Easy to grow and highly prized, lavender is a welcome addition to any garden, with its beautiful flowers and wonderful aroma. Here you will find how to grow and care for a lavender plant without anyone's help.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Get started
Step 1. Choose a well exposed spot
Lavender is a Mediterranean herb, so it takes root in warm and sunny sites. Choose a spot in the garden where the seedling will be in full sun for at least eight hours a day. The spot will also need to be as sheltered as possible to protect the plant from winter winds.
Planting lavender near a stone or wall can be a good idea to provide more warmth and protection
Step 2. Make sure the soil has adequate drainage
Humidity is the enemy of lavender, so it is important to choose a place where there is no water retention. The soil should be crumbly, soft and well ventilated to have the best conditions for growing lavender.
- To improve the drainage of the soil, you can use a little building sand before planting.
- Alternatively, try planting lavender in an elevated pitch above, on top of a slope, or alongside a wall to improve drainage.
Step 3. Check the pH level of the soil
Lavender grows best in a slightly alkaline environment, with a pH between 6, 7 and 7, 3. You can check the pH of the soil with a test probe available in stores. You can find it in shops for gardening and for home beautification.
If necessary, you can increase the alkalinity of the soil with a little calcium oxide. You should add about 70 gr. of lime for a quarter of cubic meters. of land
Step 4. Buy lavender
There are several species of lavender that can be grown in the home garden. The chances of growing them successfully are linked to the conditions of the area where you live. The type of lavender sold in stores in your area should be fine, although it is best to check the specifics of the plant or ask an employee if you are unsure.
- Munstead and Hidcote lavender are two particularly vigorous varieties.
- Although it is possible to grow lavender from seed, this method is not recommended as it requires scarification and low temperatures and can take up to a month to germinate.
Method 2 of 3: Planting
Step 1. Dig a hole large enough for the roots
Use a transplanter to dig a hole in your chosen spot. The hole must be deep and wide enough to hold the roots. Lavender actually grows best in rather tight spaces.
If you need to plant lavender in a pot or container, choose one that is large enough to accommodate the roots, at about 2.5cm. more per side
Step 2. Prepare the ground
Prepare the soil for the lavender and improve the conditions for growing by piling two handfuls of about 2.5 cm stones in the hole. in diameter, with about half a cup of calcium oxide in total, fertilizer and calcium powder. Mix well and cover everything with a light layer of soil.
The stones will help drainage, the calcium oxide will make the soil alkaline, while the calcium powder and fertilizer will give the plant what it needs for a good start
Step 3. Wash the lavender in its pot before planting
You should do this while it is still in the pot and at least an hour before planting. This will ensure that the roots are hydrated before burying, but not moist.
Step 4. Blast the lavender
Lightly prune the lavender before planting. This will facilitate air circulation between the stems, encourage growth, and prevent the central part of the stem from becoming woody, which is a common problem with lavender.
Step 5. Prepare the roots
Remove the plant from the pot and gently shake to remove excess soil from the roots. Lavender must be planted with bare roots, to facilitate rapid adaptation to the new growth environment.
Step 6. Plant the lavender
Carefully plant on a thin layer of soil placed on top of the previously prepared mixture. Make sure the roots are not in direct contact with the mixture. Fill the spaces around and above the roots with soil, compacting slightly at the base of the stems.
If you are planting more than one plant, leave a space of about 90 cm. between one and the other. This will ensure good air circulation and sufficient space for growth
Method 3 of 3: Caring for the Plant
Step 1. Use fertilizer
Lavender is a plant that requires little care and will only need fertilizer once a year. Use a light layer of mixed compost and calcium powder, possibly in early spring. You can also use a liquid emulsion of fish with herbs and seaweed once or twice during the summer.
Step 2. Water in moderation
As noted above, humidity is the enemy of lavender and if the roots of the plant become excessively moist, this will kill the plant more quickly than arid or excessively cold temperatures. In fact, overwatering lavender plants in spring is one of the main causes of failure.
- To establish the right amount of water, make sure the soil dries out between waterings. However, the plant is naturally protected from a possible lack of water.
- If you are growing lavender in pots, make sure the pot has adequate drainage to prevent puddles from forming at the bottom.
Step 3. Prevent weeds
You can prevent weeds from growing around the base of the lavender plant by covering the soil with a thin layer of mulch. Use lightly colored mulch, such as coarse sand, crushed stone, and clam shells. Mulching will also help protect the roots from winter frosts.
Step 4. Prune the lavender plant
You should prune the lavender at least once a year, preferably in spring before the new flowering begins. You should thin out about a third of the entire plant, using gardening shears or a pruner to give it an orderly and round shape.
- Pruning will encourage the plant to develop new flowering and stop uncontrolled growth.
- Just make sure you don't overdo the pruning as this could have detrimental effects on the new bloom.
Step 5. Collect the flowers
The best time is when the flower buds of each stem are starting to open. This is when the lavender aroma is most intense and fragrant. Cut the flowers at the base of the stem near the leaves.
- To dry the lavender, make a bunch of about a hundred flowers, tie it with an elastic band and hang it upside down with a nail for about 10 - 14 days indoors in a warm, dark and dry place.
- If you want to decorate the house with lavender, place the flowers in a vase, but don't root in water. This would cause the flowers to fall off faster and make the stems limp.
Advice
- The foliage typically changes from light green to silver gray, and some species have yellowish green leaves. Not all types are readily available, and may require website or catalog searches.
- Lavender grows up to about 70cm in height, depending on the variety, and is a perennial. It needs at least six hours of direct sun every day, however more is better. Lavender plants grow in difficult areas and need at least forty cm of distance from each other.
- Old stems are woody, and lavender can't divide as easily as other perennials. If you need to move it, do it in the spring when new growth has started and replant immediately. The plant can reproduce by propagation.
- Some varieties can be grown from seeds (especially the "Munster" variety), or pots of live plants can be purchased in spring. Favorite varieties include: "Grosso", "Provence", "Royal Purple", "Gray Lady", and "Hidcote".
- Lavender flowers are available in summer and vary from all shades of gray to deep purple. There are also species with flowers of other colors: white, pink, and yellow-green. The flowers are small, sometimes in clusters but open and clustered, and grow on pointed stems.
