Large, lushly blooming lavender bushes are not a given, but the result of good and professional care. The subshrub can get quite old, eight to ten years is standard - but 20 or 30 years is not uncommon. However, in order for your lavender to reach such an impressive age, the growth conditions and care must be optimal. The sensitive Mediterranean resident doesn't forgive mistakes easily.
Is lavender perennial and hardy?
Lavender is a perennial, hardy subshrub that can reach an age of 8 to 30 years with optimal care and site conditions. Its care includes adequate sunlight, dry, well-drained soil, occasional watering and regular pruning for rejuvenation.
The optimal location
Lavender, a perennial subshrub, originally comes from the mountainous or, in the case of lavender, the coastal regions of the Mediterranean. It is very sunny there all year round, the summers are long, hot and dry and the winters are comparatively mild. Although temperatures can sometimes fall below zero, permanent lows such as those in some regions of Germany are an extreme exception. In our latitudes, lavender only feels comfortable when it finds these conditions. This means:
- Lavender needs a location that is as sunny as possible - the more sun, the better.
- The selected cookie should also be protected, i.e. H. no drafty corner.
- The soil should be as barren and dry as possible.
- Lavender cannot tolerate a lot of moisture and especially waterlogging.
Sometimes the shrub can also thrive in partial shade, provided the soil is not moist and there is enough light - sun only in the morning or evening is not enough.
The right care
When it comes to care, you have to pay particular attention to dryness, although of course the lavender can't do without water. On very hot summer days, potted lavender in particular is unforgiving of a lack of water. However, finding the right amount is not so easy: it is best to water lavender in the pot when the substrate has dried on the surface. Planted lavender, on the other hand, only needs to be watered when the temperatures get really hot and it has been dry for a long time - the broad and deep roots of the plant get what they need.
Cut perennial lavender regularly
It is also important to prune the bushes vigorously at least once a year. Like so many perennial shrubs, lavender also becomes woody with age - it becomes bald, as the gardener says, because the woody shoots no longer produce fresh greenery or flowers.
Tips & Tricks
Use fertilizer – especially manure and other nitrogen-containing fertilizers – extremely sparingly.