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How to Transplant Lavender? 6 Effective Tips!

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Lavender, which goes by the scientific name Lavandula angustifolia is an evergreen flowering plant belonging to the mint family called Lamiaceae.

Lavender plant has beautiful and vibrant purple-colored flowers, which give off a very lovely fragrance. The Lavender plant is quite famous worldwide for its numerous uses.

Lavender plants are mostly cultivated for their fragrant essential oils, which also have a lot of medicinal benefits. Lavender oil is good for relaxing muscles treating insomnia, stress, and anxiety. It is also excellent to keep pests and mosquitoes away from your garden.

Lavender is widely grown for its beautiful fragrant flowers, which have a refreshing and woody note with herbal and balsamic undertones.

You got enticed by the enchanting fragrance of Lavender and bought a plant, but now it’s growing, and you don’t know how to transplant it? We have all been there! Let us teach you some cool tips on how to transplant Lavender.

How to Transplant Lavender
Any tips for repotting a lavender tree – via Reddit

Why Do You Need to Transplant Lavender?

There could be several reasons why you may need to transplant your lavender plant. It may often happen that you buy a new plant, but you don’t know how to properly care for it, what are its preferred conditions and where to plant it.

So, your plant might need to be transplanted into better conditions for its proper growth and well-being.

  • Lavender loves Sun! If you planted it at a shady spot, you might have to transplant it.
  • Lavender is a woody perennial plant, and it can grow quite big with a massive root network. So, if you planted it in a small pot, it will outgrow it quickly. You will need to transplant Lavender into a larger pot or ground.

When Should You Transplant Lavender?

Though Lavender can be transplanted any time during the year, if necessary, the ideal season to transplant lavender is late winters or spring. Transplanting Lavender is quite easy, and it can easily adapt to the new environment, being a very sturdy plant.

However, it is highly discouraged to transplant your Lavender during autumn. Transplanting it in autumn will not give the plant enough time to establish its roots before winter.

Transplanting in winter should also be avoided since the soil gets cold and higher water retention during the winter season. And Lavender prefers dryer soil.

Pro Tip: transplant the lavender plant before making any buds to avoid stressing the plant.

How to Transplant Lavender?

Now that you know all the important things to conder before transplantation, it is time to dig into how to transplant Lavender.

Items You Will Need

  • Pitchfork
  • Shovel
  • Gloves
  • Watering can

6 Tips About How to Transplant Lavender

You have all the items and information you need, now grab your shovel, and prepare to transplant!

Following tips will help you ensure that you have the right conditions and environment to transplant your Lavender.

  1. Make sure that your soil has excellent drainage. You can add more sand and grit into your soil for that purpose.
  2. Now check the pH value of your soil. Lavender thrives best between the pH range of 6.5-7.5.
  3. For the first few months or a year, water the plant regularly as the new roots are established.
  4. You can also add white stone mulch since it is very reflective. High exposure to sunlight will increase the yield of blooms.
  5. Find the location which gets the most sunlight in your garden (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight).
  6. Plant the lavenders a couple of feet away from other plants to ensure good airflow and maximum sunlight.
How to Transplant Lavender 2
Help! What’s wrong with my lavender? – via Reddit

Step-by-Step Process of How to Transplant Lavender

Now follow these simple steps to transplant your lovely Lavender and ensure minimum shock to the plant.

Step 1: Select a Dry and Sunny Location

First and foremost, you need to find an ideal spot to transplant your Lavender. If the Lavender is not getting enough sunlight, it will produce more oil and become very leggy and untidy. To have a healthy lavender plant with maximum bloom, you need the sunniest spot.

If the Lavender is growing in complete shade, it would simply not grow because this plant is used to the hot and dry Mediterranean climate. Direct sunlight will keep the soil and plant dry to grow healthily.

Avoid growing Lavender in a low-lying area or a naturally moist garden area. Also, avoid any pits where the water may accumulate after rainfall. The plant will be more susceptible to fungal infections if the humidity or the soil’s moisture level is high.

Planting lavender on elevated ground or rockeries can give it excellent drainage.

Step 2: Digging the Hole and Amending the Soil

After choosing the perfect location for your plant, now it’s time to evaluate and amend the soil and dig the hole.

Lavender prefers dry, sandy soil with low fertility to grow. Sandy soil drains quickly. Don’t plant your Lavender in clay soils or organic soils rich with nutrients nor add fertilizers to it because high fertility will cause the foliage to grow and retard the growth of blooms.

The ideal soil mix for your Lavender is 70% soil and 30% sand and grit. Sand will allow good drainage to the plant to grow properly and avoid root rot. Sand and grit don’t provide any nutrients, so it balances out the soil and provide a low fertility environment to attain good production of blooms.

Now take the shovel and dig the hole. The dimensions of the hole should be 18 inches deep and 16 inches wide so it can sustain the fully developed root network of the plant.

If your soil has higher clay content, you can add more gravel for better drainage.

Step 3: Take Out Your Lavender Plant

Use a gardening pitchfork to dig out your lavender plant. Please do not use a spade or shovel to dig it out because it is highly likely to damage the roots compared to a fork.

Workaround the plant and start digging gently. Once you have dug enough to pull the roots out, start using your hands and gently tease out the roots with as much soil as possible. It will avoid shock to the plant.

Pro Tip: Before transplantation, soak the soil with enough water so it will easily attach to the roots of the incoming plant.

Place the Lavender in new soil and cover the roots properly with soil to support the plant. Don’t apply too much pressure because the roots can’t grow in compact soil.

Step 4: Watering and After-Care

Water the plant generously after transplant to help with the shock. Later on, reduce the watering and water it once every week. Lavender thrives in dry soil, so keep that in mind and let the soil dry out between each watering session.

Take care of the plant as you normally would, and you’re good to go!


Conclusion

Lavender can be a gem to your lovely plant collection with amethyst purple blooms and heavenly scent. This article has elaborated on how to transplant Lavender. So, if you couldn’t figure out when is the right time to transplant Lavender and what are the preferred conditions, well, now you know it all!

Rush over to your garden, find a sweet sunny spot to transplant your Lavender, and share your transplanting stories with us!