wishingtree's Blog

Lavenders (Lavendula)
Jan 30, 2008 | 10:08 AM PST
Tags: lavender , lavendula

 

My dear Aunty Anne sent me a pot of English Lavender from Tasmania through my Sis.  She was skeptical that the plant would survive the hot and humid climate in Singapore and reminded me to keep it in the shade.

Surprise!  Surprise!  My Aunty couldn't believe that I left the plant under full sun and the it has been putting out new spikes and buds since it arrived.  I did lotsa reading from the www and consulted a fellow Lav. enthusiast before my attempt.

I couldn't be sure about the plant needing alkaline soil and hard water to bloom.  It has been a controversal topic on the internet.  The dolomite and limestone are not easily available here, so I had to find other alternatives.  My friend suggested that I get the pH buffer, converting water alkalinity up to pH 8.5, from the aquarium shop because she has been using it on her Lavs.  I did buy a bottle and has yet to use it.

The Lavs I propagated from seeds and the one my Aunty gave are living on pH7 water with a mild dose of seaweed solution.  I think they are doing fine.  It wasn't easy to gauge the amount of watering these plants needed.  The initial stage can be heartbreaking because I'll find a few 'casualties' each day.  And also experimenting on a suitable potting mixture.

The universal potting mixture which consists of peat moss, sand and fert. requires me some time to get use to.  It tend to sponge and hold too much water.  I had to water sparingly each time, otherwise, the roots will be rotten.  I now concoct a mixture of  loam-based compost + organic compost + gravels + charcoal chips + bone meal to pot my Lavs.  I think the combination will drain well.  Now, the seedlings that have developed their 2nd pair of leaves are stabilised.  I still check the dampness of the soil every time before watering.

Wonderful gardening experience indeed!