Lavender is a popular name for many people around the world.
It is a beautiful flowery plant that is somewhat shades of purple. Aside from being visually appealing, lavender is beneficial for health and is also used in cosmetics.
The plant grows primarily in the Mediterranean climates where it grows naturally and does not need as much management, even through the colder seasons.
That is not to say that lavender cannot be grown in many other places. The plant may go dormant in the winter, but will sprout back in the spring.
Most of the time, it stays luscious even when temperatures have dropped. But, like other hardy plants, they should be cared for and prepared for winter. The care guidelines are basically the same in any area that receives a distinctly cold winter.
Lavender In Winter
Lavender is a plant that can be grown inside and outside.
But, these lovely plants grow best outside in the sunshine.
They are mostly grown indoors for their wonderful fragrance. The fragrance brings a sense of happy and restful feeling to a room.
Lavender can be an annual or perennial plant, depending on the kind of lavender it is. If you live in USDA zone 5, you can grow your lavender as a perennial.
In that climate, it can survive outside during the winter, as long as you grow the right kind of lavender.
If you live in colder areas, you can still grow lavender. If the temperature gets very low during the cold winter months, your lavender will be affected. Therefore, for people living in the northern parts of the country, growing them inside should take priority.
No matter where you live, you need to prepare your lavender for the winter – to avoid it from rotting or drying out.
For Example – you can concentrate on getting the garden soil properly drained. You can also improve the drainage by adding organic matter or sand to the soil. If the soil is well-drained, the roots are less likely to rot.
You can also put mulch on the soil surface, for drainage.
Also, you can stop or reduce watering the lavender as the cold months get here. Too moist soil will rot.
There are other ways of preparing lavender for the winter, but improving the drainage in the soil is critical.
Lavender Varieties To Grow During Winter
English lavender is the most widespread and also the most weather-resistant species available.
Despite its name, the plant originated from the coast of Africa and Europe in the Mediterranean.
It has dark purple flowers, and it’s pretty hardy. It is a woody plant that will grow 3 feet tall and have green leaves.
In temperate winter climates, it would have green leaves with aromatic white or pink colors. Although English lavender likes sunny places, it does like some shade.
If you live in zone 5 or warmer climate, English lavender would be your best bet.
These zones have a mild winter and the lavender plant will survive outside – but it also can be grown inside if you live in colder areas with management.
French, Italian, and Spanish lavender are mostly grown inside during the winter.
These species cannot withstand the harsh frost and are often brought indoors in clay pots. However, these species can be grown outside if you live in zone 8 and above.
How To Plant/Root Lavender
Lavender prefers well-draining soils that allow for proper uptake of nutrients.
The chemistry of the soil will need to have a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. You can get a soil pH tester at your local garden supply store to check your soils pH.
If your soil is determined to be too acidic, the pH can be raised by adding lime directly into the bed; or you can also use wood ash if you don’t have lime.
Another consideration is drainage of the soil. If your soil is determined to not drain well, then add a little sandy soil to your bed.
NOTE: Because mulch can aid drainage over time but is unnecessary right before planting with lavender (which is very drought tolerant), you should NOT mulch your bed. Furthermore, mulches keep the soil damp; with dampness you will get fungus!
Once you’ve amended your soil, cut healthy stems of blooming lavender and prepare them for planting. You can remove the leaves halfway down.
The upper half should still have leaves.
You’ll want to plant your stems in well-draining fertile soil, and water regularly while the roots grow. Roughly a month after you’d planted your stems, they should have enough roots that you can transfer the stems to a pot; in anticipation of keeping them until they root for transplant outdoors.
A heads up – you want to incorporate your lavender early enough in the season so that the plant roots into the ground before the winter sets in to help it handle the harshness of winter.
How To Prepare Lavender For Winter
If you’re in zone 5 or warmer, the lavender will overwinter well with minimal management.
If possible, mulch with straw to keep out the wind and the cold if it gets too cold. Another option is to put fabric covers over the lavender plants to keep the stems from getting frost.
If you’ve planted your lavender plants in a pot, you could bring your plants indoors for the winter. If you do this, just remember to put them near a window so they still get sunlight.
And don’t forget, if you bring your lavender plant indoors, keep it out of direct heat from heaters, as this can dry out the stems.
You should be only watering occasionally in winter when it is super cold, as adding too much water can rot the roots, plus when it is cold and there is no evaporation, the water will just sit in the system.
English lavenders are hardy and can overwinter in your outside garden. In fact, English lavenders can survive temperatures as low as -20 degrees F.
Other lavenders like the French and Italian types will start to die once the temperatures fall below 10 degrees F.
Key Takeaway – Do not prune your lavender in winter as they can die of frost. Do your pruning in early fall or the spring when the plant is having it’s flowers.
How To Water Lavender During Winter
In winter, lavenders in your garden are fully dormant, so they don’t need watering.
Lavenders are shrubs and are drought tolerant. Therefore, even in summer, they do not require very much water.
The lavender plant has to manage too much water from the winter rains.
So, watering will just make matters worse.
However, if the lavender is not established, then it will still need watering once a month over winter, especially if the winters are warm.
If you have French or Italian lavenders in your garden, you may need to bring them indoors for the winter as they will be killed off by frost if you leave them outside. In this case, you would still put some water on the lavender occasionally to keep it from drying out.
How To Prevent Lavender Roots From Rotting During Winter
Lavender is affected by freezing temperatures and frost in winter, as well as unfavorable soils.
This is because there is little evaporation during this season, which can make the soil retain water, leaving it very wet.
Wet soils can rot the lavender roots which can potentially kill the plant if it is not remedied.
It is important to change your soil if you want to prevent the likelihood of your lavender plant rotting. The soil must have good drainage to be porous enough for the water to drain off.
This is why many people grow lavender in pots where they can manage the soil themselves.
So if you live in a region where winters are mild, you can mix potting soil and gravel or sand in a 70% to 30% ratio.
If you live in a colder area that will see heavy winter rainfall, you will have to 50:50 your soil to guarantee that you won’t have damp roots.
Important Notes To Ensure Your Lavender Survives Winter
Once winter has set, the following practices will ensure your plants survive the harsh weather.
- Lavender requires adequate daylight to survive so ensure you keep your lavender pots close to windows to ensure that it produces its food for survival.
- Do not fertilize lavenders in the winter, wait until spring.
- Do not prune your lavender in the winter season, prune in early fall or late summer.
- Do not overwater. In fact during the winter, the lavender barely needs watering, might be little bit for indoor potted lavender.
- Another task would be to pick up any fallen leaves before the winter. Decomposing matter will rot the roots of your plant.
- Make sure the soil is comfortable and well drained, to stave off any damp conditions.
- English lavender is hardy and will be able to take some cold punches, but other varieties best to keep indoor especially in the colder regions. Make sure the variety doesn’t sit directly close to the heater because it may dry out.
Final Thoughts
Lavenders are gorgeous plants, and their fragrance speaks for relaxation.
The plants originated from the Mediterranean coast of Europe, yet can be grown in most other regions across the globe.
Just make sure you know what type of lavender it is before you choose to put it in your garden.
For instance, English lavender is robust enough to survive the cold months of winter, while the French and Italian lavenders are much less hardy and may need to be brought inside during the freezing winter months.
In either case, make the soil is well drained and do not over water!