How To Grow Lavender

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Many summer residents want to have multi-colored lavender on their site. But growing this plant requires a lot of patience. Today we'll talk about grafting lavender and the peculiarities of growing it from seeds

How to grow lavender from cuttings

Gardeners know well what cuttings are. In lavender, young shoots are suitable for this. They are usually cut in the spring. But, if the current shoots are short, you can take last year's ones, on which young foliage has already appeared.

This method allows you to propagate a plant at no extra cost, at the same time it is considered the most effective, since new plants will completely copy the parent plants, retaining all their special characteristics.

Let's take a look at the algorithm for growing lavender:

1. With a sharp knife we cut off a young shoot of lavender no more than 6 cm long. Be sure to make a cut below the location of the leaf node. Do not use scissors for cutting, as this method violates the stem ducts and the cuttings do not take root.

2. Remove all side leaves from the stem with a knife and leave only the top. They will help our cuttings to feed, but the extra foliage will not allow the root system to develop, taking a lot of energy onto itself.

3. Prepare a container for planting cuttings. For this we use only ceramic pots, since lavender is very capricious in terms of air exchange and humidity. And in plastic containers, improper water exchange can lead to fungal infections. The container should be filled with a mixture of universal soil with perlite, taken in a ratio of one to one.

4. Prepared cuttings should be placed in Kornevin (the time is indicated on the package) and planted in prepared pots, deepening to the left leaves.

5. After planting the cuttings, we moisten the soil and cover it with a plastic bag to create a favorable microclimate, put it closer to the warmth. Water very carefully to avoid excessive moisture and at the same time not let the soil dry out.

6. After 5-6 weeks, the cuttings can be planted in separate pots, since during this time the roots should already appear (they will be visible in the drainage holes). We take a container with cuttings and turn it over, lightly tapping on the bottom. We carefully disassemble the lump of earth with the seedlings in our hands, without using sharp objects, so as not to damage the young roots.

7. Next, place each seedling in its own container. But the cups should be small for the root system to be stronger. In this case, plastic containers with cups for ordinary seedlings can also come in handy. You no longer need to cover the seedlings with plastic and put them in a warm place. The main condition is light and regular watering. We monitor the root system. If the roots become cramped, this is a signal that a larger container should be selected.

8. Usually, lavender seedlings are grown up to a height of 10 cm. Then they can be placed in open ground, where they will take their place in the garden of the country. In this case, the soil should be well-drained and slightly alkaline. A sunny spot on your property is best.

Growing lavender from seeds

Growing lavender from seeds is difficult, but nothing is impossible. Let's figure out how to do this together.

• Do not harvest seeds from your plant. This does not guarantee a successful outcome. Better to trust the professionals and buy seeds from the store.

• Before sowing seeds, they should be hardened. To do this, mix the seeds with sand, place in a plastic container with a lid and refrigerate for 30-40 days.

• At the beginning of spring, pour a layer of drainage into the seedling boxes, then make a mixture of garden soil with humus and add a little river sand. Sprinkle the seeds on the surface and lightly sprinkle with sand. Spray water from a spray bottle, cover with polyethylene and put in a warm, bright place.

• We dive young shoots in the same way as in the previous method. And we carry out all the following operations the same.