The repotting of lavender is a key moment to keep it healthy, strong and … fragrant as it likes. If done well, it can give it new lymph and make it flourish with more energy.
We often ask ourselves when e come face the repotting of lavender without combining messes. It is not difficult, but not even a thing to do lightly. A few wrong gestures are enough to compromise those thin and somewhat touchy roots. It’s easy to think: “Massì, I take it off and put it elsewhere.” But the truth is that you need attention, patience and, above all, the right time.
The good news is that there is no need to be expert gardeners. With a little calm, a delicate touch and respect for times, anyone can do it. The secret is to be able to observe. Signals as scarce blooms, slow growth or those branches that seem tired now they should not be ignored. They are like small messages from the plant: “I need space”. A new vase, a lighter soil, a little more breath. That’s all. And maybe, while taking care of lavender, there is also an opportunity to restore some life to that balcony left on the sidelines for months.
When to repotting lavender and why do it in the right way
Lavender does not like sudden changes. Better to catch it in its moment of calm, between the end of winter and early spring, when you are waking up slowly. This is the moment in which it better tolerates the “upheavals” and manages to adapt without too many stories. Often it is thought that a new and a little fresh earth is enough. Maybe it was so simple. The Lavender roots They are dense, intricate, and they don’t like to be mistreated. If you break them, they risk rotting. And at that point goodbye blooms.
So yes, you need patience. No brusque gestures: better tap a little on the bottom of the vase to slide it out on its own. If the roots look like a tangle, you can try to dissolve them slowly with your fingers. No sudden tear, as if it were a tangled ball. Ah, the ground: it must be draininglight, maybe with a little sand or gravel. Lavender hates stagnant water. A layer of expanded clay at the bottom of the vase? Always a good idea.
The fundamental passages for a renovation in a workmanlike manner
Once the right time has been found, you can start. But be careful, it’s not just a matter of removing and putting back. Each step must be done carefully, almost with respect. A bit like it takes care of something precious. Indeed, it is almost to be thought that every small gesture – from the choice of the vase to the arrangement of the soil – has a specific weight in the well -being of the plant. It is a process that tests patience, yes, but also sensitivity.
You need eye, you need listening. Because even if it doesn’t speak, lavender communicates all right. Maybe he does it by folding the leaves a little or making a cupboard sprout. But those signs, if you learn to catch them, guide better than any manual.
And it is precisely starting from this awareness that you can move on to action, keeping in mind some essential passages:
- The new vase? Just a little biggerjust to make it breathe better.
- The soil? Never compactbetter mix it with sand and some pebbles.
- The roots? Must be checkedif there is some march or black, it is cut without mercy.
- Then the plant is settled in the centerand the earth is added little by little, just pressing it.
- A light wet in the endand then away with patience. The water must be dosed well: better wait for the ground to dry before redoing it.
An oversight to avoid: cover the collar too much, that delicate point between stem and roots. If he is buried, he risks rotting. Better to leave it on sight, like a silent reminder.
While you are there, you can also give a place to the dry branches. A small pruning helps to make new jets pop and keep the plant in shape. Like a haircut after winter.
How to help lavender to recover after repotting
In the first post-renvasion days, lavender might seem demolished. But it’s normal: he needs time to settle down. A bit like those who change the house.
Put it in a sunny point can make a difference. Light is a real ally. Even the air must circulate: too much humidity or a closed environment can slow down everything.
Attention also to the vase. The plastic ones hold too much humidity, and lavender does not like it. There terracottaon the other hand, let it breathe and keep the temperature more stable.
After a few weeks, you can give a little help with a natural fertilizer, preferably full of potassium. But without exaggerating: this plant loves simplicity, it doesn’t need too much.
And then, just look at it. When the leaves return to that bright green-gray, and new twigs appear, it means that it is fine. Then yes, we can say mission accomplished.
What if something goes wrong? No panic. Lavender also takes its time. Maybe it takes a few more days to recover. But in the end, almost always, it makes it.
And so, a simple gesture like repotting becomes almost a ritual. A way to take care, yes, but also to slow down for a moment.
And remember that, in the end, it takes little to see the perfume return.
Photo © Stock.adobe
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