Lavender is known to be relaxing, but gardeners know that growing it can be a little stressful. How you care for it is crucial for its success:

• Sun: The spot you choose must get at least 6 hours of bright sun each day – flowering will be weak and the plant will be more prone to disease in less sun than that.
• Soil: Equally important to the amount of sun is that the soil is well-draining. In other words, it never stays wet for long periods of time. Wet, soggy conditions are the fastest way to kill a lavender! If you have clay soil that drains slowly, you can still be successful with lavender if you avoid amending the soil (i.e., don’t add any compost, potting mix, etc., at planting time) and plant your lavender slightly above, rather than even with, the soil level.
• Water: Be very careful not to overwater lavender. If your plants are hit with an irrigation system, adjust your program or the individual sprinkler head(s) that hit them so you can control how much supplemental water they receive.
• Mulch: We normally enthusiastically recommend a good 2-3″ layer of mulch on most perennials and shrubs, but plants that prefer life on the drier side like lavender and butterfly bush benefit from little to no mulch, as it can hold excessive moisture around the roots. If you do use mulch in the area where your lavender is planted, thin it out to just a light sprinkling as it nears the plant’s root zone.
• Winter: Lavender is most likely to be severely damaged in fall and late winter/early spring when the ground isn’t frozen and frequent cold rains and/or melting snow keep the soil wet. This is rarely an issue in sandy or rocky soils but merits serious consideration in clay soils.

For even more information on how to grow lavender, read our Lavender: Secrets to Success blog!