Lavender can be a bit picky if you don’t get the conditions just right, but don’t let that intimidate you! Once you find that “sweet spot” in your garden, this fragrant beauty is actually incredibly low-maintenance and will reward you with a sea of purple blooms year after year. Here’s the lowdown on finding the perfect home for your lavender.
The Kind of Soil Lavender Loves
If you want your lavender to thrive, think “lean and mean.” Lavender actually prefers soil that is dry and nutrient-poor. If your garden soil is too rich or packed with organic matter, your plant might actually struggle. You’ll also want to steer clear of acidic soil or spots that stay soggy. Lavender grows deep taproots to find its own nutrients deep underground, so it doesn’t need much help from us!
You can plant lavender almost anywhere, including:
- Right in your garden beds
- In a gravel garden (they love this!)
- In pots or large planters
- In window boxes
One big tip: avoid high-nitrogen soils. Too much nitrogen will give you lots of green leaves but very few of those iconic flowers. If you decide to use fertilizer, make sure it’s low in nitrogen. Honestly, if your lavender is in the ground, you only need to fertilize once a year at most. For potted plants, a second light feeding is okay.
Sun, Heat, and Drainage
Lavender is a total sun-worshipper. You’ll want to pick a spot that gets full sun all day long. If you try to plant it in the shade or even partial shade, it just won’t be happy. On the bright side, lavender handles heat like a champ! You only really need to water it during long, intense heatwaves—and even then, don’t overdo it.
If you’re worried your soil might hold too much water, you can easily create a DIY drainage layer. Just mix some sand or gravel into the planting hole at root level. Every now and then, tossing a little lime onto the soil can also help keep the conditions just right for long-term growth.
The best part about planting lavender in these “harsh” conditions? Most weeds hate poor, dry soil! That means you won’t have to spend your weekends weeding around your lavender plants. It’s a win-win for any gardener.
