Lavender is a versatile and beautiful flowering herb in the mint family. It is very aromatic and is used for culinary, medicinal, and fragrance purposes. Originating in the Mediterranean, lavender has been bred to be grown in many parts of the world. English lavender is best suited to colder climates and should overwinter well in Ohio. Additionally, English lavender is well suited for use in culinary dishes due to the low camphor content.
Trouble shooting notes
If your lavender showing signs of failure to thrive? If you see brown tips at the ends of your lavender, you are likely watering it too much. Try changing the soil to a cactus blend (1 part sand, 1 part soil, 1 part perlite). Lavender is susceptible to root rot and this mix is designed to quickly drain while retaining moisture the plant needs to grow. Water lavender like you would water a succulent and you should see the leaves turn dark green and stop browning. See below for a picture of lavender with root rot.
Planting/Harvesting Notes
Rosemary comes from an arid environment and therefore prefers 6-8 hours of sunlight a day and well draining soil. Rosemary prefers drier soil than most herbs so if you plant rosemary in a container, allow it to dry out between watering. Place the container outside when the herb starts flowering in the second year. This will allow the herb to be pollinated naturally.
Image credit: “English Lavender” by Swallowtail Garden Seeds is licensed under CC BY 2.0.