Caring for lavender: tips for ideal care

Even if lavender is quite frugal, it needs a little maintenance every now and then. Here you can find out what needs to be considered when cutting, fertilizing and watering.

All species of the genus Lavandula originally come from the Mediterranean region. lavender now feels at home in more northern countries and can be found in many gardens at home. However, an adequate supply of nutrients and water are essential for your lavender bush. However, regular pruning and forest protection measures are also of great importance for flourishing. We have summarized the most important aspects of lavender care for you below. General information on the topic lavender can also be found here in our overview article.

The Mediterranean lavender prefers warm and sunny locations with calcareous, permeable soil. During the

Real lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is extremely robust and easy to care for Coppy lavender (Lavandula stoechas) and the Speiklavender (Lavandula latifolia) take special protective measures at least over the winter. Proper location and good care will thank you for your lavender with abundant growth and abundant bloom. More information about the Care of the French lavender can be found in our special article.

Cut lavender

A regular cut keeps your lavender in shape, promotes plant health and counteracts long-term baldness in older lavender bushes. It's best to cut your lavender twice a year. With the first budding in spring, the lavender can be cut back vigorously (by one to two thirds).

After flowering (mid-July), a slight pruning promotes bushy growth. Young plants can be cut more (up to half) than older ones (around a third). If the lavender is cut too late in summer, the lavender can no longer ripen in time. The last cut should therefore be made at the beginning of August at the latest. If frostbite nevertheless occurs in winter, you can remove the dead plant parts in late spring.

Precise instructions for the right one Cut of lavender You will find here.

Pour the lavender

Lavender can supply itself very well with water via its long taproot, but waterlogging is a problem and can promote the development of root rot. In the garden bed, you only need to water lavender in summer during prolonged dry periods. In winter, watering is only allowed if the soil is frost-free and permeable.

Pot lavender should be watered more regularly. It is best to ensure optimal pot drainage when planting. A drainage hole at the bottom allows excess irrigation water to drain away. Everything it’s for Pouring lavender anything else that matters, we will explain it to you here as well.

Fertilize and lime lavender

You can work some fertilizer or compost into the soil when you are planting. In the following years, an annual basic fertilization at the beginning of the growth phase (March / April) is sufficient. It is best to use organic long-term fertilizers like ours Plantura organic universal fertilizer, because this decomposes slowly and provides your lavender with enough nutrients in the long term.

In pot cultivation, a second fertilization at the beginning of summer (end of June / beginning of July) supports your lavender optimally. Soils with little lime - such as sandy soils - can be mixed with a handful of commercially available ones in the spring Garden lime be improved. But you shouldn't just lime it off. Make sure that you actually have real lavender in your garden. After all, there are close relatives - such as the potted lavender - for whose growth calcareous soils are more of a disadvantage.

An exact Fertilizing instructions for lavender and more information on liming can be found in our special article.

Maintain lavender in a pot

While the robust real lavender can be cultivated in beds all year round, many frost-sensitive species have to move to a pot in autumn at the latest. It should be noted that when lavender is cultivated in a pot, it forms a very large network of roots that requires a lot of space. A sufficiently large planter is therefore a must. In addition, in this cultivation form, the lavender makes somewhat greater demands on the care due to the small pot volume. Regular pruning, suitable winter storage and annual repotting are crucial for abundant flowering.

Repot the lavender

When growing in planters, make sure to transplant your lavender into a larger pot if necessary. The new pot should be about 10 cm larger than the root ball of the plant. The introduction of a drainage layer also prevents waterlogging. You should also replace the old soil with fresh substrate so that your lavender has enough nutrients available again.

What to do with repotting and cultivating Potted lavender should be observed in general, we explain to you in our special article.

Maintaining the lavender tree

The term “tree” or “perennial” is actually nonsense in connection with lavender. From a botanical point of view, lavender is one of the subshrubs. Older lavender naturally lignifies with increasing age and can even form a trunk with the right upbringing. The care of the lavender as a high trunk differs only slightly with regard to the procedure for a lavender in the form of a bush.

There are only bigger differences when it comes to cutting the lavender tree. So that you can enjoy your lavender tree for a long time, you should cut it regularly so that the The tall trunk is not overgrown and, in the worst case, returns to its natural, bushy habit falls behind. All you have to do is trim the crown. In spring (March / April), when no more frost is expected, you can cut back one to two thirds of the new shoots. Make sure to keep the crown as round as possible. You can then make a second cut after flowering (mid-July) to stimulate a second flowering.

More information on the topic Lavender tree You will find here.

Hibernate lavender

The Mediterranean lavender is only partially used to the low temperatures in our latitudes. While hardy lavender varieties - such as the real lavender - can be planted in the garden bed without any problems, frost-sensitive variants should better be cultivated in pots.

Those species that are overwintered outdoors, however, absolutely need a sheltered location. A layer of brushwood, leaves or mulch offers you protection from precipitation and cold as well as from excessive sunlight. If necessary, a cover made of garden fleece or coconut mats, which serves as thermal insulation, also protects against permafrost (below -15 ° C).

You should bring potted plants into the house before the first frost and put them in a dry, unheated room (cellar, garage or winter garden). If you don't have enough space inside, the parking space in the garden should always be frost-free and partially shaded. To protect against floor frost, you can place the pot on an insulating mat, styrofoam or wood. If the temperature drops below zero for a long time, the bucket can also be covered with straw mats as thermal insulation.

Precise instructions for successful Wintering your lavender You will find here.