How to Plant, Grow, and Care For ‘Hidcote’ Lavender

Lavender is one of the most popular plants to grow, not only for its ornamental value. This evergreen herb has applications in skincare, medicine, and culinary arts, too. You will rarely enter a candle shop that doesn’t have a product in some expression of this scent. 

The clean, herbaceous, and woody fragrance of lavender flowers and foliage is distinctive. They are used in everything from bouquets to lotions to teas to desserts. ‘Hidcote’ lavender is particularly distinctive for its compact nature, soft foliage, and aromatic nature that it brings to outdoor living spaces. It’s perfect for pollinator gardens and can survive in rugged conditions. 

Here is everything you need to know to grow delectable ‘Hidcote’ lavender!

‘Hidcote’ Lavender Overview

Plant Type Evergreen semi-woody shrub Family Lamiaceae Genus Lavandula Species Angustifolia ‘Hidcote’	Native Area Mediterranean region Exposure Full sun Height 1’-2’ Watering Requirements Low	Pests & Diseases Aphids, whiteflies, root and crown rot, and shab disease Maintenance Low Soil Type Sandy, loamy, well-drained, slightly alkaline Hardiness Zone 5-9

What Is ‘Hidcote’ Lavender?

‘Hidcote’ lavender is a compact English variety known for its delicate foliage and large, vibrant flower spikes. Its bushy growth habit forms a neat mound of foliage and flowers. Cultivated in the early 1900s by famous horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll, this variety is famously beautiful and aromatic. It also won the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Characteristics

Lavender is an evergreen semi-shrub that produces tall spikes of heavily scented, purple blossoms. ‘Hidcote’ is an English lavender cultivar that is often used in culinary preparations. The flowers have a sweeter fragrance than the French varieties, which are more commonly used for distilling essential oils. 

English lavender tends to be the most cold and heat tolerant of all, and has distinctly dark purple flowers. These types have that true lavender fragrance that most people associate with the plant. ‘Hidcote’ is a late spring and summer bloomer with a long bloom time. 

Native Area

Wild lavender is native to the Mediterranean region, and particularly the area bordering the Mediterranean Sea. You will find it in places with hot summers and cool to mild winters, but typically not in humid climates. ‘Hidcote’ is a hybrid from England.

Planting

If you live in a cool climate, spring is the ideal time to plant your lavender. This will give it plenty of time to get roots laid down before the heat of summer, which can be stressful. In places with hot summers, wait until early fall to plant your lavender. The cooler weather helps reduce stress and allows the plant to establish roots before winter. 

Transplanting

Choose a spot with plenty of sun and good drainage. ‘Hidcote’ lavender doesn’t tolerate wet feet. Dig your hole twice the size of the root ball to loosen the soil all the way around. Backfill so that the top of the root ball sits at the same level as the surrounding earth. Then backfill around the root ball and water it in well.

Growing From Seed

Growing lavender from seeds is somewhat complicated and requires some patience. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, just prepare to wait a while. There is also some prep work to do. The seeds are tiny, and they need light to germinate. They germinate best with cold stratification. 

If you sow them outdoors, do so in the fall so that the weather naturally cold-stratifies them. Just don’t expect to have many of them stay put unless you keep them protected from inclement weather. Because they need light to germinate, you surface sow them, and they are so small that they wash away easily. 

I recommend cold stratifying by placing them in the refrigerator for three to six weeks. Then, surface sow them in trays filled with moist, well-draining seed starting mix. Keep them moist by misting them with a spray bottle, as a stream of water is likely to dislodge them. 

Place your trays in a warm, brightly lit spot, but keep them out of direct sun until they sprout. Germination can take up to two months, so if you want to plant them in spring, make sure you get an early start.

How to Grow

Once established, lavender is an easy plant to care for. It prefers a bit of neglect, and most issues arise from taking better care of it than it requires. 

Light

Plenty of sunlight will keep your lavender happy and blooming. In cool climates, you can plant it in a spot with full sun all day. This will keep the growth compact and bushy, as it won’t need to reach for more light. 

In warmer climates with hot summers, try to find a spot that gets lots of sun early in the day, but some shade in the afternoon. This is especially important in places with hot, humid summers.

Water

You should water your newly planted lavender regularly for the first few weeks to get some roots established. Every two to three days during this time is ideal. Water deeply when you do, but don’t water every day, or you’re likely to end up with root rot. 

Once established, lavender is drought-tolerant, and you only need to water it in times of prolonged drought. They need water every one to two weeks depending on the soil and climate. For container grown lavender, water about once every week to ten days. 

Soil

In its native range, lavender is adapted to loamy, sandy, gravelly, and typically poor soil. It also likes alkaline soil, so adding too much organic matter will lower the pH, which your plant won’t like. 

If you have poor soil, you can help it out with some compost or garden soil, but don’t add too much, or you’ll end up with soil that’s more acidic. You’re better off with poor soil than soil that is acidic and full of nutrients. Lavender is efficient at using nutrients. 

Most importantly, it needs soil that drains properly. Clay and other dense soil types are not great for this plant. For container plants, create a loose blend of potting mix and coarse sand or perlite to improve the drainage. 

Temperature and Humidity

Lavender loves the sun, but it would prefer to avoid extreme heat. Extreme fluctuations are stressful for this plant, so keep it away from drafts if you’re growing it indoors. ‘Hidcote’ is quite cold tolerant, tolerating sub-zero temperatures while retaining its foliage. 

The ideal temperature for your ‘Hidcote’ lavender to grow the most is between 70 and 85°F (21-29°C). It will continue to grow well down to 60°F (16°C) but tends to slow down when the temperature drops. 

Lavender doesn’t appreciate humidity as it is prone to fungal infection. In areas with hot, humid summers, this one might be more of a challenge. Make sure to keep the center thinned out and give it plenty of air circulation. 

Fertilizing

You can, and typically should, skip fertilizer for your lavender altogether. Too much nitrogen, specifically, will lead to a lot of green growth and poor flowering ability. A single application of a bloom boosting fertilizer in the spring is ok, but beyond that, avoid fertilizing. 

Maintenance

Your ‘Hidcote’ lavender will require some maintenance when it comes to pruning. It’s necessary to keep your plants looking compact and dense. Otherwise, you may end up with woody, leggy lavender that rarely blooms. If you want to maintain an attractive plant, pruning is necessary.

In spring, before new growth appears, trim off any dead or damaged foliage, but don’t do much else; allow it to get growing. Deadhead your lavender throughout the blooming period to encourage more and stronger flowering. 

In late summer, give your plant an all over pruning, once it finishes flowering. The objective in pruning is to keep things full and lush, and avoid long woody stems. Snip all the branches a few inches above the woody part of the stems. Avoid cutting into the woody portions, as this can sometimes lead to stunted growth. 

Propagation

Growing from seeds is tricky, and this isn’t the type of plant you can divide easily. That leaves propagation with cuttings as the most effective method. It’s much easier than the alternatives, including air layering, though that is preferable to division. 

The time to propagate is in spring and early summer when there is plenty of new, green growth to choose from. Semi-hardwood cuttings may work, but softwood is best. Cut stems of about four inches using a sharp, clean tool. 

Fill your nursery pots with a loose, well-draining potting mix. You can start with regular potting soil, but you should add in some material to improve drainage and bring the pH up a bit. Coarse sand or perlite works well. Moisten the potting mix and set aside for a minute. 

To prepare your cuttings, strip off all but a few leaves at the top. Optionally, dip the cut end in rooting hormone to expedite the process. Then, insert your cutting with the cut end down about an inch or two into the soil and firm it around the base. 

Place your cuttings in a spot with bright, indirect light and a consistent temperature. While they are rooting, keep the soil moist, but not soggy. It will take about a month, maybe six weeks, for them to root. When you see new growth, give a light tug and see if there are roots anchoring it in the soil. This is when it’s ok to transplant. 

Common Problems

Lavender doesn’t have an extraordinary number of issues, but there are a few pests and some fungal issues that can crop up. 

Pests

As a member of the mint family, this aromatic plant is unappealing to most insects. Pollinators do enjoy the flowers, but the scent will repel most pests. Many gardeners use it as a form of pest control in their gardens because of this. 

There are a few pests that will tolerate the aroma in order to access lavender’s sweet sap. Aphids and whiteflies are the most common and problematic. Both are sap sucking nuisance insects. 

The best way to control pests in the garden is with predatory insects like the larvae of ladybugs and lacewings. Attract these insects with nectar plants, and they will lay eggs where their young will find food. 

If you need a quicker solution, neem oil is effective against most garden pests. Make sure to use it late in the day so that it dries before the pollinators return. If possible, don’t use it while the plant is blooming. 

Diseases

Gardeners encounter a variety of fungal diseases when growing lavender, which is why it’s important to avoid overwatering. The most common issues are root and crown rot, which are caused by several different types of fungi. Too much moisture and not enough air circulation are usually the causes. 

In humid climates, there’s a greater chance of fungal issues. It’s especially important to avoid overwatering in this type of environment. If you experience a period of frequent and heavy rain, you may also end up with fungal problems. 

If you live in a humid climate, thin out the interior of your plants and make sure they get adequate air circulation. Avoid overhead watering if possible, as this can leave your foliage wet, leading to fungus. 

Some fungal pathogens are curable. You can use a copper-based fungicide or neem oil to treat them. Removal of the affected foliage is important. If you’re dealing with root or crown rot, chances are you will lose the plant. If it’s not progressed too far, you can trim off the affected roots and foliage and repot in fresh potting mix. Treat with neem oil as well.