Smaller Lavatera Cultivars Can Make Perfect Container Plants – This Gardener Explains All
Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
IN THIS GUIDE
Lavatera is a genus of attractive flowering plants commonly grown in UK gardens.
There are many different options to choose from if you are interested in growing a lavatera in your outside space.
Of course, these are common and popular choices for beds and borders, in traditional cottage gardens, and for gardens in a range of other styles.
But if you don’t have a lot of room, you might be wondering whether you can grow lavateras in pots.
The good news is that lavateras can be grown in pots, and are actually quite a good choice for container growing.
However, note that larger lavateras may be too large and sprawling for comfortable container cultivation.
Smaller lavatera types can make a good choice for containers because they are reasonably drought tolerant and thrive in the free-draining conditions that can fairly easily be provided in a container garden.
Smaller and more compact lavatera varieties such as ‘Barnsley Baby’ are particularly well suited to container growing.
Containers For Lavatera
When choosing a container for a lavatera, drainage is the most important factor.
Lavateras require reasonably free-draining conditions, so it is important to choose a pot from which water can drain freely at the base.
The size of the container that you choose will of course depend on the size of the lavatera you are growing.
You might use smaller pots when growing lavateras from seed or when propagating the plant through cuttings, but it is important to remember that the plants should only stay in these pots for a while before they are transferred to larger ones or planted out into a garden.
If you plan on keeping a lavatera in its container for longer, you will typically need to choose a container that is just a little larger than the current plant.
If the container is too large for the specimen, waterlogged soil may be more likely to occur.
Compost For Potted Lavatera
The compost or potting mix you will choose when growing lavateras in pots will depend on whether you are growing them in pots temporarily, or planning to keep them in their containers longer term.
When growing from seed or propagating from cuttings, free-draining seed compost or cutting compost is recommended.
When growing lavateras in containers for the longer term, it is a good idea to choose a peat-free soil-based compost that can provide fertility and retain some moisture while also helping to ensure good drainage for the plant.
Potting Up Tree Mallow
When potting up a lavatera, it is important to plant them to the same depth they were at in their previous pot.
Remember to make sure that you know how large the lavatera you have chosen will grow, and make sure it fits in the container with just a little space around each side to allow it to grow.
Pot up your lavatera to a larger container when it seems congested and before roots block drainage holes at the base.
How Many Can You Plant Per Pot?
How many laveteras you plant per pot will of course depend on the size of the plant you are growing, and on the size of the pot.
Smaller pots can contain a single plant, while you might plant multiples in a larger container or planter.
“I always use the biggest pot I can for the size of the plant or use a smaller plant in combination with others in a larger pot,” shares Horticultural Consultant Colin Skelly.
“This is because small pots dry out very quickly in warm weather, probably more than once a day on the hottest days.”
You might also consider creating mixed container displays in larger containers which might contain lavatera and other plants which enjoy similar sunny and relatively free-draining conditions.
Ongoing Potted Lavatera Care
Place containers in full sun, as lavatera requires sunny and ideally sheltered conditions.
Taller types of lavatera may require some support, and care should be taken to ensure containers do not tip or blow over.
Once established, lavateras are reasonably tolerant of dry conditions, but you will still have to water lavateras growing in pots.
Remember, plants in containers will dry out more quickly than those in the ground, however, take care not to overwater, and ensure good drainage.
Waterlogging can become an issue for these plants.
Lavateras do not have particularly high nutritional needs, but it can be a good idea to mulch around the top of containers when planting with good-quality compost or other organic mulch.
You might also feed with a potassium-rich feed to encourage good flowering.
These basic tips should help you grow lavateras successfully in pots.
