Where to plant lavender -- how much will they tolerate?

[applestar]

I have lavender seedlings that are now growing in 4" clay pots and hardening off. So it's time to think about where to plant them.

Of course the best spot would be an open area with full all day sun, gravelly, well drained and limey (alkaline). But if I were to do that, I think I would have to build a raised bed out in the front lawn close to the sidewalk where I try not to plant anything I want to pick, let alone use for culinary purposes because people around here walk their dogs on those extra long extending cable leash.

The spot that my current slowly deteriorating lavender plant is growing (where there used to be three), it gets hot sun all day in the summertime, but what I hadn't considered back then is that during winter, this area is completely shaded by the house shadow due to the low winter sun angle. No sun at all. And in spring and fall, there are varying periods of shade as the sun traverses and the house casts longer or shorter shadow.

I'm thinking lavender is sufficiently winter hardy with semi evergreen tendencies to need at least some sun during the winter.

So assuming I'm going to build a raised bed with ideal soil mixture, what range of sun exposure that is not quite full 100 percent sun will they tolerate and thrive in? Where do you have yours planted?

[rainbowgardener]

You have heard before, that I have few full sun areas, so I have had lavender planted in various part sun locations. The best was one that gets morning and early afternoon sun in growing season and more in winter.

But all my lavender died this winter and I will have to start over.

[imafan26]

Can't you plant the lavender in a big pot and just move it to wherever full sun is during the year. My problem is not sun, I can always get that, but rain. Lavender turns black in the rainy season, so I have a few of them in pots so I can put them on the lanai when the rain doesn't stop.

The ones I have in the ground are on my sloping driveway which gets full sun, I do have to cut back competing plants.

[applestar]

So interesting the different issues we encounter....

In my case putting it in a pot will make it more vulnerable to winter freeze since the entire pot, soil, and roots will freeze solid. Planting in the ground and letting it grow deep roots and mulching the entire area as needed for the winter will protect it more.

But thanks for the insight. The tip maybe helpful for someone else.

[Cola82]

I wonder if that isn't why my hydrangea's took such a hard hit when it froze this year--I had them in pots in which the soil froze completely solid. I brought them in, but they still wound up dying back really far. The larger one is now the smaller one. :<

Anyway, I want to put the lavender I'm growing in pots, if only because we're renters, and you never know when I'll need to move them. I can leave behind broccoli and squash, but lavender seems like a multi-year investment.

[NatureHillsNursery]

I LOVE Lavender, so I understand you wanting to have some around. I have mine in an unsuitable spot. A few years ago my daughter wanted a small herb garden, and my husband worked up a tiny raised bed for her just off the north side of our house. It doesn’t get much sun or rain (as there’s an overhang that sometimes shields it), and she hardly ever takes care of that little bed. However, the Lavender does awesome year-after-year. We always get great harvests of flowers to hang and dry. So perhaps it depends upon the variety, but mine does really well with no care.

[applestar]

So what variety lavender is it? I could really use some amount of shade tolerance....