Lavender

[Mr. Clean]

Who has had "better than good" success growing Lavender in the North East Texas area? What variety(ies) have been your best producer for a)scent and/or b) bloom? Any tips or tricks which you attribute to your success or failure?

[Tricky Grama]

Mr. Clean-
Go to http://www.owlcreeklavender.com I contacted Joyce, I think her name is, who has the farm in NW Ark. they have pretty much the same black clay as we do & said they amended it quite a bit. Did not find out how & w/what. they grow 'Provence' I think & evidently that is the best suited variety. Lavendar does not like to have 'wet feet' but also does not need rich soil. I want to grow it on our 3 1/2-4 ac of open field but of course, if you've read any of my posts, I barely know how to dig a hole, & have obviously screwed that up a time or 2. Did you want it in a garden or did you want to grow fields of it?
Good luck!

[Tricky Grama]

Mr. Clean-
I just did a search & 'Lavender' turned up quite a list-Kathe Kitchens, etc, all those who know what they're doing!! Especially helpful is the one : "Lavender" (duh) a bunch are talking about the varieties, hardiness, etc.
Patty

[Mr. Clean]

pjva wrote: Mr. Clean-
I just did a search & 'Lavender' turned up quite a list-Kathe Kitchens, etc, all those who know what they're doing!! Especially helpful is the one : "Lavender" (duh) a bunch are talking about the varieties, hardiness, etc.
Patty

Patty, I thought this topic had been discussed before, and did a search for lavender before posting this thread. My search came back with @ 5 threads but not one that discussed the varieties. :?

I did know about the "wet feet" issue based on previous internet search. I have gone through untold varieties of plants, but haven't had one to take hold. I really want the plant(s) for a couple of existing beds, but I am tired of throwig away money. I suffered through the same exact thing with Rosemary before finding a little 4" plant that took over. :) Oddly enough the other plants were planted in the exact same bed within @ 2' of the current plant.

[dragonfly]

I have tried growing French and English lavendars. The french died after the first season. The English is doing very well. I planted it in a sandy soil spot (a raised bed that I replace the native dirt in). It has grown to about six times its original size in two years and blooms very well for about a month in June. It also had another sort blooming spell in August this year (maybe the rain?). I don't fertilize it and rarely water it.

[Tricky Grama]

Mr Clean-
Go to 'Ornamentals', pg 2, down to Lavender- original post by Pamzilla & see all the talk on lavender. Sounds like they didn't have good luck w/French but the website I sent you to grows 'provence' or whatever & I think that's french.
Patty

[Mr. Clean]

Patty,

Thanks. I found it. :) I ran the search again this a.m. and got probably 4 times the number of hits. I don't know what happened :? After reading the posts, my findings are...

Varieties - Spanish and English varieties seem to have the best success here in North East and Central Texas. As Patty mentioned, the Provence variety has also seen some success. Hidcote was also mentioned as Leslie Finical Halleck's favorite.

Tips & Tricks - The use of cornmeal to combat fungal diseases. Another member used sand both in the bottom of the planting hole and as a mulch.

Based on a comment from a member I'll pose an additional question. With the unusually wet Summer we had this year, did anyone suffer any plant (Lavender) losses?

[Kathe Kitchens]

Hi ya'll!
Wanted to just give an update on my own lavender. I have a French lavender plant that's 3 years old now. It freezes back some every winter but I just cut that part off in the early spring and it grows up bigger each year. It is in a pot with organic potting soil, cornmeal and gets foliar feeding with seaweed, Bioform liquid, Garrett Juice or another good foliar mix about every two weeks. In spring and fall I loosen the soil, fertilize and add more cornmeal every spring. My Spanish lavender didn't last one summer, let alone winter. I think it was sick when I got it.

I planted two of the Munstead variety in a friend's beds and they have been there 2 years now, hale & hearty. As I do with all my plants, I added a handful of cornmeal when I planted them. The soil was loosened and about a 1" layer of compost & dry molasses at a 50/50 mix was spread on the top of the soil before they were planted. They get organic fertilizer in spring and fall, but she doesn't foliar feed and are pretty much left alone besides that. She doesn't water much, so they mostly just get rain. The soil around them is well mulched.

Hope that is helpful to you. :D I LOVE LAVENDER!
Kathe

[katlady]

well I was going to ask the same question mine was terrific until overnight it died. I thought maybe it was a biannual I guess not I will have to replant it I guess

[Nadine]

Mr. Clean wrote: Patty,

Thanks. I found it. :) I ran the search again this a.m. and got probably 4 times the number of hits. I don't know what happened :? After reading the posts, my findings are...

Varieties - Spanish and English varieties seem to have the best success here in North East and Central Texas. As Patty mentioned, the Provence variety has also seen some success. Hidcote was also mentioned as Leslie Finical Halleck's favorite.

Tips & Tricks - The use of cornmeal to combat fungal diseases. Another member used sand both in the bottom of the planting hole and as a mulch.

Based on a comment from a member I'll pose an additional question. With the unusually wet Summer we had this year, did anyone suffer any plant (Lavender) losses?

For those of you who are wondering...:
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3849&highlight=lavender