Do all plants have to be hardend off before planting?

[new gardener 1052]

Just bought a lavender plant think its French lavender will this need to be hardend off or should I plant it?

Thanks in advance.

[Alison]

Do you know where it was kept before you bought it? If it was outdoors with no protection then good to plant up straight away. If it's been more protected and pampered then it needs to gradually get used to its new conditions. If in doubt, harden off.

[new gardener 1052]

It was bought from b&q I'm guessing it's been sheltered while they had it.

[rary]

I would recommend that you harden off your plants, their are a lot of people put off gardening, due to plants being lost from not being hardened off properly. So you should make it a practice to harden off all plants that you grow or buy

[new gardener 1052]

And how long should they be hardend off for?

[Bigmallly]

I don't think there are any stead fast rules on hardening off, it's just a case of slowly acclimatising them over a couple of weeks providing the weather is in your favour.

[new gardener 1052]

Thanks mallly, I have some plants I'm hardening off in my garden since Saturday but it hasn't stopped raining since then, I go on holiday next week for a week I would have liked to plant them before I leave.

[Bigmallly]

I think you may be fine:

Here's an extract from RHS -

"Lavandula stoechas (French lavender) and L. pedunculata subsp. pedunculata cultivars and hybrid lavender may suffer in severe winters - H4 (hardy-average winter) or H3 (half hardy). They are easily recognised by the colourful bracts or ear-like tufts topping the flowerheads. They have a long summer flowering period are ideal for container cultivation"

[new gardener 1052]

Thanks again.

[Bigmallly]

No probs, good luck.