If you are searching for how to grow lavender in pots, before that let me tell you lavender are such beautiful plants, as they are eye catching faster grower houseplants. Many people want them in their house due to its charming look. If you want to grow them in a pot then let’s find out about it.
How to Grow Lavender in Pots? Growing lavender in pots is easy, reliable and pots can be beneficial to move them indoors for warmth in winters. Lavender grows fast, it requires water and full sunlight to thrive. That is why we need pruning for lavender in pots as well to maintain their size and look. Although they are trimmed due to spent flowers so that in the new season they can grow back every year like this.
I Myself have a lot of lavender growing beautifully in pots as well as in the garden because I tested both the ways and the difference is not that much. For gardens it gets more space to spread which means it requires more pruning while in pots the limited nutrients can restrict the growth of lavenders but it doesn’t make them spread too fast.
The flowers in both methods came on time and as you know the more space they get the more blooms you may see from lavender plants.
Caring is easy for beginners because that requires you to have good fertile soil, often watering whenever our lavender plant feels thirsty and a good place to get a minimum of 6-8 hours light.
Yes they grow in full sun that is why they have faster growth as compared to plants that grow in shade or indirect light. Lets now know about various things when growing lavender in pots.
Does lavender do well in pots?
Yes lavender plants do well in pots, containers and they can tolerate to some of harsh conditions as well. Potted lavender is easy to grow and care for but remember you need to prune it when the time comes and also to avoid any overwatering. These plants are most popular with its flowers bright color and making a potting soil can help to grow more such in your garden as well.
There are a lot of different varieties of lavender that are also grown in pots, containers and its blooms are used in various arrangements and can be made for decorative purposes.
Growing them in pots using seeds is easy but for fast technique you have the option to take cuttings that may give you the next bloom if you grow it now. The placement of fresh lavender seeds are in the topsoil layer and lightly covered and also water it fully so that seeds can have a humid environment which helps in germination of sprouts.
Many of my neighbors grow lavender in a beautiful landscape, and my garden is covered with more different plants and vegetables so the option I get is to plant my lavender in pots or big containers. They need proper pruning as well as displaced water because your plant may not grow if overwatered.
Does potted lavender come back every year?
English lavender and lavandula x intermedia are two varieties that can come back every year if potted. These potted lavender can tolerate cold freezing temperatures and can grow again after winters. These plants live for many years if grown with proper care and have good climatic conditions which don’t harm much of its leaves and the plant itself.
Our potted lavender is hardy to zone 5 and can come back every year and show us beautiful blooms again. There are other varieties which include lavandula latifolia, lavandula stoechas and lavandula dentata. Some has different names in US and UK.
Spanish lavender are generally tolerable to zone 7 to 9. and for Portuguese lavender that are supported in more zone from 7 -10. While the French lavender is hardy to zone 8 to 11.
If you grow them in colder areas without their appropriate zone they will not survive and die back. Potted ones can be taken inside the house but if the temperature is freezing cold above the limit then no potted lavender can keep up the winters.
Some believe that with a proper detailed care your lavender can survive up to 14-15 years and produce blooms all those years. You need to prune the spent flowers and for the next season they will come again and grow.
There are varieties of English lavender that survive colder climates easily even if the winter can be harsh this year. The 2 varieties are Munstead and hidcote and they will come back every year after bloom and can tolerate 20-25 degree F temperature.
I always recommend everyone who wants to buy beautiful lavender then go for those which can survive good enough for many years. Below I provided the links for lavender plants.
How do you care for a potted lavender plant?
Caring for a potted lavender plant requires regular watering, appropriate temperature not too cold, Good sunlight and well draining soil. It is needed to maintain lavender plants growth and you can then easily care for it. lavender are easy to grow and robust flowering plants. They are drought tolerant but do not forget to water them if they want it otherwise they might wilt and drop soon.
They grow bigger so a proper pruning is needed every few months whenever you see longer growth. You also need liquid based fertilizer for lavender plants because once they start growing they require more nutrients and energy which is limited in potting soil so providing plant food weekly will fulfill its needs. The fertilizer can help the bloom more bright and can make it produce more such blossoms.
Lavender plants are best grown in full sunlight or may be in a location that is getting sun for at least 7-8 hours a day. You need to water them whenever the lavender plants feel dry. Do not overwater them because their roots are affected with excess watering which leads to fungal infection and root rot. I would suggest always checking the soil for 2 inch between watering. Also not to water when there is already water on the soil surface.
Many of the lavender varieties do not get past the winter because they could not tolerate the heavy cold climate. There is English lavender that can manage to over winter and grow every year, and these varieties I always recommend to my blog readers. Some of the varieties do look more charming and strong but once the winter comes they do not survive and get issues.
For a potted lavender plant it is easy to move them to a good location so it doesn’t get affected by the cold. Sometimes it does survive the winter because they are placed indoors timely and provided a warm temperature, lavender likes heat and hates cold climate so providing an ideal temperature and environment can make their chances of survival high in your house.
I myself used to put them in the garage area. It is more closed and too warm so lavender can survive there. This is the way to protect them from the winters and the cold. You also don’t need to water them too much in winters because they are not able to absorb it, making their roots rot because of the infection.
Also In winters you should not provide them plant food and the fertilizing can take place in the growing season only.
Why is my potted lavender dying?
A potted lavender dying due to different reasons including overwatering, imbalance pH, overfertilizing, insufficient moisture, wrong climatic. A dying lavender in pots is pruned too much or they do not find an ideal location which makes it dying or shredding leaves or some might be turning yellow. Potted lavender problems can be fixed by reducing water, changing location, modifying soil, lowering the pruning or by checking the root system whether it is damaged or not.
You need to determine which of these reasons have made your potted lavender dying. There are many cases where the lavender varieties are different which doesn’t tolerate the winters that made it die in the freezing cold.
Choosing the right variety of lavender is also important and secondly they can be getting too much water which is making their roots rot or having infection that leads to leaf dropping or wilting that leads to the plant dying.
Another reason for potted lavender faced issues is because of soil that is draining too slowly. Clay based soils have impacts which restrict the water draining and that leads to root rot problem and your plant may die because of this. A lavender plant likes soil which gets drained without stopping much on the roots.
Sometimes soil gets too much fertilizer or organic matter that makes water draining difficult and it lets the water stay on the soil for a longer period of time which results in the dying of potted lavender plants.
Whenever you see this type of issue the plant may give you signs like browning of leaves is yellowing. You should immediately change the soil if the roots of your plant get affected.
As you know potted lavenders need a lot of sunlight for at least 6-8 hours and if your potted ones do not get enough light then they will not grow properly and die back. Sometimes people take them to a location which doesn;t have sunlight for not even 4 hours due the house structure or maybe because of no space.
This makes the plant get limited sunlight and the plant will not grow as good as when it is grown in full sunlight. You can always change the location of your potted lavender plant because they can be moved to different locations and tested out which works for your plant.
There are many more problems like soil acidity which should be 6.5-7.8 and mostly if it can be more than 6.5 the soil is good for the lavender. Also low humidity might cause the leaf loss of water which leads to browning of leaves. Another problem is trimming in the wrong season would give an issue to your lavender plant.
Growing lavender in pots from seed
Growing lavender in pots from seeds is a process where you can see the journey of your plant from seed to flowers. First you need to purchase lavender seeds from a trusted supplier and then use a small pot or you can use a large container for multiple lavender seeds germination. It is an easy and beginner friendly method because you just need to put the seeds on top soil and sprinkle some seeds.
Then put some compost or perlite over them. I guess the 0.5 inch layer of soil you need to use to cover the seeds. gently water the lavender seeds so they get moist. In the initial days of germination, you need to provide them with sufficient humidity by sprinkling water lightly on hot days regularly. They should get enough water on soil to create a humid environment.
Lavender seeds take 2-3 weeks time to germinate and once you get 1 inch to 2 inch size of the sprouts or seedlings then better to shift each of the seedlings to a separate pot. They will grow faster after that. Use a good fertilizer potting soil in every pot.
Give water daily or check the soil if it is wet then do not give water. Location will also play a crucial role because in the initial phase of germination a seed needs no direct light or even they don’t need indirect light they just need a space that can be cool.
You may have seen those videos where many people use rooting hormones to root out cuttings that seem to be a chemical process. But there are some other methods like putting a polythene over your pot for the whole day and making 2-3 holes in the polythene.
This polythene will cover the top of the pot completely. They will trap the air and increase the humidity for seeds to speed up germination. Also the small holes, you can do 2-3 small holes, it will provide air to your plant.
This way your plant may germinate after 1-2 week. The rooting hormone is used in the stem cutting method where it is dipped in the powder and then placed in the pot. The rooting hormone increases its root production and makes the plant grow early.
Ultimately a propagation by seeds is a slow process in comparison to the stem cutting. making a new plant from the start or creating another plant from an existing one is 2 different ways. You can use any and both of these propagation method has some learning.
Best lavender for pots
Best lavender for pots are hidcote and munstead varieties which are commonly known as English lavenders. These lavender can be potted because they have a mature size over 18 inch(45cm) that can be easily grown in pots, containers. There are other lavenders which have size over 35 inches (90 cm) which cannot be grown in pots because they need a larger container to make the space for a single lavender. Better to grow them in gardens, landscapes, lawn, or borders.
The 2 varieties of lavender I suggest can tolerate extreme cold and can come back every year. When growing potted lavenders you should provide them regular water, an area which has 6-8 hours sunlight.
Our potted lavenders have grown for the last 4 years and the blooms come back again due to changing their location in winters & saving them from the heavy cold. I make sure they get warmer temperatures indoors in the dormant stage, also I myself use a pruner to cut off some of the larger top leaves in half so they can grow again next season.
Also, for the caring aspect, you should never overwater your lavender plant because they don’t like too much water, or being wet for hours. The problem they face when overwatered is fungal infection or root rot which leads to browning or yellowing of leaves.
What kind of pots should you use for your lavender? It is easy, the one that doesn’t make the water stay longer, can protect your plant root from heat, and has more depth. Also That has a minimum chance of getting overwatered due to the ability to get dry after a few hours of air.
Two of my favorite pots for lavender are terracotta and ceramic, both have good drainage and in terms of looks the ceramic ones are best to showcase the plant in the house. Terracotta are mainly very popular because they can get air outside which helps it to get dry and avoid any future overwatering, while the ceramic ones are similar with good draining and space but they also have a design and look which people are eager to buy.
As you know the world now has eyes to talk and if they don’t find good things in your house then they will talk wrong about your and your house. I do not recommend any metal, wooden pots as they are easily eased, water doesn’t dry properly and can get spoiled.
If you are on a budget then using a plastic pot for a temporary solution is good but for nature safety I avoid taking any pot made out of plastic.
Buy terracotta pots for lavender – Shop Now
Buy Ceramic Pots for Lavender –
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Best soil for lavender in pots
Before giving you the list of soils for lavender in pots, I suggest making your own potting mix. It is easy but for those who don’t want to make just wait, I will give a list of all the best soils for lavender plants.
Recipe 1 for Soil Mix for lavender grown in pots.
- garden soil
- Organic Compost or Cow manure
- Perlite
Recipe 2 for lavender soils
- Organic Compost or Cow manure
- Coco Coir
- Perlite
- Garden Soil
You can use any organic compost made from Cow Manure to flower, vegetable waste. Perlite that is used in the formula makes the soil drain the water and does not let it stay there. A Coco Coir used in the second formula is the best thing that can speed up seed germination, or rooting.
Here is the List of Best Soils for lavender In pots:
1 . WONDER SOIL Organic Potting Soil
2 . Compressed Organic Potting-Soil
3 . FoxFarm Potting Soil
Does lavender spread in pots
Lavender doesn’t spread in pots and the only way lavender spreads is if the seeds drop on the pot from the flowering heads that bear it. In Pots, lavender growing from seeds has low chance because they do not get sufficient nutrients and can take a lot of time to germinate, even with the larger existing lavender it has low chance that it will survive in full sun as there will be too much heat for 6-8 hours. And for seeds germination it needs moist soil and humidity at the initial stage.
Lavender does not self propagate that is why you either take seeds from the flowers after it is spent or directly purchase it from the vendor or nursery.
You can limit the spreading of lavender by pruning it off once it blooms. This trimming also helps the plant to get ready for the next season. The plant is a fast grower and if provided good nutrients and care your plant may reach to 30-40 inches (100 cm).
There are different lavender plant varieties which spread according to their size. Some of them can be smaller and grown in pots or containers.
For example a dwarf lavender grows about 24 inches while the semi dwarf can spread to 20-24 inches. There are some giant lavenders which have over 40 inches(100cm) height and they are fast growers, generally for gardens and various other landscapes.
Growing lavender in pots in texas
Growing lavender in pots in texas which has USDA zone 7a to 9a. You can grow spanish, english, portuguese lavender in texas easily as these varieties can tolerate winters and can be hardy to the zone of which texas belongs.
Those living in the northern part of Texas, which has usda zone 6b, need to try English lavenders because they are more preferable for colder climates and if your area has too much cold then you need to do special care for your lavender plant in pots.
How often to water lavender in pots
A lavender in pot should be watered in every week in sunny days. It should be often watered when placed in full sun. You need to sprinkle water regularly when it is grown from seeds then slowly once the plant is established you can change the watering time to twice a week , then once a week for an established lavender plant.
A potted lavender which grows in zone 8,9,10,11 need water often because the place has sunlight that can be extreme.
Wrap Up
I hope you get the answer on “How to Grow Lavender in Pots” and if you like to read more check below.
Lavender Plant Indoor Benefits, Outside, Propagation, Pruning(Guide)
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