French Lavender

Copperdog

Hello I have around 10 french lavenders still in their pots from when I bought them a couple of months ago.  they have flowered well through the summer but I have but them back by half.  Where is the best place to store them please?  Silly question but is a garage too dark?  I know they don't like it too cold or too wet but do they need light all through the winter too.  I could put them under the potting table in the garden that way they wouldn't get too wet and they would be a little protected?  Should they be watered lightly if they look very dry or left alone?  Trying to save them this year as usually I would have just composted them i'm ashamed to say!  Many thanks

Borderline

If you can move the pots, position them all to a warm south facing wall. Keep them all grouped together. If you are living somewhere that gets excessively cold in the winter months, place straw over the top of the soil areas. There is also horticultural fleece available for protection. If you group them all together you can cover it over the top, although I have never had to do this myself.

Fairygirl

Yes - as Borderline says - keep the worst of the elements off them - wind, wet and frost. A house wall is perfect. You shouldn't need to water over winter, and dry cold is better than wet. Just keep an eye on them and make judgements based on your own conditions.  

If there's frost forecast and they're wet, fleece is ideal to prevent roots freezing, but keep them ventilated too as insulation works both ways - keeps cold out but also keeps it in. The house wall will offer good protection though, and should prevent them getting too wet if you position them carefully. Although pots are easier if you have heavy soil, keeping them frost free can be more tricky, but they should overwinter well enough no matter where you are.  

Copperdog

Thanks for the good advice Fairygirl and Borderline.