From my perspective as a lavender plant, my most fundamental need is a home that mimics my native Mediterranean hillsides. I crave sunshine, so please plant me in the sunniest spot you have—at least six to eight hours of direct, unfiltered light daily. My roots are my lifeline, and they despise being wet and cold. Heavy, clay-rich soil that holds water will quickly lead to my demise from root rot. I require exceptionally well-draining soil. If your garden soil is dense, you can make me very happy by planting me in a raised bed or a mound amended with plenty of gritty material like builder's sand, gravel, or perlite. A slightly alkaline to neutral soil pH is my preference.
When it is time to move me from my nursery pot into the ground, handle my root ball with care. Gently loosen the roots if they are tightly wound, as this encourages them to reach out into their new home. Dig a hole that is just as deep as my current pot but twice as wide. This gives my roots loose soil to expand into easily. Place me in the hole, ensuring that the crown—where my stems meet the roots—sits level with or slightly above the surrounding soil surface. Burying my crown is a common mistake that can cause it to rot. Once I am positioned, backfill the hole and firm the soil gently around me. To help my roots establish, give me a thorough, deep watering immediately after planting.
After the initial planting, I will need regular watering for my first growing season to help my root system develop. However, once I am established, I am remarkably drought-tolerant. My philosophy is "deep but infrequent" watering. Please, allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings. It is far better to underwater me than to overwater me; my leaves will turn yellow and my stems will become limp if my feet are constantly wet. As for food, I am not a heavy feeder. In fact, too much fertilizer, especially nitrogen-rich ones, will encourage lots of weak, leafy growth at the expense of my fragrant flowers. A light application of a slow-release, balanced or phosphorus-heavy fertilizer in early spring is all I typically need.
Pruning is essential for my long-term health and beauty. Without it, I can become woody, leggy, and split open in the center. The best time for my main annual pruning is right after my first major flowering flush has faded, usually in mid-summer. Using clean, sharp shears, remove about one-third of my current year's green growth, shaping me into a neat, rounded mound. Be very careful not to cut back into the old, woody stems, as these often will not regrow. A lighter trim or deadheading of spent flower stalks can encourage a second, smaller bloom. A final, lighter shaping in early spring can help tidy me up before the new growth surge, but again, avoid the old wood.
