Hi there,
Just after some advice on the best lavender to use for a planting in front of a Murraya hedge. I don’t want something that will look woody in time. To be planted in a dry area of Victoria.
Thanks!
Hi Jem
All lavender stems become woody as they age and woody stems do not produce new growth. The key to maintaining a healthy and dense plant is pruning. Pruning will encourage new growth and give you an opportunity to re-shape the plant and remove any dead or diseased stems.
Prune after flowering taking 5-10 cm of leaves as well as the flower stem, make sure you leave at least 2cm of green stem above the woody stems. During the growing season tip pruning is also recommended.
There are many varieties of lavender including some really attractive new cultivars of differing heights so there will be one to suit your needs. Lavender needs well drained soil and grows best in areas with low humidity. If humidity is high in your area, plant in area with good airflow to reduce effect of humidity.
Hi Jem
Your asked about the best lavender. I personally like Lavandula pendunculata the Princess Lavender with its bright rabbit ear bracts. Although its main flowering season is in spring it will continue to spot flower most of the year.It is low maintenance and prune as discussed earlier. It does need full sun to flower well, so you will need to plant it on the sunny side of hedge.