What Lavender Wants
Lavender grows well in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 9, although it thrives the most in a Mediterranean climate. Lavender likes mild winters, and summers that aren’t too hot or humid.
Lavender needs well-draining soil in order to thrive and won’t do well in areas with heavy clay soil that prevents drainage. Look for areas with sandy or sandy loam soil that allows water to pass deeper into the ground rather than resting in and around the lavender plant’s roots. Lavender may be grown on a slope to encourage water to drain down and away from the plant. Lavender also prefers neutral or slightly alkaline soil, therefore it’s best to aim for a soil pH between 6.5 and 7.5.
An area with high humidity may lead to fungal diseases in lavender. This can be prevented by ensuring proper drainage as well as sufficient air circulation. Plant your lavender with plenty of space between each plant so that air can easily circulate between them. Organic mulch may also encourage the growth of fungus, so it’s better to use another kind of weed barrier, like simple black landscape fabric.
When in the right conditions, lavender is a perennial herb that can return each year for up to twenty years. As long as you’re providing the right environment, lavender is a high-value, low maintenance crop. With enough sun and properly draining soil, lavender can save growers a lot of water, as it only needs to be watered every 2 or 3 weeks until budding. Then, lavender only needs watering once or twice weekly until harvest time. Lavender also doesn’t typically require fertilizer.
What Lavender Doesn’t Want
Lavender is particularly sensitive to overwatering and can suffer greatly if located in an area where it’s unable to properly drain. Additionally, it’s best to water lavender rarely, but sufficiently when irrigation does take place. Infrequent, long soaks are better than frequent watering cycles, which may encourage root rot. Drip irrigation is one of the most popular choices used in growing lavender. Drip irrigation carries water to plants slowly and in limited amounts. The water delivery is also precise, injected directly into the root zone rather than saturating into the surrounding soil or furrows. Less water is lost through evaporation and there is less chance of weeds taking root in the surrounding soil. Drip irrigation means that more plants can be planted per acre and can operate with a lower water pressure than other kinds of irrigation. Drip irrigation may cost more than other kinds of irrigation when it comes to initial investment in equipment, electricity, and maintenance.
Keep in mind that the amount of water you’ll need to use and how often your plants should be watered will be determined by the type of soil, ambient temperature, and the size of the roots. Using a tightly woven geotextile can also help you in determining the precise amount of moisture that reaches the soil. This can also divert flowing runoff and the resulting erosion that may carry dirt downhill.
Preparing Your Lavender Bed
Design with the end goal in mind
Create a written or sketched out plan of your ideal garden and its rewards. Think about how you’d like it to serve you. Is it a beautiful natural space for pollinators to find a home? Is it a relaxing place to read with good sights and smells all around? Is it a neat and orderly, contained landscape that will protect your plants from the feet of kids and pets alike? Is its primary goal to grow and offer bushels of lavender clippings for propagation and commercial products? Whatever your goals are, making sure that you are clear on your ideal end goals will ensure that you’ll be satisfied with your choices for the long term.
There are four main considerations when it comes to lavender planting and designing your growing space:
Growing Requirements: Consider how much sunlight your plants will need each day, and how many hours of direct sunlight each position in your growing space could possibly provide. Lavender prefers dry, sandy, well-draining soil. Does this sound like the soil you have available? If you’re working with particularly shady conditions or clay-heavy soil, choose lavender varieties that are more resistant to these conditions, or perhaps consider your options for choosing another plant to grow.
Spacing: Lavender is used to the dry, arid conditions of the Mediterranean. This means they prefer lots of airflow that will help reduce moist conditions and promote good health in the plants. Spacing can also be used for aesthetic pursuits when this is the primary goal. Lavender’s vertical blooms can be used as both framing devices and centerpieces depending on your design.
Weed Management: Geotextiles can be used in order to eliminate or greatly reduce the number of weeds that grow around your lavender beds. In more natural designs, weed management may simply be a matter of controlling the amount and spread of those plants that appear unsolicited. Be careful and do your research before employing the use of any weed killers or pesticides.
Irrigation: Here it’s important to weigh the needs of your plants versus your financial options. Lavender is used to growing in the Mediterranean, where rain is infrequent, and conditions are dry and sandy. Lavender does best with infrequent, large watering which allows the remaining water to completely drain away before irrigation takes place again. Drip irrigation is a common choice among professional lavender growers thanks to the careful control it allows farmers to have over how much water is being added to the soil and that amount that is remaining around the plant’s root zones.
Know Your Soil
It’s essential to know what exactly is in your soil before deciding what to grow or diagnosing problems further down the road. Soil density, permeability, structure, nutritional makeup, and other qualities have huge implications when it comes to the health and quality of the plants you grow. Once you have a proper understanding of the soil you’re starting with, you can decide how to adjust conditions for your needs or adjust your expectations for your conditions.
Lavender thrives in places which are exposed to full sun, which means the area receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Lavender is also particularly sensitive to standing water and excess moisture. Permeable, well-draining soil, like soils heavy in sand content, are the most popular choices for healthy lavender plants. Lavender does best in slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soil, preferring a fairly neutral pH when it comes to the soil it's growing in. Look for soil with a pH level of at least 6 but no higher than 8. Certain levels of nutrients may have adverse or preferable effects on your lavender plants. High levels of nitrogen may decrease the number of flowers on a particular plant, while also decreasing its potential quality if being refined into essential oils.
Ensure that you’re allow time to do in depth research into the particular cultivar or variety of lavender you’re choosing to plant. Some kinds of lavender prefer more, or less, room in between each plant to encourage appropriate bloom and airflow. In general, ‘true’ lavender, or lav. angustifolia varieties need at least 2 or 3 feet between each plant in order to thrive. Other kinds of lavender may require even more room. Plants placed too close together may hinder growth or harvesting efforts, as stems become entangled and enmeshed in one another. Plants without enough room to grow may also block out sunlight from other plants, reducing their chance to grow. Spacing the plants too far apart may waste resources, such as in the case of irrigation piping, weed-preventing geotextiles, and the effort and time needed to harvest the plants. Consider the purpose of your lavender when choosing the spacing between each plant. Will you have lots of visitors? Will there be little feet or paws that want to play and dig in the dirt? Will you want to ensure efficiency while making your way through each row of flowers? Your goals will guide your hand when making essential decisions about your plants.
