Hey everyone, it’s your boy back again with another one of my plant adventures. Today, I wanna talk about something that’s been on my mind lately – how to keep my lovely lavender plants alive and kicking through the winter. I’ve spent a whole day trying to save them, and here’s what I’ve done.
So, first off, I noticed my lavenders were looking a bit sad as the temperature started to drop. I mean, these plants are tough, but they’re not huge fans of the freezing cold. English lavender can usually deal with the cold pretty well, but mine seemed like they needed a bit of help. I started by giving them a good inspection. Checked the soil, looked at the leaves, and tried to see if there were any signs of distress. Most of them are in pots, so it is easy to move around.
Step one: I decided to move some of my potted lavenders to a more sheltered spot. You know, somewhere they’d be protected from the harsh winter winds. I found a nice little nook near the side of my house. It’s not completely covered, but it definitely offers more protection than being out in the open. I made sure not to overcrowd the plants, I like them to have a little breath room. It’s not a greenhouse, but better than nothing. I guess planting near a structure or trees is a good idea if your lavenders are in the ground.
Step two: I added some mulch. I grabbed a bag of organic mulch from the local store – nothing fancy, just your regular shredded bark. I carefully spread a thin layer around the base of each plant, about 1 to 2 inches thick, making sure not to pile it up against the stems. From what I’ve read, this helps insulate the roots and keeps the soil temperature a bit more stable, protecting them from frost. Plus, it looks kinda neat and tidy, which is a bonus.
- Grabbed a bag of organic mulch
- Spread a 1-2 inch layer around each plant
- Made sure not to pile mulch against the stems
Step three: Cut back on the watering. Now, this was a tough one for me because I tend to overwater my plants. But I learned that during winter, lavenders don’t need much water. They go kinda dormant, so their water needs are way lower. I reduced the watering to just a trickle, only when the soil felt really dry. I don’t want to completely stop it, I am afraid it will kill the plant. And guess what? They seem to be doing just fine with less water. Who would’ve thought?
For the lavenders I have in the ground, I didn’t do much different. Just added a bit of mulch and kept an eye on them. Luckily, we haven’t had any crazy snowstorms yet. If we do, I might throw a cover over them for extra protection, just to be safe. A friend of mine uses frost cloth, says it works wonders. I got the same one, let me go find the package… oh here it is, the frost cloth I ordered is a big roll, looks like it is enough to cover all my plants at least twice.
What I Learned
This whole process has been a good learning experience. I realized that sometimes, less is more when it comes to caring for plants, especially in winter. And it’s pretty cool to see how resilient these lavenders can be with just a little bit of help. They might look delicate, but they’re tougher than they look.
I’ll keep you guys updated on how my lavenders do throughout the winter. Hopefully, they’ll make it through and bloom beautifully next spring. Fingers crossed! If any of you have tips or tricks for winter plant care, feel free to share them in the comments. I’m always up for learning new things and improving my green thumb skills.
Alright, that’s it for today’s post. Stay warm and take care of your plants! Catch you in the next one.
