Lavender is an evergreen Mediterranean shrub, grown for its fragrant leaves and bee-friendly flowers. There are hardy, semi-hardy, and tender lavender species to choose from. Lavenders work in a variety of situations, from wildlife gardens to cottage gardens and even formal gardens, such as planted under shrub roses or used as a low-growing lavender hedge. Many lavenders thrive in pots. But how can gardeners cope with the harsh UK winter conditions?
Mark Bennett, a professional gardener with over 10 years of experience, shared how gardeners can implement certain steps to ensure their lavender is cared for over winter so it can provide beautiful blooms with powerful aromas in the following growing season.
He said: “To prepare your lavenders for winter, the two most important things you can do are to tidy away the dead leaves that have accumulated around the lavender and to prune the lavender into a dense, mound-like shape. robust, as this will more effectively resist the effects of winter. Weather report.”
Put away dead leaves
Dead leaves can serve as useful mulch for some plants, but lavenders prefer soil that drains well and doesn’t retain excess moisture, according to Mark.
He explained: “This is because lavenders are native to the Mediterranean region of Europe where they thrive in relatively infertile sandy soils.”
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The leaves have an exceptional ability to hold water, which will create unfavorable conditions that can lead to fungal root rot, which commonly occurs in wet soils.
So in the fall, the expert advised, “Be sure to rake (or use a leaf blower) and remove all the rotting organic matter around your lavender and place it on your pile. of compost.
“At this time of year, you can lay down sand or gravel to act as a mulch to suppress weeds. Sand in particular will seep into the soil over time and improve soil drainage creating a more porous structure.
Prune lavender before winter
Mark said: “Lavenders should be pruned annually as this will slow the formation of woody growth, increase longevity, maintain an attractive shape and stimulate greater flower production.”
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“The rule of thumb in pruning lavender is to never cut back the woody material because the wood does not rejuvenate and the wood is the weakest and least resilient part of the plant.”
At this time of year, gardeners shouldn’t strip a lot of foliage from lavender. The professional gardener explained: “The maximum you should cut is one third of the green growth, the most important factor is shaping the lavender into a mound so it is more robust.
“A mound shape will prevent and deflect snow, ice, or excess water from getting inside the lavender and harming the more vulnerable woody base of the lavender plant.”
Watering Lavender in Winter
Lavenders go into a state of winter dormancy and don’t need a lot of water during the winter. Lavenders are also a drought-tolerant shrub, so watering during the winter requires very little maintenance.
According to Mark, established lavenders will not need additional water during the winter. He said: “The problem with lavenders is usually too much water during the winter thanks to the higher winter rainfall in most climates.”
Lavenders in their first year of growth can benefit from watering every four to six weeks in the winter if there has not been significant rainfall, but they will more than likely receive enough water over the winter without watering due to lower evaporation rate in cold weather.
It may be necessary to bring potted non-English lavenders indoors during the winter to protect them from frosts. Under these circumstances, lavender will need a moderate amount of water during the winter to keep it from drying out completely.
This should also be done once every four to six weeks, however, if the soil feels slightly damp to the touch (when tested to finger depth), you should forgo watering for now.
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