Lavender is starting to grow again, with fresh green shoots emerging around its woody base, and with one simple step, you can help ensure it produces stunning blooms later in the season. Unlike many other plants, lavender generally does not need fertilising as less is more with this beautiful herb and overfeeding it can simply encourage leafy growth instead of flowers.
If too much of the nutrient nitrogen gets into lavender soil, it will suppress flower production and instead focus on growing lots of soft green stems that do not look as pretty. Instead, Annette Thurmon, a homesteader and founder of Azure Farm Life, has shared that the best way to help lavender bloom is to give it sand or gravel mulch.
Annette said: “If your soil is too fertile, you may have fewer blooms. You can either move your plants or add sand or gravel to aerate and reduce nutrient density.”
Lavender in the wild grows in rocky, dry areas, so adding gravel or sand mulch mimics its natural environment and can help it thrive.
Mulch is the simple gardening practice of covering a plant’s topsoil with organic matter, which helps make the soil healthier.
Mulch made of sand or gravel reflects sunlight, keeping the soil warm and triggering the plant to focus more on flower production instead of leafy stem growth.
It is also very easy to accidentally overwater lavender, as this is one of the most common mistakes people make when growing it, but gravel or sand mulch improves water drainage in the soil.
If lavender sits in water for too long, its roots can become soggy, damaged, or even diseased. However, mulching helps maintain healthy roots, which in turn supports better flowering.
How to mulch lavender in May to encourage flowering.
When buying mulch, look for builder’s sand or pea gravel, as they have good airflow.
Try to avoid mulches like fine sand, as they clump up and make it harder for water to reach the roots.
Then, apply the gravel or sand mulch around the base of the lavender, leaving a gap between the stem to prevent water from building up in that area.
Annette said: “Apply a thin layer of mulch around the base of the lavender plants to help retain moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature.”
Check that water can easily run through the soil quickly and does not sit in a puddle, and the soil around your lavender should be prepared for the flowering season in summer.
