is about 18" deep, over 20" across.

A major problem with potted over ground, is they are more susceptible to extremes in weather (hot/cold, wet/dry). Of course the larger the pot, the less extremes.

Hope this helps! Beware, I am going on more large containers, playing with stuff and may just start runnin' my mouth!

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cherishedtiger
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Location: Sacramento, California

I have a huge lavender, I pretty much planted it with a bunch of other plants, watered it well... when I remembered, everything else I have planted there died but it has flourished!!! Like I said I water it when I remember it, or when my DH remembers, mostly when it rains... its one of those the less you mess with it the better it does! Mine is in the ground, so it stayed out all winter and never did it look bad or anything, it just lost the flowers and already its full of purple flowers and beautiful!

Good luck with yours, its a great plant to kinda neglect, though you wouldn't think so with how pretty it is...

emerald7
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Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2010 1:13 am
Location: Houston, TX

Here is the link to another post where people wrote about lavender.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=112849&highlight=english+lavender#112849

I have 2 lavender plants that are planted in terra cotta pots in the soil mixture below, and they are doing really well.

[1 part seed starter, 0.5 part sphagnum peat moss, 0.5 part vermiculite, 1 part coarse sand (sand granules of a 1 mm-2 mm size, try 'horticultural sand' or 'bonsai sand'). Add a little bit of ground up oyster shells (you can get from online pet stores/pond stores, or possibly from a feed store as 'chicken grit'). Test your PH: The best PH for lavender to get a nice smell is 7-8.0 (slightly alkaline). Keep adding oyster shells if it is not alkaline enough. (It will still grow in the 6.1-8.5 range, but 7-8.0 is preferred).]

Overall tips:
-Don't overwater... Lavender likes to be on the dry side. But if your leaves start kind of tucking in or curling inward, your plant is telling you it's too dry.
-Don't get water on the leaves...the plant doesn't like it. Water the plant at the base, on the soil.
-It likes sun.



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