Exceptional lavender normally blooms in the middle of the summer and can continue to bloom into the fall if deadheaded often. There are a various causes for lavender phenomenal’s possible failure to bloom…
Fertilizer or planting the lavender in nutrient-rich soil are the two most frequent causes of lavender plants not blooming. Sandy soils with a pH range of low to medium are ideal for lavender growing. By fertilizing it, lavender will produce more foliage at the expense of blossoms.
All varieties of lavender, for example, typically bloom at their peak a year after being planted because they have had time to get used to their new environment.
Continue reading to learn the most typical causes of lavender phenomenal not flowering and how to fix the issue.
Table of Contents
1. Do not Add fertilizer
The use of additional fertilizer or nutrient-rich compost from a store is typically the main cause of lavender phenomenal’s failure to bloom to its full potential.
A cross between English and French lavenders, both of which come from the South of Europe, is called lavender amazing. These lavenders thrive in sandy, moderately nutrient-poor soil in their native habitat.
Because it has evolved precisely for these circumstances, lavender really despises more fertilizer. Generally speaking, feeding lavender phenomenally causes the plant to produce leggy leaf growth and few blooms.
How to proceedIf the lavender is planted in a pot or container, it may be beneficial to repot it with new soil and prune back the lanky growth in the fall. In the future, avoid feeding the lavender (avoid cutting to close to the woody base).
Lack of irrigation and nutrient-rich soil are ideal conditions for lavender growth.
The easiest approach to get lavender plants to bloom is to try to mimic some of the Mediterranean region’s ideal growing conditions, which include poor soil, abundant sun, and occasional watering.
Another sign that there is too much nitrogen for the needs of the lavender is if the foliage turns yellow. The lavender plant may recover and produce a stronger bloom the following growing season if no more fertilizer is provided.
2. Avoid Nutrient Rich Soil
Since its original Southern European region is one of low to medium fertility soil, lavenders are minimal maintenance plants that do well in that environment.
Since you have complete control over the soil profile, replicating these conditions for your lavender plants in pots and containers is relatively simple.
Simply put, potting compost and horticultural sand or grit should make up around two thirds of the ideal potting mix for outstanding. (Read my post to find out the best soil combination for lavender plants in pots.)
This amount of sand is comparable to the soil in their chosen home range along the Mediterranean coast.
The low to medium soil profile that lavenders enjoy is created by the sand and grit because they do not retain nutrients, which balances the fertility of the compost and encourages the plant to produce more blossoms.
Sand and grit also make sure that the soil drains rapidly, which is important for lavenders because their roots need dry soil to thrive.
Due to a higher oil concentration in the foliage, lavender plants in a sunny area of your garden with infrequent watering and sandy soil will grow the most blooms and have the greatest scents.
3. Lavender Phenomenal not in Enough Sun
The amount of direct sunlight is possibly the most crucial element for lavender to exhibit blossoms.
All types of lavender prefer full sun. The lavender’s aroma and flowering increase with the amount of sunlight it receives.
Partially shaded lavender plants struggle to develop and frequently produce fewer flowers and more spindly growth.
If Phenomenal is in a pot or other container, relocate it to a location with at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.
I advise moving the lavender to a pot or part of the garden with more sunlight if it is in a raised bed or garden border. Alternately, you can trim back any overhanging trellises or other vegetation that may be shading your lavender.
Other possible causes
Less blossoms, though, can be a symptom of stress brought on by other circumstances.
4. Soil pH
A hardy variety of lavender containing traits of the adaptable English lavender species is called Lavender Phenomenal. However, Phenomenal likes soil that is either pH neutral or alkaline, but it may tolerate minor soil acidity (lavender phenomenal grows in soils pH 6.5 to pH 8).
The lavender may be growing in overly acidic soil if it has weak, spindly growth, little smell, or yellow or brown leaf.
If the soil in your garden is acidic, you can amend the soil with lime or wood ash to raise the pH and make it more alkaline and suited for growing lavender. However, this can take some time and upkeep because the soil can eventually return to its previous acidic conditions.
(For additional information on assessing soil pH and growing lavender in acidic soil, see my article.)
Transferring the lavender to a pot or container is, by far, the best option. With as little as a tablespoon of agricultural lime or half a cup of wood ash, the pH of soil in a pot or container can be changed much more readily (which has an alkaline pH).
5. Heavy Handed Pruning
The lavender amazing needs to be pruned every year to keep its shape and lengthen its life. The fact that pruning slows the growth of the woody base is one of its main advantages.
Lavender’s woody base typically does not sustain new growth and is more likely to split. It is crucial to prune lavender to stop the growth of the woody base because lavender only blooms on new growth.
Only the top third of the flexible lavender growth should be pruned, avoiding the woody base. Do this once a year, either in the spring or fall.
The right amount of pruning will encourage the growth of new stems, which will support this season’s blossoms.
Over watering
Lavender lavender thrives in environments that are dry, windy, and low in precipitation.
As long as the soil has been improved with adequate sand to improve drainage, this versatile lavender species can endure locations with increased rainfall.
The most flowers (and oil production) are observed by commercial lavender growers in dry years with few days of rain or clouds.
Lavender that receives excessive irrigation may get stressed and develop conditions that enhance the risk of the fungus root rot.
Brown or yellow foliage and a drooping appearance are signs of root rot in lavender plants. Additionally, if the lavender is regularly overwatered, it could lose its ability to bloom and perhaps perish.
————————All kinds of lavender prefer direct sunlight. The lavender’s aroma grows stronger and it blooms more when it is exposed to more sunlight.
Partially shaded lavender plants struggle to thrive and tend to have spindlier, fewer-flowering plants.
Move Phenomenal that was grown in a pot or other container to a location that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day.
I suggest relocating the lavender to a pot or part of the garden that receives more sunlight if it is currently in a raised bed or garden border. As an alternative, you can trim back any overhanging trellises or other vegetation that may be shading your lavender.
The lavender’s failure to blossom is almost certainly due to the amount of sunshine and if Phenomenal was planted in the proper soil.
The absence of flowers, though, can indicate stress brought on by other sources.
- Hardy English lavender species like Lavender Phenomenal have traits that make them stand the test of time. Phenomenal favors alkaline or neutral pH soil, while it may survive some slight soil acidity (lavender phenomenal grows in soils pH 6.5 to pH 8).
- There may be too much acidity in the soil if the lavender has weak, spindly growth, little smell, or yellow or brown foliage.
- If your garden soil is acidic, it is feasible to amend the soil with lime or wood ash to raise the soil pH and make it alkaline and therefore suited for growing lavender. However, this can require some patience and upkeep since the soil can eventually return to its previous acidic conditions.
- (For additional information on determining the pH of soil and growing lavender in acidic soil, read my article.)
- Putting the lavender in a pot or other container is, by far, the superior option. With simply a tablespoon of agricultural lime or half a cup of wood ash, the pH of soil in a pot or other container can be changed much more readily (which has an alkaline pH).