Lavender is a beautiful and fragrant herbaceous plant that thrives in warm sunny mood . With its stunning violet flowers and gray - green foliage lavender makes a gorgeous addition to outdoor container and garden beds .
While lavender is considered a perennial in mild clime , it can be grown as an yearly or overwinter indoors in colder region . If you want to enjoy lavender year after year you ’ll need to take some stride to protect your potted industrial plant during coarse winter condition .
Choosing the Right Lavender Varieties
To boost your overwintering success charge per unit , choose cold - hardy lavender varieties suit to your mood Some top wintertime - patient of cultivars include
English Lavender ( L. angustifolia ): cultivar like ‘ Munstead , ’ ‘ Hidcote , ’ and ‘ Twickel Purple ’ tend to be winter hardy .
Lavandin ( L. x intermedia ): ‘ Grosso ’ and ‘ Provence ’ are two hardy hybrids .
French Lavender ( L. dentata ): Tolerates dampen soil better than other variety show .
Spanish Lavender ( L. stoechas ): ‘ Otto Quast ’ and ‘ Richard Gray ’ handle humidity well .
When select lavender start for your container garden , mark the industrial plant shred for variety gens and growing zones . This will give you an idea of their winter hardiness .
Providing Winter Protection for Potted Lavender
Keeping lavender in container make it easier to move the works into protect areas for winter . Here are some tips :
Move pots to a sheltered spotbefore temperatures expend below freezing . An unwarmed service department , tool shed , or covered porch are idealistic .
Group pots togetherand cover up with horticultural wool , gunny , or chaff . This insulates the container soil and industrial plant ’ ascendant zones .
For added cold shelter , surround lot with mulch , leaves , or woodwind instrument chips . This preclude the soil in containers from freeze solid .
During warm spells , remove coverings temporarilyso plants are n’t shocked going from frigid to hot conditions . Re - screen at dark if frost is expected .
Avoid allowing potted lavender to freeze and melt repeatedly . Fluctuating temperatures can damage roots and cause dieback .
right wintertime shelter prevents damage from harsh wind , heavy snow freight , and glacial temperatures . Sheltering container plant is full of life for their survival of the fittest .
Soil Needs for Overwintering Potted Lavender
Lavender prefers quick - draining grime and wo n’t tolerate wet wintertime conditions . Here are some tips for good potting mix :
Use awell - draining commercial potting soilas your base . commix in added perlite or pumice stone to improve drainage .
you may make a custom blend using equal partspotting mix , perlite , and peat moss . This creates an airy , sandy composition lavender loves .
void heavy garden soilwhich compacted during winter and suffocates lavender roots . Stick with light commercial-grade mixes amend with moxie .
Allow container soil to dry out out between waterings . Excess wet during dormancy leads to steady down molder in lavender .
ensure your container have drain hole at the home . Elevate pots on block or bricks so excess water can escape . supervise stain wet in wintertime and only H2O when the top few inches become ivory wry .
Pruning Potted Lavender for Winter
clock time go down snip about 6 - 8 weeks before your first wait frost . This give new growth time to harden off before winter .
trim down back blossom still hunt to just above the first curing of leaves on each stem using sanitise trimmer .
Remove fallible , diseased , or damaged stanch alone back to the cornerstone of the flora .
Shape works by cutting 1/3 of the foliage off the top . This prevents excessive hint damage over wintertime .
Clear all fall leaves and detritus from around the base of plants to prevent disease .
Rinse pruners in dilute bleach between each undercut to avoid transmitting contagion .
Avoid pruning lavender past mid - autumn . Pruning too late removes the plant ’s protective foliage layer just before rough weather go far .
Winter Watering Needs for Potted Lavender
Lavender enters dormancy as winter approaches . During this stage , container plants require small water system . Here are some winter watering tips :
reserve soil to dry out out between lachrymation until early spring . Wet soil in wintertime causes root hogwash .
hold back soil moisture 2 - 3 inches below the Earth’s surface before lacrimation . Only water supply if the top few inch are entirely juiceless .
When watering dormant lavender , moisten the soil without saturate it wholly . Use a wet meter to check level .
piddle meagrely during ardent spell in winter . Do n’t goad flora to break quiescency too early on .
restart normal watering in other spring as plants exit dormancy and unexampled growth appears .
trim watering absolute frequency but do n’t allow potting mix to totally dry out . Periodically check soil moisture below the open using your finger or a wet time probe .
Fertilizing Lavender Over Winter
Lavender does n’t require plant food during its winter hibernating period . agree off feeding container plants until spring :
Avoid using fertiliser after late summer / early autumn . This can spur tender novel growth before frost .
deadening - release organic granular fertilizers utilise in leaping will offer nutrients as plant resume growth .
commence liquidity feeding a few weeks after new growth emerges in leaping . habituate a balanced flower plant food diluted to half - strength .
Mix some slow - release fertiliser into potting soil when repot lavender in springtime . This provides a gradual nutritive hike .
spare nitrogen plant food causes long-shanked , weak maturation . Use a lower N pattern ( like 5 - 10 - 10 ) .
Too much winter dressing can negatively impact blooming and cause damage . Let lavender introduce quiescency of course without previous - time of year feeding .
Signs of Winter Damage in Lavender
Check overwintered lavender ofttimes for any sign of winter stress :
Wilted , shriveled leavesindicate drying up . Plants need more humidity .
Black or schmalzy rootssignal root word decompose from overwatering . Repot plants in unused , dry filth .
Dieback of stems and foliageis because of uttermost cold . Prune damaged areas and keep covered .
whitened mold or bluish - light-green foliageshows fungous disease . Improve air travel circulation and treat with fungicides .
blow over or uprooted plantshappen after strong air current . Add supports and tax shelter from gusts .
Leaves throw prematurelycan resultant role from drastic temperature swing . Move works to a more saved region .
Address any issues readily to get lavender tidy again after winter dormancy . Damaged plants often recover well with improved maintenance .
When to Move Lavender Back Outdoors
Lavender can be moved back outside once all danger of frost has passed . This is usually mid to late fountain after temperature have warm up up .
Set potted lavender plant out of doors during the daylight first if temperatures rest above 55 ° F at dark .
Transplant into the garden or lieu pot in their lasting outside spot after your last expected spring Robert Frost .
Introduce potted lavender to sunlight gradually to preclude foliage singe . Start with just an hour or two of break of day sun .
follow weather condition forecasts closely and be ready to take protective actions if a former cold snap occurs in your area .
Resume fertilise and normal watering schedules as flora come out of quiescence .
Always observe proper hardening off procedures when moving overwintered lavender back alfresco . This avoids shock and sunshine damage to new growth .
Enjoy Years of Lavender Beauty
With the right overwintering practices , gardeners in cold climate can keep potted lavender thriving time of year after time of year .
Choose hardy lavender diversity suited to your zone
tax shelter container in protected areas like garage or sheds
Use sandy , fast - draining potting mixes
dress back plants in other fall before heavy frosts make it
Reduce watering during wintertime dormancy
Avoid fertilizing dormant lavender
Check frequently for winter damage or pest issues
Gradually reacclimate pot lavender to insolate in natural spring
Is Lavender a Perennial or Annual?
Lavender is a prime that grows expert in the sun and is native to Europe and Western Asia . It is a colorful and fragrant plant . The type of lavender you raise and where you grow it will determine whether it blossom every class or every other year . If you hold out in USDA Hardiness Zone 5 or warm , you could commonly keep lavender outside as a repeated plant as long as you grow the correct kind for your country .
English lavender ( Lavandula angustifolia ) is the most common and stout species . We farm a variety called ‘ Hidcote ’ that has dour empurpled flowers . Despite its name , this works is not native to England ; it stem from Europe ’s warm Mediterranean seashore .
English lavender is hardy in Zones 5 and up , and it commonly does fine in the basis outside over the winter without any extra care . If there is n’t any snow in the winter , we might put a tenuous layer ( 1 to 2 inches ) of stalk or shred leaves on top of them to keep them fond .
Spanish lavender ( L. stoechas ) and fringed or Gallic lavender ( L. dentata ) are much more tender and brave outdoors , only in Zone 8 and ardent . They have to be moved indoors to endure the wintertime in colder zones . That being said , lavenders are belittled plant life that do well in container , which makes it easy to move them indoors and alfresco .
If you are re - potting them , do n’t use a potbelly that is too expectant . Only give them an extra in of grunge around the root ball . Too much extra soil will stay quaggy , which these plants wo n’t tolerate . The soil does not have to be rich , either . They postulate pot dirt that run out quickly , so mix two parts potting dirt with one part perlite or coarse Baroness Dudevant . Before putting the potting mix in the lavender pots , add one teaspoon of burnt lime to it to make it more like the stain in the Mediterranean , which is alkaline .
Overwintering Perennial Lavender Indoors and Outdoors
Lavender grows best outside , but you may also keep these redolent gems active inside through winter . Plus , lavender is not only pretty — its scent also brings a sense of calm to every elbow room . Here are some lovely lavender mixture and advice on overwintering lavender .
How to Prune Lavender in Winter: Top Tips!! – Lavender World
FAQ
How do you keep potted lavender animated in the winter ?
Will pot lavender come back ?
Does lavender need to be slue back for winter ?
Can lavender grow in wad ?
All lavender plant grow well in pots and containers due to the favourable drainage conditions . However , from experience , some lavender cultivars are more suitable to originate in pots than others . My personal favorite lavender that I advocate for grow in locoweed is the English lavender ( Lavandula angustifolia ):
Can lavender survive winter ?
English lavender are cold stalwart and can live winter in pots up to USDA geographical zone 4 with the right care and planning . French and Spanish lavender pots will need protective covering from Winter cold and should be brought indoors in the Fall before the first hoarfrost of Winter . The larger the sens the better .
Do lavender pots need winter shelter ?
French and Spanish lavender pots will need protection from Winter cold and should be get indoors in the Fall before the first frost of Winter . The great the pot the better . bountiful pots contain more soil which aid to insulate the lavender radical from the coldness .
How do you keep lilac-colored industrial plant alive in winter ?
1 . One of the key to keep potted lavenders alert over winter is to plant them in a relatively big pot , even if it is a smaller variety of lavender . The bigger the dope is , the more dirt it will moderate . The ground will act as detachment for the roots when the temperature diminish , protecting the roots from frost .
