Many plant growers consider lavender a real treasure. Growing it is a pleasure, and the aroma that hovers garden plot, enchants from the first minutes. In addition, the flower is widely used in home cosmetology. Lavender from seeds room conditions grows just as successfully as in open ground. What features of its cultivation do you need to know?
Brief description of the culture
Lavender - unique aromatic plant that can be grown at home
The plant is an evergreen subshrub with a spherical crown, which is formed from branches. Lavender belongs to the Lamiaceae family. Its homeland is the southern part of Europe, the territory of eastern and northern Africa, the Canary Islands and India. The height of the crop varies from 30 centimeters to 2 meters depending on the species. The inflorescences resemble an intermittent spikelet. Petals can have a variety of colors. Lavender is found with blue, lilac, burgundy, lilac, dark purple, pink and white flowers. The leaves have a linear shape with curved ends. The root consists of many branches that can go 4 meters deep into the soil.
Today, 25 species of this culture are known. For home grown the following are suitable:
- Lavender angustifolia. The plant has gray-green narrow leaves and long inflorescences of white, blue, pink or purple color, and is resistant to low temperatures. Flowering begins in June and ends in July.
- Lavender broadleaf. The culture got its name due to the shape of its leaves. Flowers can be pink, lilac, purple or burgundy. This species is not a frost-resistant plant. The flowering period lasts from May to July.
- Lavender serrated. This variety is different Not large sizes and instability to frost. The flowers are purple in color. The leaves have a silvery color and are also characterized by jagged edges. Flowering time begins in July and ends in autumn.
Growing lavender at home
To get a healthy plant, there are several factors to consider when planting. Let's look at them in detail.
Selecting a location
The culture grows well in partial shade
Lavender loves good lighting and fresh air, so best place there will be a window sill for her on the east or west side. The culture should receive light for 8-10 hours every day. If the room in which the lavender is located is darkened, a fluorescent lamp is installed for the plant. The room should be well ventilated.
In warm weather, the flower can be moved to a loggia or balcony. But you shouldn’t immediately leave it in a new place for a long time. The plant should be acclimated gradually. On the first day, it is enough to take it out for an hour, on the second – for two. So the duration of the culture’s stay on the balcony increases to a full day.
Important! If lavender is placed near heating devices, place a jar filled with water next to it. This helps normalize humidity levels.
Preparing the soil for seeds
Lavender loves alkaline soil
Plant growers do not recommend using ordinary soil for growing lavender, because this way the flower does not receive enough oxygen. When watering, compressed soil suffocates the root system. The most suitable soil mixture for lavender is an alkaline soil mixture. To prepare it, sand and peat are combined in equal proportions, and then a little eggshell is added.
You can use soil consisting of sand, humus and leaf soil. The components are mixed in the following proportions: 1:2:3. Broadleaf lavender is extremely hardy and can grow in slightly acidic soil, but it is better to give preference to an alkaline environment.
Important! The soil needs to be loosened, this will improve air circulation.
Landing instructions
The seeds of this crop require processing to accelerate growth, for which they are placed in the refrigerator for one month. This way the planting material gets into natural conditions. After extraction, the seeds are mixed with river sand, sprinkled with water and in this state are placed back in the refrigerator, where they remain for another month.
The landing process itself is as follows:
1. For lavender, take a pot or container with a diameter of 30 centimeters and a volume of 1.5 liters.
Preparing the container for planting
2. A drainage layer is placed at the bottom, which helps remove excess moisture. Expanded clay, bark or walnut shells are used for this.
3. The holes at the bottom of the container must remain open. This ensures air flow and helps avoid over-humidification. Stagnation of liquid in a pot has a negative effect on the plant.
4. Seeds are placed 3 millimeters into the soil and sprinkled with a thin layer of soil.
5. To prevent them from drying out, cover the container plastic film and is placed in a well-lit room where the temperature level is between 15°C-18°C.
6. Shoots appear after 1-1.5 months. If this does not happen, the seedlings are placed in the refrigerator for another 3 weeks.
7. When sprouts appear, the plastic covering is removed from the pot, and the flowers are transplanted into separate containers.
Sprouted lavender needs to be transplanted into separate containers.
Plant care
In order for lavender to remain healthy and provide beautiful and fragrant flowers, it must be properly cared for.
Watering
In the first month of plant life, it is watered twice a day: in the morning and evening. The soil must be constantly moist. From the second month, watering is reduced to once a day. Excessive moisture is detrimental to lavender. Only settled water at room temperature is used.
Fertilizer
For the first 10 weeks, lavender is fed once every 2 weeks. Then the soil is fertilized only during flowering. To do this, you can use the Agricola-Fantasia solution, which is prepared in the proportion: 2 tablespoons of the substance per 10 liters of water. One lavender bush will need 1 liter of liquid. As alternative option organic compositions such as “Rossa universala” and “Potassium humate” are suitable. The nutrient mixture is prepared with precise proportions: 2 tablespoons of “Rossa” and 1 tablespoon of “Humate” are dissolved in 10 liters of water.
At the beginning of the growing season, the plant is fed with nitrogen fertilizers, which ensure the growth of green mass. These include ammonium nitrate, urea, ammonium sulfate. But from the second half of July, it is recommended to exclude these funds. Nitrogen prolongs the growing season, and if you continue to use it, the plant will not prepare for winter.
Lavender does not like excessive watering
Important! You can put a layer of compost under the bush - then the crop will not need additional nutrients.
Trimming
Pruning is performed from the second year of the crop's life and is carried out after the flowering stage to prepare the plant for wintering: dried lavender stems are removed, as well as the upper part of the bush. The cut should be slightly higher than the initial level of leaf growth. This procedure allows you to give the shrub an aesthetic appearance.
With the onset of spring, lavender is pruned again. It is impossible to shorten it to a woody stem - this will lead to the death of the plant. Be sure to leave 4-5 green shoots.
Transfer
The plant does not tolerate this procedure very well, so lavender is replanted only with an earthen lump. The most suitable time for this is spring. The flower can be replanted in the fall, if done before the onset of the dormant period. The process itself has the following features:
- A pot with a diameter of 15-30 centimeters is selected depending on the size of the bush.
- Drainage made of expanded clay or small stones is poured onto its bottom.
- Then the container is filled with soil mixture. At the same time, its level should not reach the edge of the pot 1-1.5 centimeters.
- The flower is placed 2 centimeters into the soil, after which it is regularly watered
Preparing for winter
This period is a time of rest for lavender. In addition to pruning, the following activities are carried out to prepare the plant for wintering:
- Watering frequency is reduced to once a week.
- The container with the flower is moved to a cool room. Sometimes lavender blooms in winter, but this negatively affects its health.
- The growths are removed.
Proper care will help keep the culture healthy
Possible diseases
Lavender health problems appear infrequently, but some difficulties may arise due to improper care. Let's look at the most common lavender diseases:
- Excessive watering leads to yellowing of the shoots and rotting of the root system. In this situation, the amount of water must be reduced.
- The bush is being attacked by a leafhopper. This is a pest that feeds on plant leaves. The bush must be sprayed twice with phosphamide emulsion of 40% concentration.
- Lavender may be threatened by septoria. A suspension of copper oxychloride helps to get rid of this disease: 3-4 grams of powder are diluted in a liter of water, the flower is sprayed with this composition 2 times with an interval of 15 days.
Important! Lavender tolerates moisture deficiency more easily than excess moisture.
The issue of reproduction
In indoor conditions, the culture is propagated by seeds and cuttings. In open ground, sprouts can be obtained using layering:
- The plant branch is laid horizontally.
- It is filled with soil and a weight is placed on top.
- A few months later, when the culture takes root, the new bush is separated from the mother one and planted separately.
The cutting method has the following features:
1. For the procedure, annual shoots are used. Stems 10 centimeters long are cut with a knife and then moistened in a solution of 0.5% fungicide.
Preparing the cuttings
2. The pot is filled with soil from peat and sand, then depressions 2.5 centimeters in size are made.
3. Cuttings are placed in the holes and covered with soil.
Planting cuttings in pots
4. The container is covered with polyethylene with ventilation holes.
Wrap in polyethylene until rooted
5. After rooting, the film is removed.
As you can see, growing lavender at home is not at all difficult, even if you are doing it for the first time. The crop must be provided with nutrients, watered regularly, properly prepared for winter, and also deal with diseases if they arise. Then you will be able to enjoy abundant lavender blooms for many years.
Lavender - southern subshrub, growing wild on the mountain slopes of the Mediterranean.
However, it is quite easy to grow summer cottage, because it is unpretentious and has undoubted advantages: in addition to the floral fragrance, you can use it as natural medicine, cosmetic ingredient and spice.
Lavender: cultivation. Selection of planting material, seeds
Lavender seeds ripen in September, so purchase them better in autumn. Their germination (when stored in paper bags at a temperature of +12-18ºС) lasts for a long time. After 2 years of storage, they need stratification before sowing.
When purchasing seedlings or cuttings, pay attention to appearance plants and its root system: they must be healthy, without signs of damage by pests. Also when choosing planting material You should be guided by the climatic conditions of your region.
Which variety of lavender should I choose to grow?
More than 20 types of lavender are known. They differ in the color of the flowers, the height of the bush, and the shape of the inflorescences. The most famous of them are:
Lavender broadleaf (French)– a shrub up to 130 cm high with wide leaves. It has a strong aroma. Up to 3 inflorescences grow on the stem at the same time. Color palette inflorescences are wide: shades of purple, blue, pink, burgundy, white. Not winter-hardy (tolerates frosts only down to -15ºС). In Russia, it is not cultivated in open ground; it can only be grown in flowerpots; in winter, they need to be brought into a cool room with +5-10ºС.
Lavender serrated– a compact heat-loving shrub up to 30 cm high. It grows mainly in southern latitudes. In temperate climates this species is grown as potted plant. This lavender is very decorative: the leaves are silvery, carved, the inflorescences are large, their color range is all shades of purple.
Lavender angustifolia. It is medicinal, English, evergreen, real. It is a branched subshrub with peduncles up to 1 m high. It blooms in June-July with tassels of small flowers.
Narrow-leaved lavender, as the most cold-resistant (withstands frosts down to -25ºС), is suitable for growing in our country. Many varieties have been bred for this species, which are divided into dwarf (bush height 15-45 cm), medium-sized (45-60 cm) and tall (more than 60 cm). For the middle zone, Munstread, Hidcote, Royal Blue, Felice, Alba are most suitable. Of the zoned varieties, Benetatso, Voznesenskaya 34, Yuzhanka, Lyublinskaya Semko are recommended. In the southern regions, in addition to the above varieties, you can grow the following: Record, Izida, Stepnaya, Rannyaya, V-34, Sineva, Krymchanka.
In the northern regions, lavender is not grown in open ground. It can be planted in tubs or flowerpots, which can be brought into the shelter with the onset of cold weather.
Lavender: cultivation. Sowing and planting
A place for growing lavender must be chosen immediately, because it does not tolerate transplantation well. In addition, it can grow in a permanent place for more than 20 years. Lavender grows in the wild on rocks and mountain slopes on poor rocky soils. The same conditions must be provided to her on her site. It's better to choose for her sunny location on the south or southwest side of the site. Lavender will not grow in the shade abundant flowering. Lowlands and flooded areas are also not suitable for growing lavender. If a suitable site cannot be found, then lavender is planted in beds 40 cm high, having previously arranged drainage in this place from crushed stone or expanded clay.
Lavender prefers moderately rocky or sandy soils, without stagnant water, with a slightly alkaline or neutral reaction. In heavy clay soils, you need to add lime, compost, and sand. At high level groundwater drainage must be taken care of.
Landing dates: The seeds are sown in open ground in October. Lavender seedlings are planted in the spring after the end of frost. In the southern regions, planting can be done in early autumn.
Growing lavender from seeds
To grow lavender from seeds, they require stratification. They start doing it in February. Seeds are sown in a bowl with wet peat or sand, covered with film or glass and placed in a cool room with a temperature of +3-5ºС (cellar, basement, refrigerator) for 30-40 days. Periodically it is necessary to ventilate the container and remove condensation. Then the container is transferred to warm room for germination. Optimal temperature for this it will be +15-20ºС. It is better to place the seedlings on a light windowsill so that they do not stretch out. When 4-6 leaves appear, the seedlings are planted in separate pots. To stimulate tillering, the crown of the plant is pinched over 5-6 pairs of leaves. Young plants are transplanted into open ground in May after frost has passed. The plants will bloom in the second year.
You can sow the seeds in the fall (October) directly into the ground or in a cold greenhouse. Sow to a depth of 4 mm, sprinkling sand on top and slightly moistening the soil. In winter, this place needs to be covered with more snow.
Growing lavender from cuttings
An easier way to grow lavender is from cuttings. IN middle lane In Russia it is carried out in the summer (from late June - early July). It is best to use the middle parts of semi-lignified annual shoots for cuttings. They are cut into pieces 10 cm long; it is better to tear off the leaves from the bottom. The lower ends of the cuttings are dipped in a rooting agent (kornevin, heteroauxin) and planted in a greenhouse in prepared soil (peat and sand 1:1). Roots will appear in about a month. On permanent place rooted seedlings are planted until mid-August.
Lavender cuttings
Growing lavender by layering
You can also propagate lavender by layering. To do this, in the spring, the lower stems are bent to the ground, placed in a shallow groove (3-5 cm deep), sprinkled with earth or pinned. During the summer, the soil in these places is kept slightly moist. Next spring you can separate the new plants from the mother plant.
Dividing the bush
To propagate lavender by divisions, in October the bush is cut to a height of 8-10 cm and hilled up so that there are no voids between the shoots. Young shoots will appear next summer. In the fall, the bush can already be divided.
Before planting lavender bushes and seat should be prepared:
The root system of the bushes is soaked in water for 60-90 minutes;
For better tillering, the tops of the shoots are cut off;
IN landing hole humus and sand are added to a depth of approximately 30 cm;
The recommended planting density for lavender is 3-5 plants per 1m2. The interval between plants depends on the height of a particular variety and varies from 50 to 120 cm. If the bush is planted singly or as a tapeworm in flower beds, then its feeding area should be at least 0.5 m2. When creating ridges, borders, and hedges to create the effect of a “solid carpet,” the distance between plants is made half the height of the bush.
Lavender: cultivation. Care, feeding
Caring for lavender is quite simple: watering, loosening, fertilizing, pruning and covering for the winter.
Watering. Lavender is drought-resistant and does not like waterlogging. Water it as the soil dries, directing the stream of water under the root so as not to get on the leaves. Excessive watering will cause rotting of the roots and yellowing of the stems.
Trimming. If lavender is not pruned, then with age its bottom becomes exposed and it loses its decorative effect. There is no need to prune immediately after flowering, as this causes late regrowth of frost-resistant shoots. In autumn, shoots are shortened by 1/3. Last year's inflorescences are removed in the spring.
Lavender pruning
Shelter. In winters with little snow and severe frosts (below -25°C), lavender bushes can freeze, so it is necessary to cover them. The shelter should be light and not retain moisture. It is optimal to use spruce branches for this. It is not recommended to use sawdust or dry leaves, otherwise the lavender bushes may begin to rot.
Feeding. In the spring, during the active growing season, lavender is fed with nitrogen fertilizers: urea or ammonium nitrate (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water). Instead of mineral preparations, you can use an aqueous solution of mullein (1:10). In the second half of summer, feeding is stopped, otherwise, while growing foliage, the plants will not have time to prepare for the winter period. If you mulch the soil around the bushes with compost, this will be enough to feed the plants.
Collection and storage of lavender
If lavender is grown for practical purposes, then the harvest should be at the peak of flowering. During this period, lavender flowers contain maximum amount essential oils and have a rich color. Dry the flower shoots in a shaded and ventilated place, tying them into bunches. After drying, the flowers are picked and stored in light-proof jars, hermetically sealed.
Uses of lavender
If you plant lavender in your garden, you will not regret it at all, because it has a wide range of uses. This plant will add a unique charm to the site. Lavender looks good in flowerbeds, borders as a background plant, and rockeries. Its combination with roses is harmonious, which will be grateful for such a neighborhood: lavender essential oils repel aphids and spider mite. You can create a sunny Mediterranean flowerbed by planting lavender with red daylilies, calendula, and marigolds. In addition, the colors of lavender are not limited to purple shades. This allows you to combine it with other contrasting plants. Or you can create a “medicinal” garden bed by combining the planting of lavender with mint, sage, oregano, rosemary, and lemon balm.
Lavender is a good honey plant; its aroma attracts bees, which will also pollinate the flowering plants. vegetable crops on your site.
Essential oils Lavenders repel the codling moth, Colorado potato beetle, and moles. Therefore, it is advisable to plant lavender bushes around the perimeter of the potato field or in the beds between root crops.
This spicy herb will help diversify and add a “zest” to your meal. traditional dishes and drinks.
Dried lavender flowers are used to decorate interiors in Provence and Country styles, as well as to scent linen and rooms.
Main pests and ways to combat them
Agalmatium biloba– an insect (up to 6 mm in size) that damages essential plants, including lavender. Lives mainly in the south of the Russian Federation. On the underside of the leaves, females lay overwintering eggs, which, due to their stickiness, become covered with dust and look like small lumps of dirt. The hatched larvae and adults eat the leaves, which become covered with dots, spots and slowly wither. To combat this pest, it is necessary to destroy weeds; in case of severe damage to plants, insecticides are used.
Rainbow beetle Damages French and serrated lavender. It is collected from plants by hand.
Rainbow beetle
Slobbering Penny- polyphagous pest up to 5-6 mm long. Females lay eggs at the base of the shoots, from which larvae are born in the spring. They live in their foamy secretions, feeding on the undersides of leaves and shoots. Damaged parts of plants shrink and become deformed. At mass destruction bushes are used chemicals Inta-Vir, Fufanon.
Selenocephalus pallidum- a brown beetle with a teardrop-shaped body. Females lay overwintering eggs in August–September, from which larvae hatch in early summer. They, like adult insects, feed on lavender leaves. Insecticides are used to control this pest.
Lepironia coleoptera- brown leafhopper. Harm is caused by both adults and larvae, which secrete a liquid that softens the lavender stems. They settle on stems at a height of 20 cm from the soil surface. In places of damage, shoots crack, nutrition of the upper parts of the plant is disrupted. Damaged stems become thinner, lighten, bend, and subsequently dry out. To control pests, insecticides are applied in May.
Septoria – fungal disease. It appears on the leaves as many round red-brown spots. Affected leaves dry out and fall off. The development of the disease occurs in humid and warm weather. Sick plants are treated with preparations containing copper.
Alternaria blight– a disease caused by the pathogenic fungus Alternaria. The first signs appear in wilting and yellowing of the lower leaves, necrotic spotting on the stems. Top and side shoots fade. Damaged parts of plants are removed and the rest are sprayed Bordeaux mixture, Fundazol, Maxim.
gray rot provoked by the fungus Botrytis cinerea. The disease develops in wet and cold summers. Brown, weeping spots with a gray coating form on the leaves and stems. Infected plants cannot be treated and are removed and burned.
In the process of developing a design project local area, the question of choice certainly arises suitable plants. The standard selection criteria are the desired simplicity of planting and caring for green spaces, but at the same time, the landscape of the site should be colorful, bright and original. All this is easy to do when planting lavender, the main types and rules for growing which are described below.
To choose the right type of this flower for planting on your own site, first read existing species and them distinctive characteristics. With this approach, lavender in the garden will be a truly excellent solution. 
All varieties existing today are classified into the following groups:
- Narrow-leaved (English). Externally, this plant looks like long spikelets and inflorescences framed by narrow leaves. The size of the bushes reaches 1 meter in diameter and height. It is this variety that most often attracts the interest of gardeners for planting lavender in northern latitudes due to its excellent winter hardiness. Flowering of many varieties of this species occurs from the beginning of June to the end of July.
Important! If you prefer this type, keep in mind that planting and caring for English lavender will not take much time. It is noteworthy that it does not require autumn digging.
- Broadleaf (French). Plants of this type will require more time and attention, as individuals French look quite capricious to growing conditions. Distinctive features- shorter inflorescences, presented in a very wide range of shades, and wide leaves. In addition, when choosing a variety, keep in mind that not all flowers of this type have a pleasant aroma. Great option Such lavender will become possible when grown at home. Broad-leaved lavender blooms in May.
- Serrated. The varieties of this group are predominantly heat-loving, so they are also suitable for planting in pots at home or on open areas southern strip. Toothed lavender is distinguished by silvery soft leaves and blue inflorescences of several shades.
- Hybrid (Dutch). Such lavender bushes are quite large in size - the height of some individuals reaches 2 meters. Since they are bred mainly from narrow-leaved lavender, the appearance of the plants has the same features, but the inflorescences are larger. Frost resistance of hybrid lavender is not very high, so winter replanting will be required. The flowering period is later - begins in July.
Important! When choosing a type, be sure to take into account the attractiveness of the plants - first look at a photo of the lavender of the selected group in adulthood. Take into account the possibility of growing such individuals on your own plot, focusing on climatic conditions.
Shades of lavender
The color palette of the inflorescences of this shrub is quite wide, represented mainly by multiple shades of the following colors:
Popular varieties
Pay attention to the proposed list of varieties that are constantly popular:
Important! Considering the fact that with the help of lavender you can not only diversify the design of the landscape area, but also the interior living rooms When purchasing seedlings or seeds, carefully determine which lavender is homemade and which varieties are acceptable for planting in an open area.
How to choose a landing site?
When choosing a place to plant lavender, consider the following requirements:
What soil is suitable for lavender?
There are very specific requirements regarding the quality of soil for planting lavender. 
Read them carefully to choose the most suitable site for the full development of the plant:
When to plant lavender?
In order for the seedlings to quickly take root or for seedlings to appear quickly when planting seeds, complete all work in May. 
Landing rules
The entire planting process consists of several stages:
Soil preparation
To prepare the soil correctly, follow these procedures:
Preparation of seedlings
If you purchased seedlings as planting material, prepare them as follows:
Seed preparation
To prepare seeds for planting, follow these procedures:
Lavender planting technology
Since the bushes of this plant do not tolerate transplantation quite well, follow some requirements to prevent their death:
How to care for lavender?
The complex of works for caring for lavender consists of the following procedures:
To perform each process correctly, follow these guidelines:
Conclusion
Planting lavender in your own garden is a truly practical solution. With its help you can solve many problems landscape design. To see this, check out the most popular solutions:
Video
Watch the video to see how attractive the area decorated with lavender looks. In addition, this review outlines some interesting legends about lavender and its uses.
Growing lavender from seeds at home is not difficult if you have free space on a south-facing windowsill or balcony and, for starters, a two-liter pot. It is used and valuable things are extracted from it.
How to grow lavender from seeds
The lavender pot must have good drainage; lavender does not tolerate stagnant water. The soil should be sandy-peaty, with an alkaline reaction. You can add to the mixture. You can also add crushed eggshells for easy alkalization of the mixture.
Seeds must pass through before planting. During planting, the seeds should be sprinkled with 3 mm thick soil and placed in a cool, bright place, covered with film until the first shoots. Seed germination is poor, so it makes sense to put 15-20 seeds in the refrigerator.
Pour the seeds onto a damp cotton pad and cover with another damp cotton pad. 
The first sprout to hatch 
Before storing in the refrigerator, place the wet discs with seeds in a bag. We ventilate for a couple of minutes every 2-3 days. 
Sprouted lavender. 1 month
Grown lavender, about 2 months
When the lavender has grown to six pairs of leaves, you should cut off or pinch the top so that it bushes better. Young plants require gentle but regular watering - early in the morning and in the evening, not forgetting to irrigate the green part of the plant. Lavender needs fertilizer.
There should be at least 10 hours of light a day - you can help the growth in the evenings or on cloudy days. Make sure that the leaves do not burn from the hot sun.
My lavender is going dormant before winter.
The first year, lavender is rather inconspicuous, weakly branched, but in the second year it already blooms. The plant needs to be ventilated, but strong drafts should be avoided.
A year after sowing, the lavender needs to be cut to 15 cm above the ground, then your bush will be beautiful and thick. You also need to prune after flowering.
In winter, lavender can rest, for example on glassed balcony. The temperature should not fall below 5 degrees.
It is better to replant in early autumn or spring, so that the plant has time to take root in the new pot before it blooms. Lavender is endowed with extraordinary properties.
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How to grow lavender from seeds at home on a windowsill: 52 comments
- Natali Waters
Hello)
I wanted to ask, I planted lavender, the seeds sprouted well, but now the sprouts are starting to bend and wither (almost a month has passed since planting)
I thought it was because I didn’t plant it too deep and they didn’t have enough soil. I sprinkled a little on top to help it hold, but this made them die even more.
Can you tell me what's wrong with them?
Maybe you need to move it to a warmer place? - Vera
Hello Jane!
thanks for detailed information on growing lavender from seeds. Let me ask you about wintering bushes. Do I need to water them in winter? I read somewhere that you can even put it in the cellar?! However, we were talking about young bushes grown at the dacha in pots from cuttings (so that they would not freeze). I brought my bushes (three) to the glassed-in loggia (t is always no lower than 10 degrees). So now there is only one of them left, and it somehow looks very unimportant - it somehow dries out, although I water it little by little... How do your bushes overwinter and when (March, April?) do they start to feel better? How much light do they need in winter? Thank you if you answer. - Olga
Girls, write how your lavenders overwintered?
- Elena
Hello! Thanks for your information and visual photos!
I also really want to grow lavender from seeds at home. Only I live in the tropics.
Do you happen to know how to act? :) I mean, there is no winter here, the sun is very hot and the humidity is high….
Thank you! I will be very glad to receive your advice! - Olesya
I just recently bought seeds. I won’t have time to stratify, I’ll leave it until the fall. But I just want to plant a few seeds. I don’t understand, should I immediately plant it in a pot where the lavender will grow, or can I put a few things in a glass, wait until they hatch, and then transplant them into the pot (pick them up)???
- Marina
Hello, just recently I received lavender seeds, please tell me, is there any point in doing something with them now or leaving them, as I understand, until February?
- Jane Craft Posted by
Try sowing several seeds at once in the ground, and leave some in reserve until the next season. But you may have to wait up to 4 weeks for the first shoots.
- Jane Craft Posted by
- Natalia
Hello! Could you describe more specifically how to trim or pinch the top of the lavender when it has grown 6 pairs of leaves? It’s just that this was the first time I bought a pot of seeds, and indeed the first time I started a plant. I wouldn’t want to harm him due to my inexperience. Thank you!
- Tatiana
Hello, when planting seeds, the soil should be moist and how often (and is it necessary at all) to moisten the soil when the seeds are under a film?? thanks in advance for your answer
- Christina
Hello!
Please tell me how to properly care for lavender in its first winter? This spring I planted lavender in pots, now there are nice green sprouts. In what month should it be removed “for wintering”? Which temperature regime? How often to water? And is it worth cutting it?
Thanks for the answer and article :)- Jane Craft Posted by
Sorry for the delay in answering. First of all, I just have to say that my lavender did not survive the winter. What was the mistake: instead of a cool, but not freezing balcony, I put it in the pantry. Sometimes you need to water it - I forgot about it for at least a month and a half. Well, I didn’t wait for her to come to her senses - I watched this cracker for two weeks, no leaves appeared, and I broke up with her.
I don’t know if I can now give advice on wintering lavender, but the rules are as follows: lavender will begin to dry out by November and it needs to be covered with a bag and placed in a dark place with a temperature of no lower than 5 degrees and no higher than 15. This is its natural wintering temperature. The soil should not dry out. At the end of February, we place it on the sunny side and wait for young leaves. You can prune it; even in my first season it sprouted additional shoots precisely thanks to pinching.
If I decide to use lavender again, I’ll probably play it safe - I’ll leave some of the shoots on the windowsill, some in the refrigerator (there’s one, older than me, in which the temperature and humidity are just right)))).
- Jane Craft Posted by
- Christina
Thank you very much for your answers :))
- Irina
Hello, we live in a region where it is hot and dry, all my flowers are in a closed area in the house, but with floor-to-ceiling windows, and the air conditioning is on. It's not much cool in winter. The seeds have been in the refrigerator for about a month and a half, so I’m thinking about what to do - plant them now or wait until spring, but this is probably too long a time for stratification...
- Olesya
Hello! I want to ask you for advice. The idea to plant lavender came to me by accident - I saw the seeds on Aliexpress, so I decided to order it out of curiosity. I generally doubted that these were real seeds and did not hope that anything would sprout, so I planted half a packet at once in April. No stratification. Almost all the lavender came up, there was a lot of it and I had to plant it in one large pot. I didn’t pinch the tops because I was traveling all summer, and my husband sometimes watered the lavender. Upon my return, I tried to replant it, but the roots were closely intertwined and they were so thin that I was afraid of damaging something and left everything as it was. I trimmed the tops a little, but it was too late, it had already stretched out a lot. New shoots are visible from the ground. Now I look at her and don’t know what further actions are needed. It seems to me that she is too cramped in one pot, but I don’t dare to replant. And what to do with thin long stems? They are spread out like straw all over the pot, with lush foliage at the tips, and the stem itself is thin as a toothpick, very long and woody.
- Natalia
I found an excellent way for myself to plant lavender after failures with stratification. I prepare the soil, water it with very warm, even bitter water, put the seeds on top and sprinkle it with just a little earth.. Then I put the container in a bag and send it to the battery for 40 minutes. And then just on the windowsill. The seeds sprouted strong and I didn’t have to wait long.
- Victoria
Hello everybody!
And I planted lavender without stratification. I had a small dry bouquet. I shook him and got the seeds. Then I cut a pot into a box of 2 liters of juice, as it were. And she sowed, watered and covered the whole thing with a transparent bag. I left for 2 weeks, and when I returned there were already borings there. I waited until there were 6 leaves and transplanted them into pots. Some bushes did not take root, but now I have three of them. And two are already blooming)
By the way, in winter, I brought them from the balcony and put them on the windowsill and watered them as the soil dried out. More precisely, I let it dry completely and only then watered it a little. Lavender seemed bald and nondescript. When the snow melted outside, I took it out onto the balcony again and watered it as well. Now I can’t be happier))) - Nara
Hello, in a month of stratification of 2 types (French and English) of lavender, the first seeds to hatch were French lavender (5 pieces), after 3 days another 3 pieces and 6 pieces of English one. I stratified them in medical bandages at a temperature of +5-7 degrees, ventilated them every two days and sprayed them with melt water from a spray bottle. Each of the hatched seeds was immediately planted in light soil. Now I'm waiting for the leaves to appear from the ground. But, I’m worried about the seeds because when I stratified them, I noticed that the seeds are fr. The lavender secreted something like a jelly on top of the seed shell, and because of this, they did not stick tightly to the bandage. And when I wanted to collect the awakened seeds, the brown shell came off or remained on the bandage. Please tell me, will lavender grow from these sprouted seeds?
Jane Craft have you planted any other spices? It would be even better to communicate with you in private messages, is this possible?
Blagodarna,kto pishet o posadke semian lavandochki. Ja chitaju, vnikaju
,budu sazhatj vv fevrale, a poka lezhat na vatnyh diskah konechno vlazhnyh v korobke i v holodilnike.
Thank you vsem ikonechno, udachi.
Lavender is one of the must-have perennials that is both luxurious and versatile. Despite its Mediterranean origin, lavender has long taken root in our country. And although only one species can boast of sufficient winter hardiness, it is impossible to imagine a single modern garden without lavender. But popularity has had little effect on the relatively high price of planting material, because of which gardeners are increasingly deciding to grow the plant themselves. Most affordable way– Growing lavender from seeds is not quite rightly called the most difficult.
Lavender (Lavandula) in the middle zone and to the north is represented by only one frost-resistant species – English lavender, or lavender angustifolia (Lavandula angustifolia). This is a perennial subshrub with numerous shoots, woody in the lower part, densely covered with opposite, sessile silvery-grayish leaves. Small blue or lilac lavender flowers are collected in whorls in slender spikelets of inflorescences crowning leafless shoots. Fragrant, bright, textured, unusually elegant, lavender is recognizable at first sight. English lavender traditionally blooms in mid to late summer.
In reproduction, both angustifolia and other types of lavender are almost similar. Regardless of the degree of winter hardiness, representatives of the genus Lavandula retain common features and differ only in details - the size of leaves and flowers. Without exception, all lavender plants are easiest to propagate vegetatively.: plants give a large number of shoots, both layering and cuttings take root well. But in this way you can only get lavender of the variety and type that you already have or are on the market (and rare varieties with interesting colors and unusual species, as a rule, are found infrequently). And the number of “offspring” will always be more or less limited. If you want to grow new variety lavender and get a large number of seedlings, significantly saving both time and money, then you can use a less popular, reputedly difficult, method - growing lavender from seeds. In practice, seed propagation of lavender is not at all so tricky, since the only difficulty - stratification - is overcome quite simply.
Self-collection of lavender seeds and their choice for sowing
Choosing lavender seeds Special attention pay attention to price and manufacturer. Buy lavender only from trusted companies and suppliers you trust, with a wide palette ornamental plants and a representative collection of not only annual seeds, but also other perennials. Remember that lavender seeds cannot be too affordable: cheap seeds can be unpleasantly surprised by the “substitution” of one type for another. Make sure that information about the manufacturer, plant characteristics, and sowing characteristics is presented in full.
You can collect the seeds yourself by purchasing or collecting fully blossomed inflorescences, making bouquets of lavender and, after drying, preserving the spilled small and fragrant seeds.
Lavender seeds remain viable for an amazingly long time. They don’t have to be used fresh; even after 5 years they will sprout happily if all the rules of agricultural technology are followed. And the main condition is proper storage seeds: they must be kept in hermetically sealed containers.
Pre-treatment of lavender seeds
Lavender seeds need stratification, or rather, cold stratification. Without cold treatment they will not sprout, and the exposure to low temperatures should last for quite a long time. Depending on the method and timing of processing, there are two options for growing lavender from seeds:
- Artificial stratification, cold exposure before sowing.
- Natural stratification, sowing before winter to undergo a cooling period already in the soil.
The minimum period for stratification of lavender seeds is considered to be 1.5 months (or at least 30-40 days). If stratification takes longer, this will only have a positive effect on the number of seedlings and germination rates.
Artificial stratification It is better to do this not in bags, but by mixing lavender seeds with sand or substrate. Having filled the container with the prepared mixture, wrap it in film or cover it with a lid (you can also fill hermetically sealed plastic bags with the mixture). The seeds are sent to cool for 6-8 weeks at a temperature of about 5 degrees Celsius. There is no need to freeze lavender seeds; simply place them in the refrigerator to go through the cooling phase.
In addition to conventional stratification, you can experiment with other processing methods:
- scalding lavender seeds sown in the ground;
- treatment with a growth stimulant or phytohormones (for example, gibberellin in a concentration of 100 to 200 ml per 1 liter of water).
But such methods may not give results at all.
Sowing lavender in the ground
Sowing lavender before winter is not a difficult task and differs little from growing any perennial and annual plant that prefer stratification. Sowing is carried out at the end of October, trying not to bury the seeds too deeply in the soil and be sure to mulch the ridge to protect it for the winter. Afraid of what in early spring lavender does not sprout, it is not worth it: The plant will produce its first shoots no earlier than May, or even on the eve of summer, when temperatures at night will rise significantly.
Sowing in the soil in spring is carried out in May when the threat of severe return frosts disappears. In this case, the seeds are subjected to artificial stratification.
Soil and containers for sowing lavender seeds for seedlings
For lavender, universal loose substrates with a high nutritional content are used. For this plant, it is preferable to use ready-made soil mixtures (universal for indoor plants or special for seedlings and summerlings). Before planting, it is advisable to calcinate the substrate or sprinkle it with potassium permanganate.
When choosing containers for sowing lavender seedlings, you should give preference to shallow, but large and wide containers, boxes and bowls. Lavender is not sown in cassettes. The maximum depth of the container is 7 cm.
Sowing lavender seeds for seedlings
Sowing of seedlings is carried out at the end of winter, in the second half of February or the first half of March. It is customary to sow lavender in large boxes quite rarely, literally laying out the seeds one at a time, because despite the fact that the plants are not afraid of transplants, they have powerful roots and primarily grow long roots, which can be easily damaged if sowed densely. Otherwise, the landing rules are quite simple:
- The containers are filled with soil and carefully, without compacting, leveled.
- The soil on top is moistened with a spray bottle.
- Lavender seeds are planted one at a time at a distance of 1.5-2 cm.
- Cover the top with 2–3 mm of soil (preferably sifted), without digging deep.
- Immediately after sowing, the containers are covered with glass or film.
Conditions for seed germination
For lavender, two main factors must be provided:
- bright lighting;
- reserved room temperature in the range from 15 to 21 degrees Celsius.
During the entire period before lavender sprouts, you need to maintain light but stable soil moisture by carefully spraying the soil in the morning and ventilating the “greenhouses.” Overmoistening is very dangerous, but without constant, at least light humidity, it will be difficult to achieve successful shoots.
Typically, the germination process of lavender is quite long. The first shoots may appear after 2 weeks, friendly shoots - on average, after 1 month.
Growing plants
After the friendly lavender shoots appear, remove the glass or film from the containers as soon as possible, but continue to maintain light soil moisture. Young seedlings should be placed in the brightest light possible (preferably on a sunny southern windowsill). If sunlight not enough, lavender is supplemented with light, increasing daylight hours to 8-10 hours.
Picking seedlings and caring for young lavenders
Lavender is picked only when the plant has formed one pair of true leaves and the third or fourth full leaf begins to develop. As a rule, even young lavender seedlings first grow roots, and at this stage quite powerful roots are formed, which will not have enough space in a shallow bowl.
Lavender is transplanted carefully, but the plants tolerate this procedure easily. It is advisable to plant in individual pots or cups with a diameter of 5-6 cm, but large boxes can also be used, leaving a similar distance between plants. For lavender seedlings, you can use a peat-sand mixture or a lighter substrate for indoor plants with the addition of perlite and sand. Long-acting fertilizers can be added to the soil.
Lavender is transferred to new containers, trying not to destroy the earthen ball, carefully pressing the soil around the seedlings to speed up rooting.
Hardening off lavender seedlings
Lavender seedlings will need hardening off for at least 1 week to adapt to new conditions. Plants are taken out gradually, starting from 1 hour a day and increasing the time spent outside every day.
Planting lavender seedlings
Lavender grown from seeds blooms only the next year after germination. Throughout the first year, the plant does not develop too rapidly: first, lavender grows roots, and only then shoots. But well-rooted plants develop very quickly in the second year and delight with their fragrant inflorescences.
To plant lavender seedlings, choose sunny places with light soil to which you have added organic fertilizers. This perennial is more suitable for rocky, sandy-clayey soils. Optimal value The pH for this plant is from 6.5 to 7.5. For planting, it is better to prepare a special soil mixture by mixing the soil removed from the planting hole with sand, humus and mineral fertilizers or completely replacing the soil with a mixture of leaf soil, sand and humus in a ratio of 3:1:2.
The distance when planting lavender is from 30 to 40 cm. This plant is planted in individual, fairly large planting holes with a depth and diameter of about 30 cm.
Lavender will respond with gratitude not only to abundant watering, but also to mulching immediately after planting (it is advisable to maintain a constant layer of mulch, but never place it directly under the base of the bushes).
In the first year after planting seedlings or sowing in the ground, despite all its drought resistance, it is advisable to provide lavender with regular watering. Watering is carried out only during drought. But weeding and protection from weeds are needed regularly in the first year. In the first year of flowering, you should not let lavender bloom vigorously, much less form seeds: it is advisable to cut off the inflorescences as soon as the first flowers bloom. In the second year of flowering, the inflorescences are cut off as soon as a third of the flowers open, leaving about a third of all inflorescences on the plant. In subsequent years, such tricks will not be needed.
During the first wintering in the soil, it is advisable to protect lavender grown from seeds with an additional high layer of mulch from dry leaves or spruce branches.
Alternative methods for propagating lavender:
- dividing bushes (planting shoots);
- rooting of cuttings;
- cuttings of annual shoots.
