Lavender is a plant that can live with little water, and it also grows fast. It serves as a mosquito repellent, but also as an aromatic. For all this it is highly appreciated in the gardens, as well as in the patios converted into relaxation areas.
But When to plant lavender in the ground or in another larger pot? And how to do it so that you do not suffer during transplantation and can resume its growth as soon as possible?
What is the best time to plant lavender?
La lavender essence
It is a Mediterranean plant, that is, it is one that grows when it is hot and stops when the weather cools. It is perfectly adapted to the summers typical of this region, during which they touch and even exceed 40ºC, and in which months can pass – to give you an idea, where I live we have been six months without seeing rain – without a single drop of rain falling.
Knowing this, It is important to bear in mind that it can be planted at any time during the springalthough it is advisable to do it once it has been established, leaving the frosts behind. If we have bought it in autumn and we are in a hurry to plant it in the garden, we can do it too, but only in the event that we live in a place where winters are mild, with weak frosts down to -4ºC, or warm.
How do you know if it can be planted in the ground or in another pot?
Although it grows fast and is a strong plant, it would be a mistake to remove it from the pot if it is sick or has not yet rooted well. Therefore, I only recommend transplanting it if:
- No trace of pests. The leaves are fine, firm and with their natural color.
- The roots have come out of the holes in the pot and they begin to grow on the outside.
- It’s not blooming. Plants spend a lot of energy in the production and maintenance of their flowers. Therefore, it is not good to remove the lavender from the pot when it blooms.
- It is suspected that it has been watered too much. The soil looks very wet and the plant looks sad, with drooping stems.
How is lavender planted?
Once we know in what conditions it can be removed from the pot, it is time to put on the gardening gloves and plant it. We will first explain how to plant it in the ground, and then to another container, since although the steps are similar, they are not exactly the same.
On the floor
The steps to follow are those:
- The first is to find a place where it is exposed to direct sunlight throughout the day.
- Then, you have to dig a hole of about 50 x 50 centimeters and fill it with water. We have to know if the soil drains the water well, because it will depend on whether our lavender always grows well or dies in a few weeks. If the earth is able to absorb that water in a few minutes, then we can move on to the next step; In the event that it takes hours or days, we will cover its sides except the base with a piece of anti-weed mesh, and we will put a layer of about 20-30 centimeters of clay (for sale here!), volcanic gravel (for sale here!) or perlite (for sale here!).
- Afterwards, we will extract the lavender from the pot, pressing a little with our fingers. If it has many roots growing outside of it and they are tangled, we will have to carefully untangle them before removing the plant.
- The next step is to add soil or universal growing substrate (for sale here!) in the hole, taking into account the height of the pot in which the lavender is, as it must not be too low or too high with respect to the level of the garden floor.
- Finally, the plant is introduced into the hole and it is finished filling.
Now you just have to do a tree grate with the same land and give it a good watering.
Potted
If we intend to keep it in a pot you have to follow these steps:
- First of all, we have to choose the pot: it must have holes in its base for the water to come out, and it must also measure 5-6 centimeters more in diameter and height than the one it already has.
- Then, it is filled with a little universal growing medium (for sale here!) taking into account the height of the »old» pot. If you want, before doing this you can add a layer of about three centimeters of arlite or volcanic gravel to improve drainage.
- Now it is taken out of the »old» pot and carefully inserted into the new one. It must be centered.
- To finish, it is filled with more substrate and watered.
That same day we will put it in a sunny areaunless it has been in shade, in which case we will leave it in semi-shade or partial shade, but we will gradually accustom it to the sun to prevent it from burning.
What care should be given to newly planted lavender?
We already have our lavender planted in the ground or in a new pot. And now that? How do you take care of yourself? Well, actually, you have to give it the same care as one that has been planted for a long time; that is to say, it must be watered once or twice a week during the summer, and once a week or every ten days the rest of the year. It is important not to wet the leaves, as they will burn.
Furthermore, it will not hurt to pay it in spring and summer. If it’s on the ground, we can give it a handful of earthworm humus around the stem; and if it is in a pot, I advise fertilizing it with a liquid fertilizer such as this following the directions on the package.
And we can’t forget about lavender pruning. This will be done with pruning shears (for sale here!) previously disinfected in late winter or fall if the weather is mild or warm. Dry and / or broken branches must be eliminated, and those that grow a lot cut back. This will keep it compact.
Where to buy?
If you wish, you can buy it from here:
