Learn how to grow the most aromatic plant around
Lavender is a bit of an overachiever in the herb world: it calms us down, smells lovely, and looks graceful as both a fresh and dried bouquet. Learning how to grow lavender both indoors and around your home has even more benefits than you may know.
Whether you plan to fill your flower beds with the tall fragrant beauties or start an indoor garden, we'll walk you through all the lavender plant care tips you need to know.
Lavender is a perennial herb hardy to planting zones 5a through 9a, and if you're curious which hardiness zone you're in, this essentially means lower New England through Florida.
This aromatic flowering plant is in the mint family and is often used as a calming essential oil. You can also put dried lavender in a satchel and use it as an air freshener.
Lavender makes a great outdoor addition to your garden and grows well indoors in containers too.
Outside, lavender attracts pollinators, like bees and butterflies, and can even ward off deer and rodents trying to munch on surrounding plants you're trying to protect. Indoors, the scent of lavender plants can deter common pests like moths, fleas, and mosquitoes, as well as spread a scent that, for many, induces a feeling of calm.
In addition to English lavender—one of the species most commonly found in the U.S.—several other lavender breeds can flourish either indoors or in warmer hardiness zones.
Overall, there are endless reasons why lavender is one of the best perennials in the garden. In addition to all the reasons listed above, lavender is also a drought-tolerant hedge and ground cover plant, ideal for low-water landscapes.
Once you get the basics down about what healthy lavender needs, the sky's the limit on how to use it throughout your garden. Whether you plant it yourself or hire a local landscaping company to care for your garden, there are some standard tips to follow.
Here are the basics on how to grow lavender:
Sun: Full sun; partial shade is fine in hot climates
Water: Only water when the soil feels dry; avoid overwatering
Soil: Well-draining, alkaline soil is best
Nutrients: Low or no fertilizer needed
Season: Plant in spring or early summer in cooler zones and fall in warmer ones
Let's walk through several approaches to growing lavender indoors and out.
As we mentioned above, gardeners who live in cooler hardiness zones—those with winters below freezing—should plant lavender in their garden after the threat of frost is behind them.
Mid-spring or early summer will do the trick to still get a full bloom in the mid to late summer and early fall. If you live in warmer regions with cool and wet winters, plant your lavender in the fall to allow the roots to form over the colder months.
The easiest way to plant lavender outside is from pre-grown plants with strong root systems. You can purchase these seedlings from your local garden store or online with a root ball and soil attached.
Here are some tips for planting lavender right into the ground.
Test your soil to ensure it drains well and has an alkaline pH.
Choose a spot that gets full or partial sunlight throughout the day.
Leave at least 3 feet between each plant to allow them to spread.
Dig a hole twice the size of the root ball, both in depth and width.
Cover the root ball in soil and water to protect the soil around it.
Only water the area again once the soil dries out.
Varieties of lavender that grow best in warmer climates need to come inside in the winter if you live up north. You may also prefer to fill your home with any type of lavender for its purple blooms and pleasant scent.
Let's go through the process of how to grow lavender indoors:
Choose a pot a few inches larger than the root ball. You can upgrade the size of your pot later, but for now, keep the roots tightly packed.
The pot must drain well or absorb excess moisture to help the lavender avoid root rot.
Just as you did outside, plant the seedling into a hole twice the size of the ball and pat tightly with soil.
Water the roots after planting and then only once the soil dries out.
Keep in a window with direct sunlight.
Lavender can be a bit tricky to grow from seed but is by no means impossible. Just make sure you purchase a type of lavender that will germinate and expect some of your seeds to never thrive.
Lavender seeds take a few weeks up to a couple of months to germinate in warm, sunny conditions, so we recommend the following steps:
Put seed-friendly soil into shallow seed trays. Soil with the added mineral vermiculite can help the soil drain.
A couple of weeks before your planting season, place several seeds just below the soil in each spot on the tray.
Only cover with a thin layer of soil since the seeds like the sunshine to start germination.
Water lightly and let the soil dry before watering again.
Transplant to the garden or larger container when there are several leaves on your seedling.
Propagating and then planting lavender from cuttings is an easier way to spread the love of your lavender plants across your home and garden. The process is best done after the start of the plant's growth season—typically mid-summer—but before the plant flowers.
Here's what to do:
Find a branch that has yet to flower but has a long, healthy stem at the base and at least three leaf nodes above it.
Clip the branch off right at the base of the plant with sharpened shears.
Shave or trim a bit of the end of the stem to open it up to new growth.
Remove any leaves at the bottom of the stem so that none end up buried under the soil.
Prepare a potting soil made for propagation. These mixtures will typically include vermiculite and perlite for drainage.
Dip the end of the stem in powdered root hormone for plants and then place an inch into the soil in a planting tray or pot.
Pack the soil down and water once. Wait for the soil to dry before watering again.
Keep the plants in direct sunlight.
You should be able to see the cuttings taking root in 3–6 weeks.
Lavender retains its beauty and soothing scent long after it's picked, especially if you dry it properly. It's even healthy for your plant to prune it once or twice a season—though we'll go into that more in the next section.
When harvesting and drying lavender:
Trim your lavender with sharp shears just after it blooms in the summer.
Cut above the woody area of the stem found close to the roots. Cutting above this will encourage further blooms.
Bundle your lavender in small bundles with twine and hang upside down in a warm, dry room with good airflow.
Since lavender plants do well in dry and even drought-prone conditions, it's important to keep moisture to a minimum. Humidity is fine, especially when propagating or growing from seed, but ensure proper airflow in your home or greenhouse to avoid rot.
Some additional top lavender plant care tips include:
Prune your lavender once or twice a season after its first primary bloom. Cut off the stems above the woody area to encourage new growth.
If you plant a lavender variety fit for warmer climates, keep them in containers and move them indoors in the winter.
Treat with a thin compost just after planting if your soil is low on nutrients.
Avoid watering the stem and leaves of your lavender and focus on the soil and roots.
Pair with other flowering herbs and grasses that have similar watering needs.
Planting and caring for lavender is an excellent introduction to gardening both inside and out if you're looking for a hardy perennial. Lavender seedlings pre-grown from the garden store will range from $10 to $25 a plant, and all you'll need otherwise is basic gardening tools like spades and a hose.
Hiring a landscaper costs between $50 and $150 per hour, depending on if you're planning out your garden by calling a landscape architect or setting up ongoing maintenance from a gardening team.
While a gardener can certainly help you keep your lavender growing big and strong, planting lavender yourself is both budget-friendly and new-gardener-friendly.
Lavender is an easy plant to grow as long as you place it in a bright sunny spot, well-draining soil, and stick to a watering schedule. Lavender soils and roots must be allowed to dry out between waterings to avoid rot.
And while they can take a while to grow from seed or flourish from cuttings, they're easy to care for once they take root. Consult a gardener in your area for plant care if you have trouble keeping it alive.
Yes, nearly all varieties of lavender are perennials that will come back after the winter for several years. However, keep an eye on the instructions for your unique lavender species. Some types of lavender prefer warmer climates with mild winters, so you'll need to bring these plants inside if you live in a colder hardiness zone.
Lavender prefers dry, well-draining, and alkaline soil. If your soil falls below a 6.5 pH, it will still grow, but may not bloom as large or fragrant. Place lavender in a place where it will receive direct sun throughout the entire day or in partial shade in very dry and hot regions of the country.
The secret to growing lavender is to let its soil dry out before watering it again. Too much water can rot the roots, so in many cases, let the plant survive off of precipitation alone.
