Lavender is the perfect addition to any herb garden, or simply as an attractive shrub to brighten up your garden or kitchen (tips for growing lavender indoors).
Blooms that seem to go on forever and the ease of which you can take care of Lavender, it’s one of our favorites.
However, you’re here to find out how much water lavenders need.
So, how much water does lavender need? Recently planted lavender needs water three to four times a week, matured potted lavender needs water every two weeks and lavender over two years old can thrive with only rainfall or the occasional watering once soil is dry.
As you can see, keeping your lavender healthy is a relatively simple process, but one that you need to be aware of, let’s take a more in-depth look at the nuances of watering lavender.
The Different Stages of Growth
As with any plant, herb or shrub, there’s several different stages of growth that require a specific amount of water.
We’ve put together the basics of this in an easy to digest table below:
|Growth Stage||Watering Information|
|Lavender Seeds||Lightly water daily in the morning until 2-3 inches in height.|
|Infant Potted Lavender||Water generously 3 times a week for 3 months until close to fully grown.|
|Infant Outdoor Lavender||Depending on rainfall, 3 times a week.|
|Mature Potted Lavender||Every 10 days to 2 weeks dependent on high temperatures.|
|Mature Outdoor Lavender||Rainfall should be sufficient, if there’s no rainfall then every 2 weeks.|
Soil texture and humidity will obviously play a part in your watering schedule, but the information above is the perfect guideline for optimal growth.
When watering your lavender, it’s important to be generous to encourage a deep, healthy root system. The stronger and healthier the root system below the soil, the better your lavender will look above the soil.
DON’T MISS: Learn all about lavender planters here.
How Often To Water Lavender Seeds?
When it comes to lavender seeds, the watering needs change very slightly.
The initial seeding stage is critical, this is when germination takes place. It’s important to note lavender seeds can take a while to germinate, so you’ll want to get seeding 5 to 10 weeks before warm weather comes around, this gives them ample time to settle into their new surroundings.
Now, onto the watering.
Gently watering your lavender seeds DAILY is the key. You’ll want to pay special attention to keeping the growing soil moist, NOT damp – that’s important.
As far as time of day goes, water your lavender seed in the morning. You want your soil to be close to dry as possible before night and the temperature gets too cool. Moist soil and cool night-time temperatures is asking for fungus, root rot and ruined lavender seeds.
Signs Your Lavender Needs Water
This is a difficult one as signs of an underwatered lavender are very similar to that of an overwatered lavender.
However, it’s important to remember that lavender is drought resistant.
Being drought resistant, lavender are incredibly tough, they can survive relatively long periods without water.
The only way you’ll truly know if your lavender needs water is to keep a schedule and use commons sense.
Can Lavender Be Overwatered?
Yes, lavender can be overwatered, and it’s one of the most common issues we’ve come across when it comes to the health of your lavender.
There are several signs your lavender has been overwatered, an obvious wilting and the leaves will appear to start turning brown.
If your lavender is showing any of the symptoms above it’s important you reduce the amount of watering you’re doing and it’s recommended to add some nutrients to the soil and if possible, get your lavender in more sun throughout the day.
How To Water Your Lavender
When it comes to how to water your lavender, I don’t want to over-complicate it as it is very simple.
Make sure you’re watering the soil around any lavender seeds or newly planted lavender plants.
You should aim for around a gallon of water a week, this is up until the lavender has matured and looks more established.
You can then drop the amount of water to around 2/3 of a gallon every 2 weeks, dependent on rainfall, as always.
When your lavender hits bloom and begins to flourish, you can then increase the amount of water.
- Lavender is drought resistant, so under watering is unlikely.
- Over watering is the biggest threat to killing your lavender.
- English lavender is frost tolerant and can be left outdoors during the winter. Where as French and Spanish lavender need to be inside during the winter.
- Soil with exceptional drainage, nutrients and a sandy base is key to a good root system.
- A sunny location, whether the lavender is inside or outside is critical.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often to water lavender?
Lavender seeds need to be watered daily, up to 3 times a week for infant lavender and once every 2 weeks for matured lavender.
Does lavender need to be watered daily?
Lavender only needs to be watered daily during the early germination period.
Does lavender like full sun?
Lavender does need full sun, being a Mediterranean plant, it needs warm conditions, a lot of sun and soil that drains quickly.
Does lavender need a lot of water?
No, a healthy watering once a week (rain dependent) is sufficient.
There you have it, when it comes to how much water your lavender needs, we’ve covered it all.
Lavender seeds will germinate and flourish with a daily, light sprinkling of water in the morning. Gradually increase the amount of water and decreasing the frequency as the lavender grows, this helps establishing an excellent root system.
Fully grown lavender needs watering every 10 days to 2 weeks, dependent on the temperature conditions wherever you are in the world.