Lavender will bloom bigger if you add this £5 buy to your soil

Everyone knows and love lavender for its attractive scent and gorgeous purple flowers. However for those who’re lavender is producing extra inexperienced shoots than lilac blooms, then it’s seemingly there’s an excessive amount of nitrogen in your soil – fortunately, backyard consultants have revealed the straightforward repair to realize an abundance of purple flowers this summer season.

When you’re rising lavender, you’ll know what a beautiful addition it makes to your backyard. Lavender is a favorite amongst bees and different pollinators, whereas its traditional fashion is well-suited to the French-style courtyard backyard pattern and Mediterranean backyard concepts.

Due to this, it’s disappointing in case your lavender plant doesn’t look as much as scratch. However for those who’ve discovered your plant is producing extra inexperienced than purple, all you have to do is add sand or gravel to your soil – right here’s why.

Why you must add gravel to your lavender plant

Lavender thrives in free-draining soil that mimics a Mediterranean local weather, because the plant mostly grows in rocky gardens. So, you need to nail the Mediterranean circumstances.

‘Lavender can produce leafy stems on the expense of flowers if there may be an excessive amount of nitrogen within the soil or if the soil it’s rising in is simply too fertile. Including sand or gravel can aerate the soil and cut back the depth of the vitamins, because it mimics the pure Mediterranean atmosphere by which lavender grows. The sand or gravel may even assist drainage within the soil,’ explains Graham Smith MCIHort, a gardening skilled from LBS Horticulture.

Moreover, when lavender is in moist or poorly draining soil, it could actually turn into vulnerable to illness similar to root rot. It’s additionally extra susceptible to fungal infections when in overly moist soil. Fortunately for you, lavender vegetation present apparent indicators once they’re sad.

‘Yellowing or wilting regardless of common watering is an indication that your lavender might have higher drainage. Additionally, overflowing water after rain and soil that stays damp for days,’ says Jane Dobbs, Gardening Group Lead at Allans Gardeners.

Including gravel or sand helps the surplus moisture draining, leading to a happier plant with purple flowers. And each Jane and Graham advocate choosing builders’ sand (£3.70 at B&Q) or pea gravel (£4.40 at B&Q).

‘It’s higher to make use of builder’s sand or pea gravel, as these can present higher airflow than different supplies when used as mulch. Keep away from supplies like effective sand, as this may clump collectively simply and should make it more durable for water to achieve the roots of the lavender,’ says Graham.

Including sand or gravel is to not be confused with fertilising your plant, as lavender doesn’t require a lot fertilising anyway, because it prefers poor soil. This methodology improves the drainage of your soil so your lavender can thrive. This achieves stunning purple flowers consequently.

So, if you wish to get essentially the most out of your lavender plant, take into account including a layer of sand or gravel to its base. You’ll be rewarded with the prettiest, aromatic flowers.

Store gravel and sand