|
| Should lavender dry out completely in the summer growing season if it's in a small container (8" diameter plastic pot) before watering? I've heard terrible things about crown rot and overwatering so I'm being cautious, but I don't want to stress the plants if every day the temps get to 90 degrees F. |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Wed, Jul 17, 13 at 16:39
| wouldnt it depend how big the plant is??? a huge plant in a small pot.. will need a lot more water than a small plant... i wouldnt put too much stock in confusing the drainage requirements of mother earth.. with growing in pots .... your bigger problem with a pot.. is that it can heat up significantly.. when it gets bone dry ... and if you fry the roots.. how damp they are or were.. isnt going to matter ... if its been fine so far... i dont know why you would be trying to FIX something that isnt broken ... dont kill it with too much love.. by overthinking it ... ken ps: i would think your bigger issue with damp soil.. is trying to dry it out enough to winter it over .... thats when i bet your issue will arise.. not cutting back water in july/august... eh |
|
| So then the soil in the container for lavender can generally stay moist to the touch and there won't be any risk of crown rot? Regardless of the size of the plant, there must be a general rule for growing lavender in containers. As I say above it's an 8" plastic pot, and the plant's roots are filling about 2/3. It's not a big plant in a small container that's in danger of drying out, then again, I thought lavender is supposed to dry out, meaning don't water it unless the soil is completely dry. That's really all I'm trying to find out. The soil mix composition is 50/50 peat/ perlite type, no compost, and fairly fast draining. It stays noticeably moist for about three days, but I'm thinking I might be overwatering (more common with lavender from what I've heard) and I want to avoid a problem. Yes, it's potentially fixing something before it's broken. Now if I could just get a straight answer from someone experienced with lavender in containers... |
|
- Posted by mistascott 7A VA (My Page) on Sun, Jul 21, 13 at 0:00
| You don't want peat with lavender. It will retain far too much water and eventually the peat turns into a sponge. I would use a cactus/succulent mix with some added pebbles/stones. I would only water once, maybe twice a week if it is really hot. How often are you watering? Your potting medium is too moisture retentive if it is staying moist for three days baking in this hot sun. They are not fans of a ton of water, but this is more of a problem in winter. |
|
- Posted by mad_gallica Z5 Eastern NY (My Page) on Sun, Jul 21, 13 at 0:09
| English lavender does fine in my swamp. A lot of Mediterranean type plants seem to like a fair amount of water, no matter what the books say. In other words, my in the ground lavender has handled several inches of rain a week without getting at all offended. I don't think it has ever heard of crown rot. The plants really don't read the same books we do. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Perennials Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here
