Calibrated to Pick your zone and the dates re-calibrate.

The Guide Flowers Vol. 003

Lavender

in Zone 5, this week

Lavender is a small woody shrub with silvery leaves and fragrant purple flower spikes in summer. It comes from the dry Mediterranean, so it wants full sun, poor dry soil, and very little water, and it actually does worse if you pamper it. The one job that matters is trimming it back every year after it flowers so it stays bushy instead of turning into bare woody sticks. English lavender is the hardy, cook-with-it kind; the frillier Spanish and French types are mainly for looks and are not cold-hardy. Lavender is a woody Mediterranean perennial sub-shrub in the mint family, grown for its fragrant summer flower spikes and silvery, aromatic foliage. It thrives on neglect in full sun and lean, sharply drained soil, and its defining care act is an annual hard cut-back after bloom that keeps it compact and prevents it from going woody and splitting open. English lavender is both the hardiest type and the one used in cooking, while the showy Spanish and French types are tender and ornamental.

Fig. 01 · Lavender, mature Zone 5

Container

5 gal

min 2 gal pot

Sunlight

Full sun

6-8 hrs daily

Water

Low

Spacing

18-24"

between plants

Soil pH

6.5-7.5

slightly acidic

Today · in your zone

What's happening right now

July 24 · Zone 5 · Stage 01 · Plant out

Off-season for lavender in zone 5.

The growing year

Your lavender year, month by month

Grown as a perennial Northern Tier, Zone 5

Zone 5 is about as cold as lavender takes while still living in the ground year-round. Pick a hardy English type, give it a sunny, very well-drained spot, and it should come back each year. The fancy Spanish and French kinds need to winter indoors in a pot.Perennial, at the cold floor of reliable in-ground culture. English lavender is rated hardy to zone 5 (USU; NCSU 5a to 9b), so it overwinters here with sharp drainage and full sun; a south-facing or sheltered spot helps. Lavandins are nearly as hardy. Spanish and French lavenders are not hardy and must be container-overwintered.

Once established, lavender settles into the same rhythm year after year: a winter rest, fresh spring growth, an early-summer bloom you cut for fragrant bundles, then a hard cut-back that keeps the plant compact and flowering for years.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

▲ We are here

Lavender’s year

rest

growing

bloom

prune

growing

rest

Plant

plant

Winter restBloomGrowingPrune

Plant
Apr 15 - May 6

Bloom
Jun 24 - Aug 5

Cut back after bloom Once it finishes flowering, trim about a third off the plant, cutting only into the soft green parts and never down into the hard, woody stems, because those will not grow back. Do this every year and your lavender stays round and bushy. Skip it and the plant gets tall and woody, flops open in the middle, and slowly dies off.After the flowers fade, shear the whole plant back by about a third, cutting into soft green growth only and never into the bare woody base, which will not resprout. This yearly cut is what keeps lavender compact and long-lived; without it the plant turns leggy, splits open at the center, and declines within a few years.

The season, mapped

Seed to garden

The easy and reliable way to grow lavender is to buy a small plant, or take a cutting from an existing one. Growing it from seed is slow and unpredictable, and seed-grown plants often do not match the parent, so most gardeners skip it. If you do want to grow it from seed, chill the seed in the refrigerator for a few weeks first, then surface-sow it and do not cover it, since it needs light to sprout; keep it around 70°F, start indoors about 10 weeks before your last frost, and be patient, because it comes up slowly and unevenly.Lavender is almost always started from a nursery transplant or from softwood cuttings taken after bloom, not from seed. English lavender does not come true from seed and germination is slow and variable (roughly 100 to 200 days from seeding to a plantable size), so named cultivars are propagated vegetatively. To raise it from seed anyway, cold-stratify the seed for three to six weeks (moist, in the refrigerator) to improve and even germination, then surface-sow at about 70°F since light aids germination, starting indoors roughly 10 weeks before the last frost; expect slow, erratic emergence.

01

Plant out

Apr 15 - May 6

Start method

Nursery transplant

Soil temp

70-70°F

From seed to fruit

The growing journey

Stage 01 · Plant out

Plant out

A small bushy plant with silver-green leaves and roots that hold the potting soil together when you slide it out.A compact young plant with silvery foliage and firm roots filling the nursery pot, ready to set out once frost has passed.

Gently loosen the roots, plant so the top of the rootball is level with the soil, and water once to settle it. Skip the fertilizer and rich compost.Loosen the rootball, set the crown level with the soil surface, and water in once to settle the roots. Do not amend with rich compost or fertilizer; lavender wants lean ground.

FROM PLANT · Lavender does best in poor, dry soil, so do not add fertilizer or rich compost. Give it your sunniest spot, and if your soil is heavy clay, plant it on a little mound or raised bed so water drains away.Plant lavender lean and dry, not rich. Skip the compost-and-fertilizer routine other plants want, set it in the sunniest, sharpest-draining spot, and on clay build a mound or raised bed rather than digging in sand. Rich, wet soil is what kills lavender.

FROM PLANT · Leave about 18 to 24 inches between plants. That space lets air move around each one, which helps prevent the fungal problems lavender can get when it stays damp.Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart and give each one room to breathe. Good air circulation between plants is one of the simplest ways to head off the fungal problems lavender is prone to in damp conditions.

Establishment (year one)

New silvery leaves filling in and maybe a few flower spikes. You want it growing bushy and round, not tall and leggy.Steady new silvery growth and the first flower spikes. Light flowering is fine, but the plant should be shaping up bushy rather than stretching.

Water fairly often until the plant takes hold, then water deeply but less often. Pinch off the first few flowers and lightly shape it so it grows bushy. Do not feed it.Water regularly until the plant is settled, then taper toward deep, infrequent watering. Pinch or lightly clip early flowers and shape the plant to encourage bushy lateral growth. Hold off on fertilizer.

FROM PLANT · The first year is about growing roots, not flowers. Water fairly often until it takes hold, then water deeply but less often. Pinch off the first few flowers and lightly shape it so it grows bushy. It takes about three years to reach full size.Year one is about roots, not flowers. Water regularly until the plant is settled, then taper toward deep and infrequent. Pinch the first flowers and lightly shape the plant so it builds out bushy; it will reach full size in about three years and live well over a decade.

FROM PLANT · Try not to feed it. Lavender needs very little, and too much fertilizer gives you lots of leaves but fewer flowers. The same is true for water, where more is not better.Resist the urge to feed. Lavender has low fertility needs, and over-fertilizing produces soft leafy growth at the expense of flowers. The same goes for water: more is not better.

Spring leaf-out

Soft green shoots coming out low on the plant in spring. That tells you it survived winter and is growing.New soft green shoots emerging along the lower stems and crown, signaling the plant has come through winter and is growing again.

If you waited until spring to trim, do it now that you can see green growth and frost is over, cutting only into the green. Start watering deeply but not often.If you held a hard cut for spring, make it now once green growth has emerged and frost has passed, cutting into green only. Begin deep, infrequent watering as the soil warms.

FROM PLANT · In spring, look for new green growth low on the plant. That means it survived winter. As the weather warms, water deeply but not very often instead of a little bit every day.Watch for fresh green growth low on the plant each spring; that is your signal it came through winter. As the soil warms, settle into deep but infrequent watering rather than frequent shallow sips.

FROM PLANT · If you waited until spring to do the big trim, do it once you see green growth and frost is over. Cut only into the green parts, because the hard woody stems below will not grow back.If you saved a hard prune for spring, make it once green growth has emerged and frost has passed, around early in the season. Cut into green growth only; the bare woody stems below will not resprout.

Bloom

Purple flower spikes on tall stems. For the best scent and dried color, cut them as the bottom flowers on each spike are just starting to open.Flower spikes coloring up on tall stems. For fresh fragrance and the best dried color, harvest as the lowest flowers on each spike begin to open.

Cut flower stems as they start to open. Keep watering deeply but rarely, and do not fertilize, since too much water or feeding means fewer flowers.Cut flower stems for use as the spikes begin to open. Keep watering deep and infrequent, and do not feed; over-watering and rich soil reduce both flowering and fragrance.

FROM PLANT · For the best scent and color, cut the flower stems when the bottom flowers on each spike are just starting to open, not when fully bloomed. Cut in the morning after the dew dries.For the best fragrance and dried color, cut flower stems as the lowest flowers on each spike begin to open, rather than waiting for full bloom. Harvest in the morning once the dew has dried.

FROM PLANT · To dry it, tie small bunches and hang them upside down somewhere warm and airy, then store the dried flowers in a sealed jar. If you want to cook with it, use only your own lavender that has not been sprayed, and the English kind works best.To dry lavender, gather small bundles and hang them upside down somewhere warm, dark, and airy, then store the dried flowers sealed. For cooking, use only your own unsprayed lavender, never florist or nursery stock, and English types most of all.

Cut back

Faded, brownish flowers and a plant that is done blooming. Notice the hard woody stems below the green; never cut into those.Spent, browning flower spikes and a plant that has finished its main bloom. Below the green growth you will see bare woody stems; these are your no-cut zone.

Trim about a third off the plant, cutting only into the soft green parts, never down into the hard woody stems, because those will not grow back. Do it after it finishes flowering, not in the middle of summer.Shear the plant back by about a third, cutting into soft green growth only and never into the bare woody base, which will not resprout. Time it after flowering rather than in midsummer, when a cut removes the season's blooms in progress.

FROM PLANT · This trim is what keeps lavender going. After it finishes flowering, cut about a third off the plant, going only into the soft green growth and never down into the hard woody stems, because those will not grow back. Skip it year after year and the plant gets tall and woody, flops open in the middle, and slowly dies.This is the cut that keeps lavender alive. After bloom fades, shear the whole plant back by about a third, cutting into soft green growth only and never into the bare woody base, which will not resprout. Skip this yearly cut and the plant turns leggy, splits open at the center, and declines within a few years.

FROM PLANT · Do the big trim after it flowers, not in the middle of summer. Trimming in July cuts off flowers that are still forming, so wait until the main bloom has faded.Time the cut after flowering, not in midsummer. A July prune removes the season's blooms while they are still developing, so wait until the main flush has faded before you shear.

Dormancy (cold zones)

A plant that has stopped growing. The hardy English kind keeps much of its gray leaves; the tender frilly types fade in the cold and need shelter.A plant that has stopped growing for the season. English lavender holds much of its gray foliage; tender Spanish and French types decline in cold and need protection or to come indoors.

Stop watering and feeding, and save any big trim for spring. Shelter the tender types or bring potted plants somewhere protected. In very cold areas, a sheltered spot or mulch helps the hardy kind survive.Stop watering and feeding, and leave any hard pruning for spring. Protect tender types or move container plants under cover. In zone 4, mulch or a sheltered south-facing spot helps English lavender overwinter.

FROM PLANT · In winter, do almost nothing. Stop watering and feeding, and save the big trim for spring. A resting plant sitting in wet soil rots, and a late trim leaves it weak, so do not water it or cut it back now.Over winter, do almost nothing: stop watering and feeding, and leave any hard pruning for spring. A dormant plant in wet soil rots, and a fresh fall cut leaves it vulnerable, so the worst things you can do are water it and prune it late.

FROM PLANT · Shelter the tender kinds. Spanish and French lavender are not cold hardy, so grow them in pots you can bring somewhere protected for winter. English lavender can stay outside through cold winters if it has good drainage and a sheltered spot.Protect the tender types. Spanish and French lavenders are not cold hardy and are best grown in containers brought under cover for winter, while English lavender overwinters outdoors through about zone 5, or zone 4 with good drainage and a sheltered, mulched spot.

Beginner

Know your soil

Your soil

Identify yours

Not sure what soil you have? Grab a small handful of damp soil from your garden bed and squeeze it. If it crumbles apart easily, it's sandy. If it holds together but breaks when you poke it, it's loam (what most vegetables want). If it stays in a hard, slippery ball, it's clay.

What this crop wants

Lavender likes poor, dry, gritty soil and full sun. That sounds backward, but it comes from the dry Mediterranean hills, so rich, damp soil actually makes it weak and rot-prone. If your soil is heavy clay, mix in coarse material so water drains fast, and skip the compost.

If your soil doesn't match

You have sandy soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost into the top 6 inches of your bed before planting. Compost holds moisture (which sandy soil drains too fast) and adds the nutrients sandy soil tends to lack. Repeat each season. Compost breaks down over time.

You have clay soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost AND a few inches of coarse sand or perlite into the top 6 inches of your bed. The compost feeds the plants; the sand breaks up the clay so air and water can move through. Don't add sand without compost. It can compact like concrete.

Containers and raised beds

If amending your soil sounds like too much work, or if your soil is heavy clay, full of rocks, or contaminated, build over it. A raised bed at least 12 inches deep filled with a 50/50 mix of compost and sandy loam gives you ideal growing soil with no battles. A 5-gallon container with quality potting mix does the same for one plant at a time. Both bypass your native soil entirely.

Learn more about your soil

The specs

Care guide

The numbers that matter, at a glance.

Sunlight

Full sun · 6-8 hrs/day

Water

low

Spacing

18-24 inches

Soil pH

6.5 to 7.5

Container OK?

Yes · 2+ gal pot

Germination temp

70-70°F

Soil chemistry

Soil pH for lavender

Preferred

6.5 to 7.5

Tolerated

6 to 8

Lavender likes soil that is neutral to a little bit chalky (about pH 6.5 to 7.5, and it copes up to around 8.0). If your soil is on the acidic side, a small amount of garden lime nudges it where lavender wants it.Lavender prefers a near-neutral to slightly alkaline soil, roughly pH 6.5 to 7.5, and tolerates alkaline ground up to about 8.0. In acidic soils a light addition of garden lime brings the pH up. This alkaline tolerance is part of why it suits dry-climate and high-pH gardens.

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Steady hand on the hose

Watering

When & how much

Frequency

Water deeply but not often. A new plant wants about a soak a week until it settles in; an established lavender needs only a little water every couple of weeks, with a bit more while it is flowering.Deep and infrequent. After planting, water about once a week until established; mature plants need roughly half a gallon every two weeks until flower buds form, then once or twice a week through bloom and harvest.

Amount

Roughly a gallon a week for a new plant, then much less once it is established.About 1 gallon per plant per week while establishing; roughly 1/2 gallon every two weeks once mature, until bud formation.

Method

Pour water at the base of the plant, not over the leaves, and let it dry out before watering again. Wet leaves and a soggy crown are what make lavender rot.Water at the base and let the soil dry between waterings. Avoid wetting the foliage and crown, which invites root and crown rot.

Signs of trouble

Too much water

If leaves yellow and shoots wilt or die back even though you are watering, the problem is almost always too much water, not too little. Soggy roots rot.Yellowing leaves, wilting or dieback of whole shoots, and a plant that fails despite regular watering signal too-wet roots and likely Phytophthora root or crown rot, not drought.

Too little water

Lavender almost never gets too little water once established. A little droop on a very hot afternoon that bounces back by morning is fine.Established lavender rarely shows true drought stress; brief wilting in extreme heat that recovers overnight is normal and not a reason to increase watering.

Feeding rhythm

Feeding

Frequency

rarely

Type

None to minimal

When to start

At planting only

Lavender barely needs feeding, and too much fertilizer actually hurts it. A little compost mixed in when you plant is enough. Feed it heavily and you get a big leafy plant with few flowers that is more likely to get sick or die back in winter.Lavender has very low fertility needs and is one of the few plants you can harm by feeding. A single inch of compost worked in at planting, or one application of a slow-release fertilizer for the season, is plenty. Over-fertilized plants put on lush foliage at the expense of flowers and fragrance and become more prone to disease and winter injury.

Lean soil, minimal feed

N/A. There is no fertilizer number to hit here, since the aim is to feed lavender as little as possible.N/A. Lavender is not fed by N-P-K targets; a lean soil and minimal-to-no supplemental feed is the goal, so no fertilizer analysis applies.

Who grows well together

Companion planting

Plant lavender next to other plants that also like full sun and dry soil, such as drought-tolerant perennials. Keep it away from plants that need a lot of water, because the wet soil those plants want will rot your lavender. Lavender pairs naturally with other sun-loving, low-water plants that share its lean, dry, sharply drained conditions; group it with drought-tolerant perennials rather than thirsty, rich-soil neighbors. As a strong pollinator draw it also supports nearby flowering plants. Avoid siting it among plants that need frequent water, which forces conditions that rot lavender.

Other

Echinacea (coneflower)

Likes the same sunny, dry spot and brings in pollinators.Echinacea is one of the most reliable lavender partners because it asks for the same things: full sun, lean soil, and not much water. That shared appetite is the real reason it works, you can run the whole bed on a waterwise schedule without the overwatering that rots lavender at the crown. The broad, flat coneflower heads also play off lavender's narrow spikes, and the two bloom together as a pollinator draw. Site them in the same free-draining ground and resist the urge to pamper either. Traditional

Salvia

Another sun-and-dry-soil plant that grows happily next to lavender.Salvia and lavender are natural bedfellows, many ornamental salvias are cousins of culinary sage and want the identical conditions: full sun, sharp drainage, low water. Growing them together means one easy, dry-loving border rather than a watering compromise. The salvia's flower spikes echo lavender's shape while often blooming longer into the season, and both keep the bees busy. Plant in the same lean, well-drained soil and water sparingly once established. Traditional

Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan)

Tough and drought-tolerant, so it shares lavender's conditions.Rudbeckia is a tough prairie native that thrives on the same neglect lavender does, full sun, poor-to-average soil, and minimal water once it is going. That makes it an easy companion that will not pull the bed toward the rich, damp conditions lavender hates. Its golden, dark-eyed daisies are a bold contrast to lavender's purple haze, and both feed pollinators through summer. Keep the soil lean and well-drained for both. Traditional

Daylily

Easygoing and handles dry soil well alongside lavender.Daylilies are nearly indestructible and add bold strappy foliage and big blooms next to lavender's fine texture, which is why the pairing is popular. One honest caveat for the seasoned eye: daylilies are happy in richer, moister soil than lavender's lean, dry, sharply-drained ideal, so site them at the edge of the dry border rather than in the heart of it, and water to the lavender's tune (sparingly) so you do not push the lavender toward crown rot. A handsome combination as long as you manage to lavender's drier standard. Traditional

Perennial flower

Gaillardia (blanket flower)

A heat- and drought-tolerant perennial suited to the same lean, dry soil, named by extension among low-water plants grown with lavender. Traditional

plant alongside in full sun

Iris

Shares lavender's preference for good drainage and full sun; listed by extension among plants commonly grown with English lavender. Traditional

plant alongside in full sun

Provenance tagged inline · see methodology for the labeling system Key

Cutting for the vase

When to cut

For a fresh vase, cut the stems when about half the little buds on the spike have opened. For drying or cooking, cut a bit sooner, when just the first couple of buds have opened. Cut in the morning once the dew has dried, when lavender smells strongest.Cut for fresh bouquets when about half the buds on a spike have opened; cut for drying or culinary use a little earlier, when only the first one or two buds on the spike have opened, so the buds hold their color and oils. Harvest in the morning after the dew dries but before the heat, when the fragrance is most concentrated.

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Bloom yield

What to expect

A grown lavender gives you plenty of flower stems each summer, enough to cut for the house and to dry, especially once it is a few years old.A mature plant yields many cuttable flower spikes each summer (often dozens of stems), enough for fresh bouquets plus bundles for drying; productivity peaks once the plant reaches full size at about three years.

Do not expect much the first year. Trimming off the first flowers helps the plant bulk up for bigger harvests later.Expect little to no usable harvest the first year; pinching early flowers to build a bushy framework pays off in later seasons.

What changes yield

Plant age and size (full production at about three years)Species and cultivar (lavandins yield more, larger stems than English types)Full sun and lean, sharply drained soilAnnual hard cut-back to keep the plant productive and non-woody

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Pick your variety

Recommended varieties

There are a few kinds of lavender. English lavender (like Munstead or Hidcote) is the toughest and the one you cook with, so it is the best all-rounder. The big hybrid types (lavandins like Grosso) are great for drying and scent. The frilly Spanish and French types are pretty but not cold-hardy and are mainly for looks, grown in pots in cold areas. If you want just one plant, choose an English lavender.Lavender reaches the grower as four practical groups on one plant page. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia, e.g. Munstead and Hidcote) is the hardiest and the type used in cooking. Lavandins (L. x intermedia, e.g. Grosso and Phenomenal) are larger, vigorous hybrids best for drying and oil and nearly as hardy. Spanish (L. stoechas) and French (L. dentata) lavenders are tender, showy, ornamental-only types grown in pots and overwintered indoors where winters are cold. Pick English if you want one hardy plant for both the garden and the kitchen.

Munstead

culinary + ornamental

Hidcote

culinary + ornamental

Phenomenal

ornamental + drying/oil

Grosso

drying/oil + ornamental

Spanish lavender

ornamental (tender)

French lavender

ornamental (tender)

In the vase

Vase life

Dry lavender by tying the stems in small bunches and hanging them upside down somewhere cool, dark, and airy. When they are dry, you can leave them as bundles or rub the buds off into a sealed jar kept out of the light, so they hold their color and smell.To dry lavender, cut stems as the first buds open, gather them into small bundles of 50 to 100 stems secured with a rubber band, and hang them upside down in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place. Once dry, strip the buds and store them in a sealed, opaque container away from light and air, which fade the color and scent.

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When something goes wrong

Common problems

Leaves turning yellow or the plant dying backYellowing leaves or dieback

01 of 04

What happened For lavender, yellow leaves and dieback usually mean too much water, not too little. Overwatering and soggy soil are the biggest killer. The plant is drowning, not thirsty.With lavender, yellowing and dieback almost always mean too wet, not too dry. Overwatering and poor drainage are the number one killer, leading to root and crown rot. The plant is drowning, not thirsty. Next season Water much less and improve drainage. Use poor, well-draining soil in full sun, water deeply but only once in a while, and on heavy soil plant on a mound. Never let it sit in soggy ground.Cut back on watering hard and fix drainage. Plant in lean, sharply drained soil in full sun, water deeply but infrequently, and on clay use a mound or raised bed. Never let lavender sit in wet ground.

Tall and woody with a gap in the middleLeggy, woody, split-open center

02 of 04

What happened When lavender gets tall and woody and splits open in the middle, it missed its yearly trim. Without that trim after flowering, it stops staying bushy and slowly falls apart.A plant that has gone leggy and woody and flopped open at the center missed its annual cut-back. Without the yearly post-bloom prune, lavender stops renewing its compact form and declines within a few years. Next season Trim about a third off every year after it flowers, cutting only into the green and never into the hard wood, which will not grow back. A plant that is already very woody often cannot be saved and may be worth replacing.Shear by about a third every year after bloom, cutting into green growth only and never into the bare wood, which will not resprout. A badly overgrown plant often cannot be fully renovated and may be better replaced.

Hardly any flowersFew or no flowers

03 of 04

What happened Few flowers usually means too much fertilizer or too much shade. Feeding it too much gives leaves instead of flowers, and lavender needs full sun to bloom.Sparse flowering usually means too much feed or too much shade. Over-fertilizing drives soft leafy growth at the expense of blooms, and lavender needs full sun to flower well. Next season Stop feeding it and make sure it gets full sun. Lavender needs very little, and poor, dry, sunny conditions give you the most flowers.Stop fertilizing and make sure the plant gets full sun. Lavender has low fertility needs, and lean, dry, sunny conditions produce the most flowers.

Lavender and your petsPets and lavender

04 of 04

What happened Lavender is fine for people in small amounts in cooking, but eating a lot is mildly toxic, and it can make cats, dogs, and horses sick. Good to know, not a reason to skip it.Lavender is edible in small culinary amounts for people but is a low-severity toxin in quantity, and it is a hazard to cats, dogs, and horses, which can react to its compounds (linalool and linalyl acetate). This is worth knowing, not a reason to avoid growing it. Next season Keep pets from eating the plant, and only cook with your own lavender that has not been sprayed. If a pet eats a lot, call your vet.Keep pets from grazing on lavender, and use only your own unsprayed plants, never florist or nursery stock, for any culinary use. If a pet eats a large amount, contact your veterinarian.

The usual suspects

Pests & diseases

Pests

Spittlebug

P · 01

Symptoms Blobs of white froth that look like spit on the stems in late spring, with a tiny bug hidden inside. It looks worse than it is.Frothy white spit-like foam on stems in late spring, with the small nymph hidden inside. It looks alarming but rarely harms an established lavender plant. Cause Young spittlebugs hiding in the foam while they feed. There are usually only a few, and they do little real harm.Spittlebug nymphs, which shelter inside their own foam while feeding on plant sap. Numbers are usually low and the damage is mostly cosmetic. Organic treatment If the froth bothers you, spray it off with a hose. You usually do not need to do anything else.Knock them off with a strong spray of water if you find them unsightly. No treatment is needed for plant health in most cases. Prevention Nothing special is needed. Giving plants room and not overwatering keeps lavender healthy enough to handle small pests.No specific prevention is warranted. Keeping plants spaced for airflow and not overwatering keeps lavender vigorous enough to shrug off minor pests.

Whiteflies and aphids

P · 02

Symptoms Now and then, tiny white flies or small soft bugs on new growth, usually only on plants that are stressed or too crowded.Occasional clusters of tiny white flies or soft aphids on new growth, most likely on stressed or overcrowded plants in poor conditions rather than on healthy lavender. Cause Small sap-sucking insects that sometimes show up. Lavender has very few pest problems and rarely needs spraying.Sap-feeding insects that occasionally find lavender. Lavender has few pests overall and is typically grown with little or no pesticide. Organic treatment Spray them off with water, or use insecticidal soap if there are a lot. Giving the plant more air and removing stress usually fixes it.Rinse them off with water or use insecticidal soap if numbers climb. Removing nearby stressors and improving airflow usually resolves it. Prevention Keep lavender in full sun with room around it, dry lean soil, and not too much water. Healthy plants rarely get these bugs.Give plants full sun, lean soil, and good spacing, and avoid overwatering. Vigorous, unstressed lavender rarely attracts these pests.

Diseases

Phytophthora root and crown rot

D · 01

Symptoms Leaves yellow and the plant wilts and dies back even though the soil is wet, often with a dark, rotted spot where the stems meet the ground. This is the main disease that kills lavender, and it comes from staying too wet.Yellowing, wilting, and dieback that does not recover with watering, often with a darkened, decayed crown at the soil line. It is the disease of concern for lavender and is tied to wet conditions and poor drainage. Cause A rot that takes hold when soil stays soggy and drains badly, attacking the roots and base. The real cause is wet soil, not cold weather.Water mold pathogens that thrive in saturated, poorly drained soil and attack the roots and crown. Wet feet, not cold, is the underlying cause. Organic treatment Once the base is rotting there is no fix, so pull out and throw away affected plants. The answer is preventing it with good drainage, not curing it.There is no cure once the crown is rotting; remove and discard affected plants. Focus everything on prevention through drainage rather than rescue. Prevention Plant in well-draining soil in full sun, water deeply but rarely, and never let lavender sit in soggy ground. On heavy clay, plant on a mound or raised bed and give plants room.Plant in sharply drained soil in full sun, water deeply but infrequently, and never let lavender sit in wet ground. On clay, use a mound or raised bed, and space plants for airflow.

Leaf spot

D · 02

Symptoms Small spots on the leaves, more likely in damp weather or on crowded plants. It is a minor problem next to root rot.Small spots or blotches on the foliage, more likely in humid weather or on crowded, poorly ventilated plants. It is a minor issue compared with root and crown rot. Cause Leaf fungi that like damp, still air around the plant. Crowding and watering from above make it worse.Foliar fungi favored by damp, still air around the plant. Crowding and overhead watering raise the risk. Organic treatment Pick off the spotted leaves, give the plant more air, and water at the soil instead of over the top. The yearly trim helps too.Remove affected foliage, improve airflow, and water at the base rather than overhead. The annual cut-back also helps clear and renew the canopy. Prevention Leave 2 to 3 feet between plants for airflow, plant in full sun, and avoid watering over the leaves. Good air movement is the main thing.Space plants at least 2 to 3 feet apart for air circulation, site in full sun, and avoid overhead watering. Good airflow is the main defense.

Seasoned

Where to plant next year

Crop rotation

N/A. Lavender is not rotated like a vegetable because it is a permanent plant that stays put for years. If you replace an old one, pick a fresh, well-draining spot.N/A. Lavender is a long-lived perennial that stays in place for a decade or more, so annual crop rotation does not apply. When replanting an old lavender bed, choose a fresh, well-drained site to avoid carrying over soil-borne root rot.

In the app · pre-launch

When plant taps you on the shoulder

The plant app sends a timely reminder at every critical moment of your lavender season. The wording adjusts to whichever you pick: beginner or seasoned. Here are three you'll see in Zone 5.

plant

0 days after last frost

Time to plant your lavender

It is time to plant your lavender. Put it in a sunny, well-draining spot now that frost has passed, leaving 18 to 24 inches between plants, and do not add fertilizer.

plant

0 days after last frost

Time to trim your lavender

Your lavender flowers are fading, so trim about a third off, cutting only into the soft green growth and staying above the hard woody stems, which will not grow back. This yearly trim keeps it bushy.

plant

0 days after last frost

Get your lavender ready for winter

Winter is coming. Stop watering and feeding, save any big trim for spring, and shelter the tender frilly types or bring potted plants somewhere protected. Soggy soil, not the cold, is what usually kills lavender.

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Seasoned

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How we built this guide

Methodology & sources

Every date, temperature, spacing, and recommendation on this page is sourced from university cooperative extension publications, peer-reviewed agricultural research, NOAA climate data, and direct extension calendars. Where claims are softer (traditional gardening wisdom not formally documented), we say so.

Research-backed Documented in cooperative extension publications or peer-reviewed research

Well-grounded A known agronomic principle, but not formally tested for this specific pair

Traditional Time-tested gardening wisdom, limited formal research support

Last reviewed

June 22, 2026

Data version

crops_data_final · v1.0 · schema 2.9

Sources cited on this page

16 publications

Verified entries

Companion-planting claims tagged inline · zone dates verified against 5+ extensions

See all sources cited on this page

University of Minnesota Extension umn_ext
University of Maryland Extension umd_ext
Cornell Cooperative Extension cornell_ext
Iowa State University Extension iastate_ext
Michigan State University Extension msu_ext
NC State Extension ncsu_ext
Penn State Extension psu_ext
U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Extension uiuc_ext
UC Davis Postharvest Center ucd_postharvest
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension tamu_agrilife
Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-331 vce_426_331
Piedmont Master Gardeners piedmont_mg
UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar uga_calendar
Clemson Home & Garden Information Center clemson_hgic
UC IPM Statewide IPM Program uc_ipm
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals noaa_normals

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