Lavender is a nice plant to grow indoors because it thrives in containers and requires little care. It is a native of the Mediterranean region. With their purple blossoms and energising perfume, lavender plants can also add brightness to your home.
However, if you don’t want your lavender plant to spend the entire year indoors, it’s simple to bring it inside from late fall to early spring and then move it back outside to your herb garden in the summer to get some strong sunlight.
Continue reading for more information on how to take care of your indoor lavender plants.
How is lavender maintained indoors?
Europe is the origin of lavender. These plants are prized for their aromatic gray-green foliage and fragrant lavender blossoms, which are used to make perfume and sachets.
It might be difficult to grow it indoors, so use these suggestions to maximise your success.
Placement
Lavender needs as much light as possible to flourish indoors. It will thrive in a south-facing window or somewhere with at least three to four hours of daily direct sunlight. To ensure regular development and flowering, rotate the pot every week. The lavender plant will grow weakly and spindly, stop flowering, and become more prone to disease if not given enough light. While proper ventilation and air circulation are essential indoors, avoid placing the plant in an area where it will be directly exposed to forced-air heat. 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night and 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the daytime are the ideal indoor temperatures from spring through mid-fall. Temperatures should be lower from late fall through winter, averaging 60 to 65 degrees F during the day and 45 to 50 degrees F at night. After all threat of frost has passed, it will be beneficial to transplant the lavender plant into a partially shaded outdoor location. It might be planted outside in a sunny spot in the spring. The plant, when fully grown, can withstand temperatures as low as 10 degrees F.
Watering
When watering, soak the soil completely and let it get just a little dry in between applications. Use your finger to probe the ground to check the moisture level. Rot can develop in the soil if it is overwatered or kept permanently damp. However, do not let the soil entirely dry out; else, the lavender will react by turning its bottom leaves yellow. In the spring, if the lavender is transferred outside, keep in mind that it will dry out more quickly and require more frequent watering.
Pruning
Cutting branches to collect flowers encourages bushiness by causing new growth to develop. If you want your plants to be bushier, occasionally tip prune. Be aware that branch tips are where blooms are created, and frequent pruning of the tips can restrict flowering.
Which lavender plant grows best indoors?
French lavender is the best variety to cultivate indoors. French lavenders flower for a longer period of time and can withstand changing indoor temperatures better than other lavender species. Select a smaller type that will fit easily indoors on a window sill, such as Lavandula stoechas ‘Anouk’.
English lavenders frequently do not flower to their full capacity when grown inside, whereas French lavenders can flower for several months.
Is it possible to grow a lavender plant in my bedroom?
Join us as we discover the greatest indoor plants to enhance the decor of your bedroom and enhance your sleep, from Jasmine to Aloe Vera, Snake Plants to Lavender:
Jasmine
White flowers on jasmine plants are tiny and charming. They emit a pleasant aroma that is frequently used as a calming essential oil.
According to studies, this smell can help you sleep better and feel less anxious. Jasmine plants thrive in pots and look beautiful in bedrooms. Put yours on the windowsill and give it regular waterings while it is in bloom. To avoid overwatering, you can allow the soil’s surface to slightly dry out when there are no flowers.
Snake plant
The mother-in-tongue law’s or snake plant is a natural air filter. At night, it emits oxygen that promotes restful sleep. It is also known to eliminate various hazardous compounds from the air, including formaldehyde, toluene, benzene, trichloroethylene, and xylene. This is a fantastic plant to keep in the bedroom because formaldehyde, which is frequently found in hairspray and can cause respiratory issues, can be harmful.
Valerian
The little pink and white blossoms on a valerian plant can make your bedroom appear lovely. Apart from the pleasant aroma, valerian herbs have been used for millennia to treat insomnia and other sleep disorders. It has been demonstrated that inhaling the aroma of valerian root helps with both sleep induction and sleep quality. Add a few petals to your bath or make sure to give them a good sniff before bed. Keep these plants on a sunny window sill because they require about six hours of sunlight each day.
Lavender
Everyone knows that the scent of lavender is a wonderful way to unwind. Lavender is ideal for the bedroom because research shows that it lowers heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels. According to a study from the Miami Miller School of Medicine, the aroma of lavender in bath oil soothed infants and helped them fall asleep faster while also relieving the mother’s stress. Place your lavender plant on a sunny ledge with minimal watering because lavender plants need warmth and sunshine.
How long do plants of lavender live?
Many gardeners in Sonoma County are delighted by the easy-to-grow lavender’s many wonderful attributes. It takes little water and is exceptionally deer resistant. Snakes avoid it. Butterflies and bees adore it. Flower wands fill any space with a wonderful, pleasant, fresh smell. A lovely seed product made from dried flower heads has been used for ages to freshen clothing and ward off insects. Even delicate meals and drinks can utilise it as a flavour.
Over 40 recognised variants of the three main forms of lavender exist. Lavender blooms may adorn gardens for months if a variety is planted.
The Spanish lavenders, Lavandula stoechas, and its several named cultivars are the first to bloom in the spring; ‘Otto Quast’ is a well-liked and frequently planted variety. These have the smallest, pineapple-shaped tufts, though not the most floriferous, and are crowned with upright, ornamental bracts in shades of purple, periwinkle, or even milky white. Spanish lavenders typically have a second or even third bloom cycle later in the summer when spent blooms are routinely deadheaded. Of all the lavenders, they can withstand droughts the best.
Lavandula angustifolia, commonly known as English lavender, is native to southern European hilly regions rather than England. It is the most resilient, but it only lasts for three to five years before needing to be replaced. Early summer brings forth blooms on thin flower spikes that are significantly more delicate and sweet-smelling than any of the Spanish lavenders. Named cultivars produce mounds between 11/2 and 2 feet tall and broad that are covered in flowers in hues of blue and purple, white, or pink. In order to keep a compact shape and to encourage some varieties to repeat bloom, faded blooms and stems can be sheared off. Popular cultivars with vibrant blue-purple flowers include “Hidcote,” “Munstead,” and “Jean Davis,” which have pinkish-white blossoms.
Lavandula x intermedia, also known as lavandins or English lavender hybrids, bloom for the longest from mid- to late summer. Depending on the cultivar, these grow rather shrub-like after a number of years in the ground, reaching heights and widths of 2-4 feet. The most popular among them are “Provence” and “Grosso,” which are renowned for their potent fragrances and suitability for harvesting, drying, and tying flower wands into bundles. The cosmetic business uses oil from “Grosso,” while many lavender products utilise oil from “Provence.” From a 1-gallon plant, both plants grow fairly quickly, but a 4-inch pot will grow to the same size in roughly a year. Regular pruning is necessary to keep the bottom stems from turning ugly woody on these hybrids.
The two most crucial conditions for planting lavender are choosing a location with at least six hours of direct sunlight each day and offering sufficient drainage. It dislikes wet environments. To promote soil aeration and allow roots to absorb nutrients without drowning, use compost and grittier materials like lava rock or perlite thoroughly mixed with the soil.
To prevent rain from puddling if the soil is dense or compacted, it is advisable to build a little berm or mound for each plant. Lavenders should last for five to seven years if they are properly sited and pruned. Although lavender can tolerate some drought, it needs enough rain to grow all season. After planting, it is very important to watch out that the soil doesn’t dry out around the rootball.
Lavenders can be pruned more severely in the late fall but never to bare wood. On lower stems, look for little green buds and make a cut right above them. In this manner, plants are pruned annually or more frequently to maintain their dense, green branching. As long as there are buds, some can even be clipped almost to the ground.
Does lavender thrive in containers?
Due to the good drainage, all lavender plants thrive in pots and containers. However, some lavender cultivars are better suited to growing in pots than others.
The English lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia) are my preferred variety of lavender and are what I suggest for container gardening:
- ‘Hidcote’
- ‘Munstead’
Since both of these lavenders are English varieties, which are cold hardy to USDA zone 5, they can withstand colder temperatures and the pot can stay outside all year.
In addition to having the best smell of any lavender, Hidcote and Munstead lavender also bloom beautifully in the midst of summer.
The larger varieties of lavender, like “Vera,” which can grow 3 feet across and is therefore better suited to growing in garden boarders, can grow to a size that works great in pots without having to repot them too often because they stay a relatively compact size of around 12 inches (with annual pruning).
The majority of French and Spanish lavender varieties, include well-known types like:
- Borland pink
- ‘Anouk’
The appropriate conditions allow these lavenders to produce flowers for up to three months while maintaining a reasonable size that doesn’t overwhelm a pot. However, compared to English lavender types, the scent is less overt.
They should be brought indoors for Winter protection as they are not as cold-hardy as English lavenders and can perish in a severe frost.
While French lavender frequently dies after 5 years even in ideal conditions, English lavender can thrive for up to 15 years or longer with proper care.
Will lavender grow in my bathroom?
Lavender only blossoms on new seasons growth, which is why you should prune lavenders every year to maintain the lavender’s shape, promote growth, and encourage additional blooms.
Early spring, when new, green leaves begin to emerge from the lavender’s base, is the ideal time to prune. Cut back the top green growth by about a third, keeping in mind that you want to keep the lavender in a good, orderly shape so it won’t split or get too woody.
The most crucial thing to remember when pruning lavender is to never cut into the plant’s woody, brown base since doing so will cause old wood to cease growing new shoots, which will prevent the plant from producing blossoms and cause it to die.
To get rid of faded flower stems and keep the lavender in good form, a second trimming is advised in the fall.
Instead of needing pruners, you can use a sharp pair of sterile scissors to clip indoor dwarf kinds like Lavandula angustifolia and Hidcote because their growth is typically softer and easier to cut than that of strong and larger outdoor species.
Although scaled down, pruning indoor lavenders is essentially the same as pruning outdoor types.
Watch this YouTube video for a simple, visual approach to pruning lavenders if you’re unsure.
Key Takeaways
- Select a container with good drainage holes in the base, and avoid placing a saucer under it to catch water because doing so can keep the soil moist and cause root rot.
- Plant indoor lavenders in a potting mixture that contains roughly 20% sand or grit and 70% regular potting soil. Sand will facilitate better drainage and create the ideal soil structure for lavenders to flourish.
- Lavenders grow well on soils with low to moderate fertility, so you don’t need to add fertiliser. High fertility will encourage the growth of the foliage at the price of flower production.
- Your indoor lavender should be spaced to allow for some airflow. Lavenders enjoy dry environments, so stay away from steamy or humid spaces like the kitchen or bathroom.
- For the first four weeks, water indoor lavender once a week to lessen transplant shock. Revert to watering once every two weeks during the growing season after four weeks. During the winter, water every four to six weeks.
- Early spring pruning will keep indoor lavender plants in shape, encourage blooming, and keep them from being too woody.
Can a plant grow lavender through the winter?
In addition to frosts and below-freezing temperatures, lavenders can also die from the soil’s quality if it is inappropriate.
The rate of evaporation is substantially slower during the winter because of the lower temperatures. If you don’t take action, root rot, a disease that is brought on by cold, wet soils that retain moisture for longer, can kill the lavender plant.
Lavenders are native to the Mediterranean region of Europe, where they thrive in drought-like circumstances with minimal watering and quick-draining sandy or gravelly soils that do not retain moisture.
In contrast to lavenders’ preference for low to medium fertility soils, rich soils with lots of organic matter have a strong capacity to hold onto moisture, which will make circumstances more favourable for root rot and other fungal diseases. (To find out why your lavender isn’t flowering, look at my article.)
You must adjust the soil of the lavender plants so that it has adequate drainage and a reasonably open, porous structure that allows water to leave quickly in order to ensure winter survival.
In standard potting soil that has been improved with sand or gravel, lavender grows exceptionally well. This environment mimics the ideal growing conditions of the lavender’s native Mediterranean region.
A 50:50 mix may be necessary to guarantee that the roots of the lavender do not remain in cold, moist soil for an extended amount of time in soils in colder locations with higher levels of rainfall. A ratio of 70% potting soil to 30% sand or gravel is sometimes advised.
Naturally, it is much simpler to amend the soil before planting lavenders.
The lavender can still be removed from the ground with a fork, and the soil can still be amended by tilling or digging in sand or grit to a depth of about 18 inches and a width of 12 inches (to accommodate the root system of a lavender at maturity).
For additional details on the best soil conditions for lavender, see my post.
Alternately, if you don’t want to improve the soil in your yard, you can always move lavender plants into pots, which offer excellent drainage and require a lot less work. Please read my article for tips and best practises on growing lavenders in pots for additional information on how to achieve this.
Move Pots Inside Over Winter
As previously mentioned, English lavender plants may survive the winter outdoors. The Spanish, French, and Italian kinds, however, can still be grown in cold locations provided they are potted and brought indoors before the first frost.
Since they can readily be placed in full sun and you can simply control how much water they receive by shielding them from rain, all lavender species grow quite well in pots.
All lavenders go into dormancy over the winter, and while they don’t need much water (water them once every 4-6 weeks throughout the winter), they do need to be exposed to sunshine. It’s also best to keep them out of humid rooms like the kitchen and bathroom where they might encounter a lot of steam (Lavenders prefer drier conditions).
Place the potted lavenders in your home’s sunniest window for the duration of the winter to enjoy the smell. As long as the temperature is above freezing, they can also keep them inside a heated greenhouse throughout the winter.
Prune Lavenders to Survive Winter
Every year, lavender plants should be pruned to assist them survive the winter and to increase their lifespan in general.
Over the course of its life, the lavender’s lowest stems at the base turn more woody.
Regular trimming in the early spring and late summer helps prevent the growth of woody stems, which is important because young shoots, not old wood, are what produce blooms. Not to mention that wintertime snow, frost, and water damage make the wood less sturdy and more prone to splitting.
Lavender continues to be harmed when woody stems break over the winter because they typically do not regenerate.
Regular lavender pruning will:
- Keep lavenders from splitting so they stay in a more aesthetically pleasing shape.
- encourage new growth, which will result in more blooms.
- prolong the lavender’s life
The optimum time to prune is in the early spring, when you should strive to shape the lavender into an even mound and remove about a third of the soft green growth to keep the foliage lovely and compact.
The lavender will be better able to withstand the affects of winter if its foliage is more compact since it will keep snow and ice from getting inside.
A late summer prune, where the wasted flower stalks are cut back for a more tidy, uniform appearance in preparation for winter, typically yields the best results in my experience. In order to encourage the growth of new stems that will bear this year’s blooms, this is followed by a Spring pruning early the following year.
Reduce the soft green growth by a third, but avoid cutting into the woody stems because you risk killing the plant because they are not likely to develop any new growth.
Look at this YouTube video for a visual approach to pruning lavender:
Key Takeaways:
- There are cold-tolerant cultivars of English lavender that can withstand winter frosts. Non-English lavenders can survive mild winters for many years, but they cannot resist frosts and will not survive winter in temperate areas.
- In temperate locations, potted Non English lavender cultivars can flourish if brought inside before the first winter frosts and planted in a sunny window.
- Lavender plants can develop root rot in the winter from wet soils. By adding a significant amount of sand or grit to the soil, you can speed up water drainage and safeguard the roots.
- Regular pruning will delay the development of woody stems and keep lavenders compact, preventing snow and frost damage.