How to grow Lavender in a pot?
Lavender is a very popular garden plant, but more and more often and more willingly it is also planted in pots on balconies and routes. However if you would like to grow Lavender in a pot, you must know that it is slightly different from growing in a garden.
Conditions for grow lavender in a pot
For the cultivation of lavender in pots on the balcony, choose a sunny and airy place, with a southern or western exposure. In shaded places, lavender blooms poorly and its shoots stretch out excessively.
The soil for growing lavender should be fertile, well-drained and light, slightly alkaline or neutral (pH 6.0-7.0), rich in calcium. It can be a universal soil for garden plants mixed with sand (in a 1: 1 ratio) or a ready-made lavender substrate, e.g. from Compo.
Lavender pots should be deep as lavender has deep and strong roots. Lavender pots should have holes in the bottom, allowing excess water to drain from the substrate.
At the bottom of the pot, put a drainage layer made of expanded clay, stones, coarse gravel, etc. Lavender does not tolerate standing water in the root zone, but it tolerates short-term drying of the substrate well.
Lavender care in pots
Lavender grown in containers on balconies and terraces has a higher water requirement than soil-grown lavender. Water the lavender in pots systematically, but moderately, 1-2 times a week, depending on the weather conditions. Deliver water in small amounts only when the soil is clearly dry.
However, do not allow the soil to become excessively dry and hardened. The soil surface can be covered with decorative gravel or fine expanded clay, which will reduce excessive drying of the soil on hot and sunny summer days.
In spring (late March and early April), you should shorten the lavender shoots by half. By pruning shoots, form a sphere. This form ensures even air access to the inside of the shrub from all sides and proper lighting of all shoots.
Only prune the green growths, leaving the woody part intact, as it regenerates very slowly.
From June to August, during the flowering period, regularly trim the fading inflorescences. Thanks to this, you will extend the blooming period of lavender.
When trimming the inflorescences, try to maintain the spherical shape of lavender. On average, after 5-6 years, lavender loses its attractive appearance and then it has to be radically trimmed or replaced with a new one if it grows too much.
From April to July, supply lavender with a de-acidifying fertilizer every 2 weeks. You should strictly follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and avoid over-fertilizing because over-fertilized lavender loses its aroma.
How to winter a lavender in a pot?
Lavender grown in a pot has higher heat requirements than that grown outdoors. Therefore, it requires protection for the winter.
In autumn (preferably in October), the lavender pot should be moved to a bright and cool room for wintering. During wintering, maintain a moderate substrate humidity and air temperature in the range of 5-10 ° C at all times.
After wintering in a cool room (end of April-beginning of May), start hardening the lavender. Hardening means that you should prepare plant to changes in the environment, both in terms of temperature and drafts (wind).
Carry out the hardening period for 10-14 days. For the first few days, place the lavender pots outside for 3 hours a day, gradually extending this time. You can put lavender on the balcony for good after May 15, when the risk of frost disappears.
You can leave lavender on the balcony for the winter, but it must be protected properly. Before covering the pot, water the lavender for the last time (beginning of October).
Place the lavender pots in a place sheltered from the wind on an insulating layer made of thick cardboard or polystyrene. The walls of the pot and the plant are tightly wrapped with a straw mat, thick agrotextile or other material insulating against wind and frost.
After winter, remove the cover at the beginning of April and then water the lavender. However, only narrow-leaved lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) can hibernate in this way.
Lavender varieties for pots
For cultivation in a pot on a balcony, low varieties of narrow-leaved lavender are the best, because it will be easier to control lush plants, and narrow-leaved lavender is the best in our climate of all lavenders.
In addition to narrow-leaved lavender, French lavender (Lavandula stoechas) is ideal for growing in pots. It differs from narrow-leaved lavender in the characteristic structure of inflorescences. Long petals grow at the top of the spiky ears, the shade of which may differ from the shade of the flowers at the bottom of the ear.
French lavender is characterized by a compact habit and small dimensions (40-60 cm high), therefore it is especially recommended for container cultivation. It blooms in spring (May-June) and repeats flowering in autumn (September-October). French lavender, however, is sensitive to frost and is treated as an annual plant, although it sometimes manages to overwinter.
