Growing lavender outdoors in Phoenix
10 years ago
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10 years ago
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Trying to find a way to grow Lavender Provence in the desert?
Comments (7)I'm in the heart of Phoenix. They are thriving year round in crazy desert sun and thru our winter chill without special protection. They are located on north side of house. Some get full az sun in the middle of garden and some get partial sun. They spread easily for me by seed and cuttings. I don't water them much. They are mostly native soil. I do mulch them which I think is why they are doing well. I don't use any purchased fertilizer, but I have thrown compost around them. Try them. They smell great, drought tolerant, pretty and most people don't have them. They can take the heat and sun here. Mine are either English or Spanish lavender. I have tried Grosso variety imported from CA but it fried. This post was edited by toucan on Fri, Dec 20, 13 at 23:31...See MoreWant to grow Lavender and Rosemary
Comments (13)I don't know about growing rosemary from seed, but last spring I got 3 little rosemary plants about 8 inches tall and put them in some mostly sandy soil by my front door in full sun. They pick up water from the irrigation for the shrubs, but that sandy soil drains instantly. This year, 12 months later, they're about 4 feet tall. I've trimmed one side back drastically and it's bouncing back. By this time next year I'll have the prettiest smelling hedge in the world. Give your rosemary lots of sun, WELL-drained soil and regular moisture but no wet feet, and then stand back. I'll let the other folks here talk about lavender, because it's too hot and humid in my yard for it, although I'd love to be able to grow it. Good luck!...See MoreSweet peas and lavender-hard to grow & how?
Comments (5)Sweet Peas and LavenderÂthere's a song there somewhere (or could be). I can't give you much advice on the charming Sweet Pea, but maybe I can on Lavender. I garden, too, in zone 5a (low last winter of -18°) and have never lost a Lavender plant. But I have had some that have not weathered our Catskill winters well. Those that come through best are cultivars of L. angustifolia: 'Munstead,' 'Hidcote' and 'Hidcote Pink.' ('Lady' is of that species, too.) These have shown themselves to be rugged plants. Those that have not fared as well are L. x intermedia; they don't die, but they sure are scraggly looking by Spring, with many of their branches killed over winter. Although they recovered, I finally dug up my L. x i. 'Provence' plants and gave them to a zone 6 gardener. (Yet I might try L. x i. 'Grosso' at some point.) The L. angustifolia plants are heavy bloomers with blooms lasting 4Â6 weeks. The 'Munstead' is particularly fragrant (as was, alas, the lighter blue 'Provence'); the 'Hidcote Pink' is not as attractive a bloomer, though, as the blue ones. All require poor to average soil (fertility) and a fast draining site. Mine grow in terraced beds in a mix of soil, sand and pebbles. No organic mulch, but pebbles or gravel work great. Full sun is best, but 'Munstead will take a bit of light shade (with a slight but noticeable diminution of bloom and growth) and will even self seed (a bonus). I cover my Lavenders with evergreen boughs once the ground freezes. In late March or early April, I cut them back hard, to below the point of previous year's flowering. And then, in late May, I sometimes see that I have to cut them back again (to live wood), but this can happen even in zone 6. The plants recover quickly and bloom well. None of my Lavenders have grown beyong 2' tall, but their spread is greater. Even at their diminutive sizes, they make good hedges, groupings or specimens and are good companions for heathers or low-growing grasses that require same soil/site conditions. Good luck. The combination of Sweet Peas and Lavender intrigues me....See MoreGrowing lavender from seed. Any tips?
Comments (7)I have saved seed from my Munstead lavender & obtained a number of seedlings that I eventually plant outdoors. I was experimenting the first time, but have had success since then as well. I use standard soilless mix, usually in a square 4" pot (or pots), scattering a pinch of seed across the surface of the pre-moistened mix, then I lift the little pot and, using 2 hands, carefully shake it sharply and rapidly back & forth 6-8 times in order to settle the seeds into the mix, then very lightly pat the surface. Next I bottom-water the pot(s) by placing them in a shallow container of Maxi-Crop solution (one can certainly use just plain water, but I like this seaweed derivative). Once the soil is just moist, I put the pot(s) into a container that I can cover with a clear dome or lid and set it under lights (though you would not have to have light until the seeds germinate). Be sure to remove the cover for a while if condensation forms under the lid or you can have a mold problem and damping-off. I cannot recall offhand how quickly tiny seedlings appeared, but I do recall that I was rather happily surprised the first time I tried it, so I'd guess it was not more than 7-10 days, possibly less. I am not the most patient person when waiting for seeds to show up! Once the seedlings form their true leaves, I allow the soil to get a bit on the dry side (of course, one never should over-water lavender anyway!!), then knock the soil/root ball out and gently separate the individual seedlings, planting them into into cell packs. From that point on, they will benefit greatly from 16-hour days. Once they have shown good growth there for a few weeks, I pot them on, each into its own pot (2 1/2 - 3" square ones) of Pro-Mix organic mix to which I add some of my worm compost. They remain happy in these pots until they reach a nice size for planting out into the ground. I also pinch them back by about 1/3 when potting on, to encourage them to branch out. Hope this helps. Nothing like a row of lavender in the yard to make people & bees very happy!...See More
10 years ago- 10 years ago
- 8 years ago
6 years agoHow does Lavender grow in the ground here just outside of Phoenix? I just planted one in ground 3 weeks ago here is a pic. Also just to add that Snow Storm does wonderful in a pot here... Added pic of both... So far they both seem to be blooming well...
- 6 years ago
6 years ago- 6 years ago
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