How To Grow And Care For Beautiful French Lavender

Beautiful French Lavender is an iconic symbol of Southern France.  Traveling to Provence during lavender season should certainly be on everyone’s bucket list. But, it isn’t always possible.  

So, if you can’t get there, you can bring a little of Provence to your home, by growing your own.   I’m here to tell you how to do it! 

Identify your Plant hardiness zone

The first thing you will want to do is to identify your plant hardiness zone.  True French lavender blooms in the South of France in hardiness zones 5 through 9.  

In order to see whether or not French lavender plants will grow in your area, you can check this map to find out your hardiness zone.

Once you have determined that you are able to grow lavender in your area, you will need to choose a variety.  

When choosing a variety, you should consider these two things  

1. Your location and climate
   • Chose a variety that will grow best in your location, even if it isn’t the “true French lavender.”
   • We all love the beauty of French lavender., but, it doesn’t particularly like wet, humid conditions, and prefers a dry climate. So, it may not be the best variety to select for your location.  A hybrid variety, for example might do better in your location. 
2. The purpose for growing the lavender.  Different varieties are best used for different things. So you will want to pick a variety based on what you plan to use it for.  Here are a few examples:

• Lavandula intermedia ‘Provence’  is great for extracting its fragrant oils.
• Lavandula dentata (common name is French lavender) is a great choice for a fragrant ornamental shrub.   
• Lavandula angustifolia is the best variety for culinary uses, and is actually a type of English lavender.

If you want to dive deeper, check out the U.S. Lavender Growers association website, as it is a great resource for all of the different varieties and their purposes. 

Seeds or plants?

Lavender can be difficult to grow from a seed, and take as long as a month to germinate.  If you are anxious to get started, growing from a small plant is a better option.

Growing Conditions

Sunlight

• Lavender requires full sun.  
• Planting in a shaded area will only produce foliage, without blooms.  
• It is drought tolerant, so, you don’t have to worry about giving it too much sun.

Soil Conditions

• Lavender requires well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil, with a pH between 6.5 to 8.  It does not do well in acidic soils.  If the ph is below 6.5, then you can add some lime to the soil when planting, to boost alkalinity. 
• If you are using potting soil, be sure to add sand to facilitate drainage, as its roots do not like to stay wet. 

Planting

• The best time of year to plant lavender is in early Spring. 
• It does well in raised beds, where drainage tends to be maximized. Space the lavender plants at least 12-18 inches apart.  Lavender can grow to the size of a small shrub, so be sure to give it enough room to grow.   
• You can also plant lavender in large pots.  The pot size should be 12- 16 inches inches in diameter for best results.  Because of its shallow root system, it only needs a depth of about 8-10 inches.  Planting in pots also makes it easier to bring them inside during the colder months.
• Add pebbles or rocks to the bottom of pot, under the soil, to facilitate drainage.   

Water

• After planting, you should water the plants once or twice a week, until they are established, which typically takes about 2 weeks. 
• Then, you will want to water the mature plants every two to three weeks until buds form.  
• Be careful not to overwater.  
• Once the buds are formed, water once or twice weekly, until it is time to harvest.
• Water at the base of the plant, and avoid wetting the leaves.

​Growing Season

The flowering season spans from around late May to mid-August.  But, will depend on what type of climate you live in. The first flowers will bloom sooner in sunny and warm climates, and can come later cooler areas. 

Maintenance during winter

Lavender plants can live for many years in climates with mild winters.  It is vulnerable to freezing temperatures, (below 19°F), and cannot survive in sustained cold spells.  

So, if you live in one of the areas with cold climates, be sure to protect them, and bring them inside during those cold winter months.  

Pruning

Lavender is a low maintenance perennial, which means it will bloom year after year. Deadheading (breaking off old blooms) lavender regularly, throughout the blooming season, will prolong its flowering, and will promote new growth during the following Spring.  Prune back the entire lavender bush at the end of the season, after the last flush of blooms, which is typically around August.

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French lavender flowers

Traveling to Provence during lavender season is something that many of us daydream about.  When you do get the opportunity to see the lavender fields in person, it is something that you will never forget.  

But, in the meantime, I hope that this post helps you have success in planting your own.  

Then, you can close your eyes, smell the wonderful aroma of your home grown lavender, and just imagine that you in the South of France, among rows, and rows of unending lavender.

À bientôt