Gardening tips: Expert on how to grow lavender at home
Lavenders are popular plants that can be found in most British gardens because of their amazing scent and ability to cope with the UK’s harsh winters. The plant is loved by pollinators and can also be harvested to make sachets which can be kept in drawers or put in pillows for a more restful sleep.
While lavenders are relatively easy to grow, many people find their lavender plants die on them.
The most common reason for this is actually over-caring for the plant by either over-watering or feeding it.
Annelise Brilli, horticultural expert at Thompson & Morgan warned gardeners not to feed their lavender plants as this can lead to a “floppy” and “less hardy” plant.
She exclusively told Express.co.uk: “Don’t feed your lavender plants.
“Like most Mediterranean plants, lavender prefers nutrient-poor soils and feeding will only encourage soft, floppy growth that is less floriferous, less hardy and more vulnerable to pests and diseases.”
Lavenders thrive in poor soil, need very little water and rarely need fertilising.
If a lavender plant stops flowering, this could be a sign the plant has been fertilised too heavily.
Lavender plants can be fertilised occasionally, however, this needs to be done correctly to avoid damaging the plant.
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The only time lavender plants should be fertilised is in spring at the start of the growing season, according to GardeningKnowHow.
Rather than buying fancy plant food, gardeners simply need to put some compost around the plant.
This layer of nutrient-rich compost should be enough for the plant for the rest of the year.
Fertilising lavender plants in the autumn is out of the question as this can cause the plant to produce tender growth which can make them less hardy in the winter months.
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As with feeding, lavender plants also don’t like being overwatered as this can cause yellow leaves.
If a lavender plant is regularly overwatered, this can lead to leaves dropping, an unpleasant rotting smell and sodden soil.
Eventually, the plant will die if it is repeatedly overwatered.
Underwater lavenders will droop and the soil will feel completely dry.
The rule with lavenders is to water them regularly during their first summer.
But once the plant is well-established, the plant is drought-tolerant so it only needs watering occasionally.
During hot summer droughts, the plant may need watering more frequently.
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