Planting Lavender
Lavender is a warm season herb in the Lamiaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.
Lavender is started indoors 10–12 weeks before your last spring frost date, giving seedlings a head start before they move outside.
Transplant young plants outdoors 1–2 weeks after your last frost, once the danger of frost has passed.
Lavender can be grown by starting indoors and transplanting. Starting indoors gives the longest, most controlled season, while direct sowing is simplest where the season is long enough.
Spacing and Planting Depth
Give Lavender room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.
| Spacing in row | 18 inches |
|---|---|
| Row spacing | 24 inches |
| Plants per sq ft | 0.33 |
| Planting depth | 0.125 inches |
| Sun requirement | Full sun |
Days to Maturity
Lavender reaches maturity in 100–120 days from transplant.
Lavender is ready to harvest after about 110 days. Harvest before the first fall frost, which will end the plant's productive season.
Conditions and Care
As a warm-season herb, Lavender needs warm soil and settled weather to thrive, and is set back or killed by frost. It is half-hardy — it withstands light frost but should be protected from a hard freeze.
Lavender needs full sun — give it at least six hours of direct light a day for the best growth and flavor. Sow seed about 0.125 inches deep — small seed is sown shallow and barely covered, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.
Lavender belongs to the Lamiaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Lavender is generally grown as a single planting each season rather than succession sown.
Companion Plants
Pairing Lavender with the right neighbors can improve growth and deter pests; a few combinations are best avoided.
Grows well with: Rosemary, Thyme
Growing Notes
Perennial; slow and erratic from seed.