Lavender

Lavender, known for its fragrant purple flowers and silvery foliage, is a popular plant for gardens and landscapes. It’s relatively easy to care for and can be used in various applications, from landscaping to essential oil extraction. Here’s how to grow, care for, and propagate lavender:

Growing Lavender

Choosing the Right Location

Sunlight: Lavender thrives in full sun and clear exposure. Choose a location where the plant will receive at least 6-8 hours of sunlight daily.
Soil: Lavender prefers well-drained soil. Alkaline, sandy, or gravelly soils are ideal. If your soil is heavy or clay-rich, consider growing lavender in raised beds or containers.

Planting

Space lavender plants 18 to 24 inches apart to allow for proper air circulation.
Plant lavender with the top of the root ball level with the soil surface. Planting too deep can lead to root rot.
If planting in a container, ensure it has good drainage holes and consider using a terracotta pot that allows soil to dry out more efficiently between waterings.

Read about lavender farms.

Caring for Lavender

Watering

Lavender is drought-tolerant and overwatering can kill it. Water once the soil is dry to the touch, then water deeply. Potted lavender will need more frequent watering than ground-planted lavender.

Fertilization

Lavender doesn’t require much fertilization. If growth is slow or the foliage is yellowing, you can apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, as they can promote leaf growth over the flowers.

Pruning

Prune lavender in the spring or after flowering to maintain its shape and encourage new growth. Never cut into the woody part of the plant, which can cause damage.

Mulching

Use a light mulch to help conserve moisture for the plants. Consider using gravel or sand, which will reflect heat up onto the plant and help prevent rot.

Winter Care

In colder climates, potted lavender should be brought indoors or into a garage or shed where it will remain above freezing but still go dormant. In-ground lavender should be covered with a winter mulch like straw or evergreen boughs to protect it from frost and freezing temperatures.

Propagating Lavender

Cuttings

This is the most effective way to propagate lavender.
   – Take a 3-4 inch cutting from the new, non-flowering growth of a healthy plant in late spring or early summer.
   – Remove leaves from the bottom two-thirds of the cutting and dip the end in rooting hormone, if desired.
   – Stick the cutting in a pot with moist, well-draining potting mix. Cover the pot with a plastic bag to maintain high humidity.
   – Keep the soil moist and place the pot in a warm, bright location out of direct sunlight until roots develop, which typically takes a few weeks.

Seeds

Growing lavender from seeds is more challenging, as germination rates can be low and it takes a long time to grow into a robust plant.
   – Start seeds indoors about 6-12 weeks before the last frost date. Sprinkle seeds over the soil and lightly cover them with more soil.
   – Keep the soil lightly moist and in a warm location. Germination can take up to a month.

Layering

This technique involves rooting branches while still attached to the parent plant.
   – Bend a low branch down to the ground and slightly wound the stem or apply rooting hormone.
   – Secure the wounded part of the stem into the soil with a U-shaped pin and cover it with dirt, leaving the growing tip exposed.
   – Roots should develop at the wound site in a few months, after which you can cut the new plant from the parent and transplant it.

Lavender, with its wonderful fragrance, aesthetic appeal, and culinary applications, is a rewarding plant for any gardener willing to provide the right growing conditions.