lavender

[sahtlinurk]

hi

i bought some lavender plants and as they arrived today should i plant them now so they will get going as soon it gets warmer? just plunk them in the soil
leave till spring?

Thanks
Lauri

 

[Erichalfbee]

Lauri,
The best time to plant lavender is in mid autumn or mid spring.
Mine are in the greenhouse for now.
Greenhouse or cold frame till spring would be a good place to put them.

 

[Hombre]

Last year I bought lavender, but the growers were very late and finding that the plants were taking their time breaking dormancy because of the harsh winter. So if your lavender doesn't take off as fast as you think it should, then don't become despondent as it's only a matter of time.

Freezing here today.

 

[sahtlinurk]

thank you !

 

[Skyhook]

The thing lavenders hate is wet. If you are on light soil, probably fine to plant now. If you are on clay, or poorly drained, definitely wait until spring, and then probably add some grit when planting.

 

[sahtlinurk]

absolute sand here. i was thinking at same lines, might as well plant them now. Thanks

 

[Heltor Chasca]

absolute sand here. i was thinking at same lines, might as well plant them now. Thanks

I would plant now too. As a landscaper the "saving rule" (my own words) is don't plant when the soils is either saturated or frozen. If you leave your plants in pots they are vunerable to drying out and to freezing the roots and in both cases they die. My suppliers have posh greenhouses and cold weather measures in place to keep their stock healthy. Lavendula loves poor soil, so you are on a winner with your sandy conditions. Be tough on it and prune back hard each late Autumn. I know a gardener who uses a chainsaw to shape out an avenue of the puple stuff! Not safe in my book and why he can't just use a hedgecutter I have no idea. That said, they are always beautiful every year.

When I have my own bees I'm going to plant loads of Lavendula. I love it! (Also planning a lavender home brewed beer this summer. Yum.)....hc