lavender plugs

[gan heather]

I ordered some lavender plugs recently and wasn't expecting them for a while (the website said they'd ship by the end of April, so I thought I'd have some more time), but they arrived today. Can I plant them out now or is it too early? If I can plant them out, do I need to harden them off first or would putting them under cloches be sufficient?

Also, as lavender needs good drainage, do you think there'd be any benefit in adding sand to the compost mix?

[Jeanied]

I would acclimatise them first and gradually harden off. Try planting up the plugs into some APC for a couple of weeks in shelter outside, followed by planting out in their final position which has been warmed under a cloche. I planted my plugs out in the autumn and although they are only little, they have withstood the winter out in all the snow. The plugs were about 2 1/2" square so there was a decent root system. They don't like heavy soil, so I would add sand and grit if you need to.

[gardendancer]

ooh - i got my plugs today too.
i was planning on potting them on into larger pots on a tray, and take the tray in if frost was predicted, does anyone see an iissue with this? haven't grown lavender plugs before.

[Jeanied]

Lavender doesn't like being mollycoddled - and doesn't like to be in very wet environments - cool and not too much water: check the root ball - if it is filling the plug then it needs potting on.

[stella]

At least you ordered plugs and got plugs. I ordered 'lavender to edge paths and driveways in a profusions of colour' what I got was plugs so small they have difficulty looking over the edge of the pot!!!
They have been hardened off and are now in a patch of sun to put some growth on

[Jeanied]

Here are mine in Feb - they are behind the sage and other herb plants in a row.
Grow Your Own - Growing, How To Grow Tomatoes Growing Fruit & Veg - Recipe Advice, Organic food Gardening, Chickens, Seeds for Sale
Hmm - now I can see some weeding that needs doing!

[gan heather]

Ok, so I've actually taken them out of the box and had a look. They're smaller than they first seemed (and many of them had come out of their holes - is that normal when ordering plugs? It was a bit annoying to have to try to get them back in.). I'm thinking now I should plant them in pots and grow them on a bit inside first - I'm afraid of losing them on my plot! Anyone see anything wrong with that - would it be too much "mollycoddling" for them?

[bramble]

Well lavender is hardy but if you want to grow them on a bit indoors make sure you keep them in a cool area.
my lavender hedge is growing well over the past few years without any bother fron the frost or snow. I also have some big pots of lavender as well and they stay outdoors all the winter with no ill affects. yours should be fine.
Good luck with them.

[Jeanied]

It sounds like you have bought cuttings there, Gan Heather - so pot the plugs on and put them out in a coldframe to carry on rooting.

[northepaul]

At least you ordered plugs and got plugs. I ordered 'lavender to edge paths and driveways in a profusions of colour' what I got was plugs so small they have difficulty looking over the edge of the pot!!!
They have been hardened off and are now in a patch of sun to put some growth on

Sounds like some I bought for my partially sighted friend - I wanted to plant them along the path to her door, so when she came in from her dog walk, she would get a lovely smell...they were the smallest 'plug' pants I have ever seem - about the size of my thumb nail!
Needless to say, my poor friend will have to wait a while before they are planted there. (about 2-3 years!!)

[Flowerpower1234]

I have just received lavender plugs the size of thimbles, Hidcote and Munstead varieties. Should I pot them into larger pots. I was thinking of using peat pots and them planting them out in these. I want to create a hedge, how far apart do I plant them at this size?

[mothhawk]

Hi, Flowerpower, welcome to the vine. If the diddy pots they are in are full of roots then yes, pot them on into probably 3" pots. I don't like peat pots as they are so difficult to keep watered the correct amount, even though lavender likes to be on the dry side. When they are nice little bushy plants with lots of roots in 3" pots, then you can plant them out.

When I made my hedge, I spaced them about 14" apart, and by the 2nd year they had filled the space between, but they are lavender angustifolia, which grows taller than Munstead.

Snip off any flowering spikes they try to produce this year, as you want them to put their heart into growing bigger, not flowering

[cheops]

I recently, about a month ago, bought several lavender varieties from Lavender World. About £2.50 a plant which I think is good considering they were well rooted bushy plants about 6 inches tall. I was very impressed so much so I went back to their site to leave a good review but there as far as I could see were no reviews section. They arrived very quickly and every one of the 5 varieties are about to bloom already and the plants are growing well. And as a bonus spend £10 or more and get free postage. Also those who want to create hedges they offer good discount for bulk buys. FANTASTIC