Spanish Lavender Bloom Care: Soil pH, Fertilizer, and Pruning for Continuous Flowers

Spanish Lavender Bloom Care: Soil pH, Fertilizer, and Pruning for Continuous Flowers

Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) loves alkaline soil, hates wet feet, and blooms in flushes.

Why Blooms Browned

• Acidic soil: Lavender needs pH 6.5–7.5. Peat-based mixes are acidic.
• Strong fertilizer: Miracle-Gro burns; promotes leaves over flowers.
• No deadheading: Spent blooms signal seed set, stop new buds.

Fixes

1. Lime: 1 cup dolomitic lime per 12" pot, scratched in. Or 1 tbsp per gallon water monthly.
2. Fertilizer: Switch to fish/seaweed emulsion (monthly) or none. Lavender thrives lean.
3. Prune: After each flush, cut stems back ⅓ into green wood. Stop by Sept 1 for winter hardening.
4. Water: Only when top 2" dry. Excellent drainage (add perlite/pumice).
5. Sun: 6+ hours direct.

Variety Note

'Anouk', 'Silver Anouk', 'Otto Quast' are compact, reblooming. 'Kew Red' has pink bracts.

Winter

Zone 7+: outdoors, mulch. Colder: cool (40°F), bright garage, water monthly.

With alkaline soil, lean feeding, and timely pruning, Spanish lavender blooms spring through fall.