How to care for lavender in the garden?
Lavender - appearance, taste, smell
Lavender is a type of plant with about 40 species and many subspecies and varieties. The most popular of them is narrow-leaved lavender, which is also called medical, true or English lavender. Lavender has long been used as a perfume to flavor bath water. It was also used as incense during religious ceremonies. Greece was famous for producing lavender honey, while the Romans successfully used it as an anesthetic and antibacterial agent.
Lavender blooms from mid-June to September. There are 3 colors of flowers: white, pink and purple. The inflorescence is on long peduncles, which looks unearthly and is an unusual decoration. Soothing, pleasant aroma is a characteristic feature of lavender. It is perfect for home gardens, perfectly decorates paths and gazebos. A gentle touch is enough to feel its phenomenal fragrance.
A unique plant, which is lavender, is not only a decoration. Currently, it is used to produce many drugs that relieve pain, help you fall asleep and reduce anxiety. Lavender is used to produce a unique essential oil used in aromatherapy. Effectively brings peace and relief. Flowers and leaves work well in the production of preparations that facilitate digestion. In addition, lavender can be a spice for fatty and hard-to-digest dishes.
lavender soil requirements
Lavender is called the plant of the sun. Her growth is best when she has easy access to sun and warmth. Loves sunny positions effectively sheltered from severe frosts and wind. It thrives in well-drained, calcareous, slightly stony soils. Mixing the substrate with fine gravel or grit is extremely beneficial for it. When we have sandy soil, it is necessary to mix it with garden soil or compost. However, it is worth remembering that the compost should not dominate, because lavender does not like a substrate that is too rich in organic substances. The perfect soil for lavender should have a pH of 6.5 - 7.5.
When planning to plant lavender in the garden, we must pay attention to whether the place entrusted to it is airy, because lavender requires good air circulation. This type of plants is not recommended to be planted in excessive density and in hollows of the ground, because then there will be no free access to the wind. When we plant lavender in a hollow and expose it to too much moisture, it can get a fungal disease, to which this type of plant is very susceptible.
Regular watering of lavender after planting is the key to its proper growth and flowering. However, you must not spray flowers or stems, water must be supplied directly to the ground. The best way to water is to provide water in small portions at regular intervals. By following these rules, we will ensure that water will not stand in the ground, thanks to which the lavender will be protected from moisture and diseases.
In its natural environment, lavender grows in infertile rocky areas, which means that it has low nutritional requirements. It does not need frequent fertilization. However, it is worth using a long-acting fertilizer in the spring, and compost in the fall.
Lavender care cut
Pruning is a very important step when growing lavender. There are two types: cutting flower shoots for bouquets and maintenance pruning, in other words, shaping pruning. Everyone who grows lavender wants to have eye-catching, healthy, dense and shapely specimens. For this reason, every year around September, formative pruning should be performed. Sometimes, when the weather is favorable, it's warm and the lavender repeats its blooming, you can postpone the pruning in time. It is extremely important that it takes place no later than 4 weeks before the onset of the first frost. If we do not respect this deadline and cut the lavender too late, it will be at risk of freezing.
SEE: GARDENING SHEARS AND PRUNERS
There is a second maintenance pruning in the spring, however, it is not recommended. There may then be a possibility of damaging the flower buds that are just beginning to form. Spring maintenance pruning is associated with the risk of much less flowering.
When growing lavender for bouquets, it is a good idea to start cutting the stems in the early stages of flowering. We will be able to enjoy a more durable and longer-lasting aroma.
Lavender propagation
Propagation of the plant, which is lavender, is carried out by cuttings, layering or seeds.
Lavender seeds intended for sowing can be easily bought or obtained by yourself. How? Collecting dry, black seeds from my own crop. Sowing should take place in April, after the initial cooling of the seeds for several weeks. The best choice for sowing will be wooden boxes. Seeds should be scattered and lightly covered with sand. The first signs of life of the sown lavender can be expected only after 6 weeks. Throughout the spring, lavender should last in a sheltered place, preferably under proper cover. Planting to a permanent place is recommended only in the fall.
The second way to propagate lavender is by cuttings. The ideal time for this activity is the end of summer, between the second half of August and the beginning of September. Cuttings should be healthy, strong shoots. Cut them at the slightly woody and brown section of the shoot. The seedling should be cut from the top, because excess leaves can cause too much water loss. This is extremely important because lavender does not yet have roots with which it would draw the necessary water from the soil. Before we put the seedling into the water, it is important to dip the tip into the rooting agent. After planting, you need to water the seedling with a fine stream of water and cover it with agrotextile. Thanks to this, the lavender will get a space with increased air humidity.
The last method is propagation by layering. Choose the longest lavender sprout and bend it to the ground. Then, so that the shoot does not return to its previous position, it must be attached to the ground. In this case, a wire bent into the letter U will work best. For the next year, the layer will have its roots and it will be possible to separate it from the mother plant. Repotting should be left for the fall.
Wintering lavender in the ground
The most enduring species of lavender is narrow-leaved lavender. It will tolerate the winter well only if we provide it with the right position and substrate. A very good way to ensure the survival of lavender is to cover it with spruce branches. When we buy lavender for the first time for the garden and want it to be hidden for a long time, it is worth choosing proven varieties that develop very well in our climate and are characterized by frost resistance.
Lavender care schedule
March - after the soil thaws, we sprinkle lavender with compost.
In April, we prune the lavender after winter. This work is best done on a warm and sunny day. We remove diseased, withered, broken shoots. We cut neglected specimens with woody bases. We can give the lavender a slightly spherical shape, because such forms thicken strongly and bloom most profusely. After the formation is completed, we strengthen the lavender with a multi-component fertilizer. If the plants are only a year old, do not shorten them in April.
In May, we repeat the fertilization if the lavender grows on very light soil. Then, however, we use a smaller dose of fertilizer.
The period from July to September is the time when lavender blooms. At this time, you can prune the faded inflorescences so that others, which are just starting this process, have enough space for themselves.
In September, we repot lavender grown in pots to a permanent place. It is important to keep the gaps large, because lavender does not like to grow too densely. 30 – 50 cm are the recommended distances. The situation is different if we want to create a hedge of lavender. Then the recommended distances are 17 - 20 cm. Then we also prune the lavender. This is a formative pruning, it is performed alternately with a spring pruning. If we decide to cut in autumn, it is also best to do it on a warm, sunny, cloudless day. It should not be done later than 4 weeks before the first frost, because the cut shoots can be damaged by cold.
In October, we wrap the lavender in the garden. Spruce branches are best for this. If, on the other hand, we have lavender that will overwinter in pots on the balcony, it is worth putting a piece of polystyrene foam or bark on the bottom and on the sides into a container larger than the pot, and wrap it with the same material.
In winter, the base of garden lavender shoots should be covered with a layer 5 cm thick. The covering material may be bark. The most important thing is to treat young, still inexperienced plants in this way. In a situation where we keep lavender in pots on the balcony, it is worth placing them under a roof so that rain or snow does not get into them. Lavender tolerates drought well, but hates moisture.
Lavender is a very valuable plant that has many uses. It is worth having it in your garden, it will bring a lot of joy, refreshment and romance to it. It can work great as an addition to your home medicine cabinet.
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