How to Grow and Care for English Lavender

English lavender, also referred to as common lavender, is often considered an herb though it is actually an herbaceous perennial with a semi-woody growth habit. It provides good midsummer color to the garden and is often used in perennial borders and rock gardens as well as in herb gardens and scent gardens. It is frequently grown for drying its leaves and flowers, to make sachets and potpourri, and for its oils used in sleep aromatherapy.

English lavender is cold-hardy but thrives in a mild climate with full sun and well-draining soil. It takes about three growing seasons to reach its full size.

Warning

When ingested, English lavender is toxic to humans and pets.

English Lavender Care

Beginner Tips for English Lavender

• Best Place to Plant It: Sunny spot, ideally with six hours or more of direct sunlight.
• Best Soil Type: Well-draining soil on the dryer side.
• Best Way to Water It: Only water occasionally until the plant is established, afterwards only in prolonged periods of drought.
• Best Time to Prune It: Early spring after the plant leafs out.

Light

Grow English lavender in full sun. Shady locations usually cause the plant to become leggy and produce fewer blooms. At the upper end of its zone range, though, the plants respond well to some shade in the heat of the afternoon.

Soil

English lavender must be planted in a relatively sandy or gritty but very well-draining soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Humus-rich, damp soils frequently cause root rot. Strive for a soil similar to its native Mediterranean region, where the soil is dry and infertile. Adding organic material to the soil is not only unnecessary but might cause problems.

Water

Young English lavender plants should be watered every other day for the first week. Once established, they are quite drought-tolerant, and too much water inhibits their ability to bloom. Mature plants only need to be watered during periods of dry weather, about once per week.

To promote a healthy bloom, after flower buds form, increase the watering frequency to about every four days.

Temperature and Humidity

English lavender grows best in warm conditions but not oppressively hot conditions with low humidity. The plants do poorly in humid climates.

Fertilizer

Do not fertilize English lavender, which may inhibit its ability to flower.

Types of English Lavender

• L. angustifolia 'Hidcote': a very popular and fragrant shorter variety (about 20 inches tall) with a mounded growth habit and dark purple flower spikes
• Lavandula x intermedia 'Hidcote Giant': a larger version with long stems, achieving a height of 36 to 40 inches with very fragrant bright violet flower spikes
• L. angustifolia 'Munstead': a slow-growing mounding variety 18 inches tall with rosy-purple flower spikes.
• L. angustifolia 'Sarah': a 12-inch-tall compact cultivar with medium purple flowers that are ideal for containers
• L. angustifolia 'Jean Davis': a small, slow-growing variety with light-pink flowers that grows to about 18 inches tall

Pruning

When to Prune English Lavender

To promote continued bloom, remove faded flower stalks.

Once the plants are well established, in their second season and beyond, prune lavender plants in the spring after new stems and leaves appear.

A second light pruning after flowering or in late summer or early fall before the firstfrost encourages good air circulation, which guards against rot. English lavender typically blooms only once per season, but some varieties might send up a second flush of blooms if it has been pruned again after flowering.

How to Prune English Lavender

In the spring pruning, cut about one-third of the green stalks to maintain a rounded shape. Never cut into the old woody stems.

Every three years, shear the plants to about eight inches from the ground to control the plants' size and promote new growth.

There is no need to throw away the parts that you have pruned. Use them to make your own sachets and potpourri. Bundle the stems and hang them upside down to dry in a cool, dark, well-ventilated room.

Propagating English Lavender

Lavender is much easier to propagate through stem cuttings than by the challenge of growing plants from seed. Take these easy steps to propagate lavender plants:

1. Use a clean and sharp tool to cut six-inch-long shoots that do not have a flower or bud. Remove the lower leaves.
2. Dip the cut ends into rooting hormone.
3. Plant cuttings in a pot filled with potting soil or sand.
4. Keep the cuttings in a part-shade location and water frequently until they are well rooted (in about three weeks) for planting outdoors or in an indoor container.

Potting and Repotting English Lavender

English lavender can be grown in pots with well-draining soil. You will know it's time to repot the plant when you see roots coming out of the bottom.

When choosing its new pot, be sure to choose a container that is one size up and has a drainage hole. Preferably, choose a terra-cotta pot that will help wick away excess moisture from the soil. Keeping the root ball together, move the plant into the new pot with fresh, well-draining soil.

Overwintering

English lavender might not survive through the winter if the soil is too wet or if temperatures dip well below zero degrees Fahrenheit without protective snow cover or mulch. At the lower end of its hardiness range, the plants should be protected over winter with a thick layer of mulch until spring. To avoid soil humidity issues, mulch the plants with rock or gravel rather than organic mulch.

In northern locations, potted English lavender plants should be winterized to insulate the roots against the cold.

Common Plant Diseases

English lavender is not affected by many diseases. However, it is susceptible to leaf spot and root rot. Remove affected leaves succumbing to leaf spot. Plants with leaf spot might require better air circulation. To prevent root rot, do not overwater your plants; they do not do well in constantly moist soil.

How to Get English Lavender to Bloom

When planted in the proper spot, with enough sunlight and proper soil, English lavender should supply you with blooms year after year.

Bloom Months

English lavender typically blooms in late May or June depending on your location, and it tends to stay in bloom for about a month.

What Do English Lavender Blooms Look and Smell Like?

The actual flowers on lavender plants are small, densely packed, and shaped somewhat like pinecones. Regarding their namesake color, lavender blooms are typically a purple shade. Both the flowers and the leaves emit the signature fragrance, a combination of woodsy and sweet.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Make sure English lavender is getting enough sunlight and avoid fertilizing and overwatering the plant.

Caring for English Lavender After It Blooms

Once your English lavender is done blooming, cutting back the flowers is optional. It may send out a second round of blooms.

Deadheading English Lavender Flowers

Deadhead spent English lavender flowers regularly to encourage the plant to send out even more flowers.

From: thespruce