Is it possible to grow lavender at home, and how to do it

It's no secret that the world around is constantly changing, only flowers, especially indoor ones, remain unchanged. Many were captivated by their tenderness of blooming lavender in a pot, caring for which at home requires a lot of effort. After all, the homeland of this cute plant is the warm Mediterranean coast, where there are no severe frosts. And snow falls only on mountain peaks.

Today, there are up to 30 types of lavender. The most popular are:

• "English" (differs in narrow leaf plates);

  

• "Dutch" (hybrid varieties);

  

• "French" (broad foliage).

  

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Interestingly, the ancestor of potted lavender was a broadleaf variety that requires special care at home. In addition, the flower is appreciated not only for its lovely appearance, but also for its beneficial properties.

It is widely used for the manufacture of aromatic oils, in cooking, and also for medicinal purposes. As a result, the flower fell in love with enterprising fans of indoor plants.

Growing lavender at home

According to the signs, lavender creates a cozy and kind atmosphere in the apartment, protects from the evil eye and damage. But not only for these reasons, it is often grown at home. Flower growers are attracted by the unpretentiousness of care, the healing properties and the pleasant aroma of this plant.

Growing a plant at home is carried out by seed or vegetative method. Before sowing, the seeds must be kept in the cold for a month. Then they need to be placed in peat, slightly moistened and kept at a temperature of + 5 ... + 7 degrees. Before sowing, the containers must be filled with a soil mixture consisting of peat and sand. A small amount of crushed eggshells must be added to the soil.

You need to cover the seeds to a depth of several centimeters. Crops should be covered with plastic and stored in the refrigerator. After 2-3 weeks, it is necessary to move the containers to a well-lit place where the temperature will be at least +15 degrees. After another 2-3 weeks, the seedlings need to be dived into a spacious box, and after a while, transplanted into separate containers. Seed-grown lavender does not bloom until a few years after planting.

You can also grow lavender from cuttings. For rooting, it is necessary to cut off annual shoots from the mother plant and divide them into ten-centimeter segments. The cut should be made at an angle of 45 degrees and treated with a growth stimulator (Kornevin, Zircon). Cuttings must be placed in a moist mixture of peat and sand and covered with a transparent container. After they are rooted, you can start planting.

Before planting in a pot, it is necessary to pour a five-centimeter layer of drainage. Ready-made soil can be purchased at a specialized store, but you need to add a little fine gravel to it for breathability. Garden land is not suitable for planting lavender. The soil mixture is prepared from the following components:

• 1 part gravel or sand;
• 1 part of humus;
• 2 parts of turf land.

Before planting lavender at home, you need to find a suitable pot. The diameter of the container should be at least 30 cm, since the flowering of the plant will be scarce in a small container. Several bushes can be planted in an oblong container at once.The pot should have several drainage holes.

Experienced growers recommend planting lavender in a light ceramic pot, since the root system in a plastic container suffers from waterlogging.

It is necessary to put a container with lavender on the south window, since it is very demanding on lighting. In summer, it is advisable to rearrange the pot from the windowsill to the balcony. Exposure to direct sunlight is not enough for the plant, so it needs to provide additional artificial lighting, especially in winter. Daylight hours must be at least 10 hours.

How to grow lavender yourself?

In this article, you will learn:

Lavender is a perennial plant.

It is popular with many gardeners, not only because of its attractive appearance and pleasant smell, but also because of the beneficial properties that it possesses.

If you want to become the owner of such a wonderful plant, this article is for you.

Let's take a closer look at how to grow lavender from seeds, which varieties are especially popular, what features they have.

What secrets depend on getting a violent and fragrant flowering, as well as several recipes for self-production of drugs for health and beauty at home.

The undeniable popularity of lavender

Fragrant lilac flowers are often used in various landscape compositions. In addition, lavender is found in perfumes, balms, shampoos and creams.

The ancient Romans are known to have added lavender flowers to the bath for a fresh and pleasant scent.

Today this beautiful plant can be found in gardens, in summer cottages and even on window sills in apartments.

It looks great both in the form of separate flower beds and planted in small corridors.

And if you plant lavender in a flower pot, you can permanently get rid of the unpleasant odor in the apartment, as well as provide reliable antibacterial protection for the whole family.

Buy real organic lavender essential oil here

The healing powers of lavender

This perennial plant contains many beneficial substances that have a beneficial effect on the human body as a whole and help to get rid of many of the existing health problems individually.

Lavender helps with the following ailments:

• diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular system;
• insomnia;
• nightmares;
• obsessive and unexplained fears;
• cough (including allergic);
• upper respiratory tract diseases;
• headache of various etiologies;
• bloating;
• hemorrhoids;
• female diseases;
• arthritis, etc.

Despite the huge number of useful properties, you should not use lavender during pregnancy, an allergic reaction, a recent abortion or surgery.

How to grow lavender yourself?

In order for lavender to delight you with bright, fragrant flowers, you need to know how to plant it.

Lavender is a non-capricious plant, but it requires special care. This perennial can be grown at home.

• Choosing a soil

To plant lavender, you need to prepare high-quality soil.

It is believed that for these delicate flowers it is better to use an alkaline soil containing peat, sand and gravel.

You can buy ready-made soil, but if this is not possible, you can prepare it yourself.

To do this, it is necessary to mix three parts of peat with two parts of sand and one part of rubble.

Store-bought soil is usually suitable for most plants, but to grow lavender, you need to add one teaspoon of lime to this soil.

Pay attention to the "house" for flowers.You need to choose pots with a capacity of up to two liters and a diameter of about forty centimeters.

• Landing options

There are two main ways to plant lavender: from cuttings and by seeds.

An easier and faster way to grow lavender is by cuttings.

If a bush is already growing in your country house, then you can use a cutting from it. They put it on the ground and press down with some kind of weight. After a while, it will start to take root into the soil.

Then you can separate the plant from the mother bush. You can take a scion in the garden and plant it at home.

Then you can enjoy the view of your favorite plant all year round.

Few people know how to grow lavender from seeds, because this is much more difficult than using cuttings. However, the work will not be in vain, because in the end it will be possible to get a unique plant.

First, when choosing a place for a healing beauty, pay attention to the fact that it must be open and sunny.

To get a healthy plant, lavender seeds need to be hardened for thirty days before planting. For this procedure, they are covered with sand or sawdust and placed in the refrigerator.

Then they can be taken out and sown immediately into the prepared soil.

It is better to fertilize the soil with potash fertilizers. Manure should be discarded.

How to grow lavender seedlings?

Lavender can be grown in a pot for planting outdoors.

1. To do this, three parts of the soil must be mixed with one part of sand and two parts of humus. The soil must be calcined in the oven or watered with a very weak solution of potassium permanganate.
2. Seeds for seedlings are sown in pots in February-March.
3. Cover the top of the container with a film and only occasionally open it so that the young sprouts get used to the environmental conditions.
4. When the entrances begin to appear, the pots should be placed on the windowsill.
5. The film can be removed for half an hour in the first two to three days. In the next two days, you can remove it for an hour. Then the film must be removed altogether.

Such seedlings are suitable for planting in open ground. Or you can leave it in a pot and then it will be a houseplant.

How to grow lavender yourself - video

Popular varieties of lavender

Lavender comes in a wide variety of varieties.

• Narrow-leaved lavender

For colder regions, it is best to choose narrow-leaved lavender.

She tolerates frost more easily than others. The height of such a shrub can reach one meter. The leaves of this variety are narrow and somewhat elongated. The color of lavender flowers is blue or deep purple.

In the open field, flowering begins in early June and continues until autumn.

After planting this lavender variety, it is watered abundantly in the first few days. Then moisture should be moderate.

If the winter is very frosty in the region, then in order to protect the plant from death, it is necessary to cover it with foil or hay in the fall.

• Hybrid lavender

One of the most popular varieties is hybrid lavender. It is usually a hybrid with other narrow-leaved plant varieties.

It is this plant variety that is most common in our country. This lavender blooms in July. Its height reaches two meters. Color from violet to lilac-violet.

• French lavender

For growing in pots on the windowsill, French lavender is most often used.

Firstly, this variety does not tolerate cold weather and, secondly, the plant reaches no more than sixty centimeters in height, which allows you to decorate your windowsills with it.

This lavender can die even at minus fifteen. Usually French lavender begins to bloom in May and ends in late July and early August.

How to prepare lavender?

Hippocrates himself recommended lavender to his patients, because it can help cope with many diseases.

Nowadays, having such a plant and not using its beneficial properties is at least stupid.

To get everything useful from lavender, you need to know how to properly prepare this fragrant plant for the winter.

It is believed that harvesting can begin fifteen days after the lavender blooms.

How to grow lavender at home

For regions where the winter temperature drops below -15 ° C, it is necessary to take care of the safety of the roots, because there are no frosts in the homeland of a flower. The right solution would be to grow the bushes in ceramic pots or other suitable containers so that you can quickly hide them from frost. In winter, lavender shoots will do well at home in a pot on sunny windowsills.

Before growing lavender at home, you need to decide on the variety. When choosing one of the many types, it is necessary to take into account the climatic conditions of the area. French varieties are very thermophilic, while England and Portugal offer more resistant varieties.

For the exuberant flowering of home lavender bushes, compliance with the basic rules of cultivation is required:

• Loosening the soil once a week to ensure the flow of oxygen to the rhizome.
• Laying a layer of mulch on top will help to maintain the moisture content of the substrate. For this, needles, sawdust or a store decorative substrate are suitable. The lower parts of the stems must be left open, otherwise mold or mildew may attack them due to the high humidity.
• To form a lush and beautiful bush, pruning excess, dry and weakened stems will help. Lavender can also be decorated in the bonsai style, because it is obedient and the shoots grow well in any direction.
• With the onset of winter, pruning of dried stems is carried out. In severe frosts, the plants are covered or brought from the balcony (veranda) into the room.
• To feed and fertilize the bushes, it is suitable to use, according to the instructions, any complex mineral preparation for ornamental plants (with the exception of violets). But at the same time, fertilizers should not contain organic matter and nitrogen. To accelerate the growth and build-up of green mass, the introduction of potassium-containing dressings will help. Top dressing is applied to the root areas during the flowering period.
• In the second half of July, feeding should be stopped, so the flowers can rest and successfully prepare for winter.

Preparing for winter

Even though homemade lavender grows into an evergreen ornamental plant, it still preparation for wintering is necessary... After flowering, dry stems should be removed and the bush should be slightly trimmed (several nodes above the beginning of leaf growth).

Winter is the time for the plant to rest, therefore, it needs to be watered less - maximum once a week... Keep the pot in a cool place away from heating appliances.

If you notice that the overgrown leaves begin to drop and wither - do not be alarmed. This can be in poor lighting, and not from a lack of moisture. The plant accumulates water only in thick grayish leaves, so try to resolve the issue with lighting as soon as possible.

What types of philodendron are suitable for indoor keeping, our article will tell.

How easy it is to care for indoor violets, read here.

Sometimes lavender blooms in winter, but this not good for her health... If lavender has bloomed, you need to remove the growths before taking it out to the balcony in spring. In the spring you can transplant into another pot.

Reproduction methods

Lavender propagates by cuttings, cuttings, dividing a bush or seeds. Its layers are able to quickly take root and in the same year they will delight with delicate fragrant flowers. Growing from seeds is more time consuming, but it makes it possible to choose any of the varieties that are commercially available.

Propagation using seeds

After sowing, the first shoots appear in 50-55 days.With a great desire to grow one of the exotic whimsical varieties, strict adherence to all important stages of preparation and sowing is necessary:

1. Seeds need to be stratified, for this they are kept in a cold place for at least 45 days. You can fill in the seed material with clean river sand, wrap it in a strong bag and store it on the lower shelf of the refrigerator. Cold hardening provides friendly seedlings, because it creates a feeling of natural conditions for the development of plants.
2. Light and soft sandy soils with good fertilization are suitable for sowing. In this case, the seeds are buried no more than 3 cm. Clay soil is categorically unsuitable. The most optimal soil mixture is as follows: 3 parts of deciduous soil, part of sand and two parts of humus. The addition of lime helps to create ideal growing conditions.
3. The appearance of the first shoots should be expected no earlier than 30 days. Normal growth should take place at a temperature of about + 15- + 20 ° C and sufficient lighting with the presence of sunlight. It is better to place containers with seedlings on the windowsill of a well-lit south or east window. Penumbra causes the shoots to reach for the light, resulting in weak, tall stems.
4. Lavender does not tolerate strong waterlogging and. Good drainage is essential for stable growth in a container. For this purpose, pebbles, expanded clay, nutshells are used, and the bottom is strewn with shards or fine gravel. In this case, you need to ensure that the drainage does not block the drain holes in the bottom of the container.
5. To bring the emergence of seedlings closer, the pots are placed under glass or foil. At the same time, it is important to ventilate twice a day.
6. When the shoots grow 5 cm and form a strong, healthy horse system, it is time to transplant them into permanent growing containers. Seedlings are planted at a distance of 10 cm from each other, this is a suitable option for home growing.
7. Now it is better to be patient, because in the first year of life the plants are busy forming the root system and are gaining strength. Lavender flowers will delight you with the appearance after a year, or maybe a year and a half.

Now all you need to do is simple maintenance, which consists in maintaining the moisture content of the substrate at a suitable level and regular loosening.

Dividing the bush

For successful reproduction by dividing the bush, some preparation is required. In the autumn, the plant is pruned at a height of 8-10 cm and sprinkled with soil. With the arrival of spring, lavender is sprinkled again. These actions lead to the formation of numerous shoots. With the arrival of a new autumn, the bushes will be completely ready for separation.

When multiplying by division, flowering comes earlier than when using other methods. Adult bushes are carefully dug up and divided into separate parts. Before planting new plants in the ground, the root lobes are cut off so that they receive more moisture from the soil. At home, this breeding method is the most convenient.

When the bushes gain strength and give the first inflorescences, you can try to propagate by layering.

Reproduction using layering

This is a very convenient and time-consuming method. Next to the bushes, grooves are made into which some of the lower stems are bent, fixed in this position and sprinkled with a substrate. Plants will take root in these places. Already next spring the cuttings are suitable for independent growth. They are cut off from the bush, dug up and transplanted.

Potted lavender looks very beautiful and unusual. Although it is not much more difficult to grow bushes at home and take care of it than in the open field. The main condition is the purchase of quality seeds or seedlings. Poor quality seed may simply not sprout. And for good growth, it is important to observe the temperature regime and carefully look after. If it is important to get a plant of a certain variety, then for complete confidence it is better to purchase already flowering bushes.And if you apply diligence and patience, the house will always be filled with the alluring aroma of excellent flowering bushes.

When and how to prune lavender

Why prune lavender

Most often, lavender is pruned several times per season for completely different purposes.

• If you want to do composition of dried flowersthen cutting down lavender is recommended at the beginning of floweringwhen the buds begin to open. It is in this form that lavender can stand dry all winter.
• If you want to brew tea, use as a seasoning (or prepare seeds for propagation), then you need to cut the lavender at the end of flowering (late June-early July).

Moreover, by pruning after flowering, lavender will be able to bloom again in early fall (September).

If this is not the case, then it is possible that your variety is not prone to re-flowering or the plant does not have enough warmth (you live in a very cool region).

• In autumn, after re-flowering, the final formative pruning is done (at the end of September-October, maximum at the beginning of November).

By the way! In general, during re-flowering, you can again prepare twigs for dried flowers (before starting) or tea (at the end of flowering).

Video: how and when to prune lavender

How to prune lavender properly

So, as we have already found out, after flowering, it is recommended to cut off its peduncles from lavender.

Now let's figure out how to do it correctly:

• Naturally, pruning each flower is tedious and unproductive, so you need take many peduncles in an armful at once and cut off;
• Are subject to removal only peduncles, you do not need to prune the bushes.

This can be done with a regular pruner or with large garden shears.

And already in autumn, after re-flowering, you can spend formation of bushes, i.e. downright cut the bushes themselves, bringing them to the desired shape (for example, a ball).

Some tips for pruning lavender in autumn:

• At this stage, you will need large garden shears.
• You can cut both very short and leave enough.

But in any case, you can only trim to lignified parts.

However, it is worth considering that the shorter you cut it, the later it will wake up in the spring; on the other hand, the tidier your bushes will be.

As a rule, lavender is pruned, leaving 15-20 cm to the ground.

• At the same time, it is highly desirable to completely get rid of the branches that lie on the groundby trimming them to the lignified part, as they will only spoil the appearance.

Video: pruning lavender in the fall

Seed use

If you decide to choose not the easiest way and grow lavender from seeds, then first buy them, and certainly in a specialized store. First, choose a variety that is suitable for home growing. You can choose pedunculate lavender, Dutch lavender (hybrid) or toothed. Your flower shop clerk will probably give you some helpful advice.

Before planting, the seeds must be stratified, that is, create conditions for them that are as close to natural as possible. To do this, place them in a mixture of sand and sawdust and put them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for a month (the temperature should be about 5 degrees Celsius).

At the bottom of the pot, place a layer of drainage, the role of which can be played by shards, broken brick, nutshells, or expanded clay. But the hole in the container must remain open. Next, fill in the soil and place the seeds in it to a depth of about three centimeters.

Then cover the container with a film and place it in a well-lit room, the temperature in which will be 15-21 degrees (not lower and not higher). The first shoots should appear in about a month. Then remove the film and plant the seedlings in separate pots.If the sprouts have not appeared, then you can send the container back to the refrigerator for three weeks.

Tip: It is best to start growing in a seed pot in late autumn.

Germinating lavender from seeds

The optimal month for planting seeds is February or March. Therefore, it is necessary to think over the timing of stratification in advance. You also need to take care of the substrate and containers for germinating seeds.

Lavender is not particularly whimsical in the choice of soil, so ordinary soil mixtures for indoor plants will do. But, in order to minimize the risks of contamination of future seedlings, it is better to calcine the substrate or treat it with manganese. But the choice of capacity should be approached more carefully, since lavender seeds cannot be sown in cassettes. Planting pots should be large and wide, and the maximum depth of the container should be seven centimeters.

If the soil and pots are prepared, then you can proceed directly to sowing seeds:

1. The containers must be filled with soil. The pot should not be filled to the very top, it is better to leave 1.5 centimeters for seed germination.
2. The substrate is sprayed from a spray bottle and small pits are made at a distance of 2 centimeters from each other.
3. Only one grain is placed in each dimple. Sprinkle the seed on top with earth, but do not ram it. After that, the substrate is moistened again from the spray bottle.
4. Now it is necessary to create greenhouse conditions for future seedlings. For this, the container is covered with transparent polyethylene or glass and placed in a warm place where there is enough sunlight.

In order for the seeds to germinate, it is necessary to observe the temperature regime. The optimum is 15-20 degrees Celsius. It is also very important to have bright lighting. The first shoots may appear in two weeks. But the total duration of seed germination takes 30 days.

After the first shoots appear, the greenhouse should be removed. Young shoots should gradually get used to the environment.

After the first pair of leaves appears on the seedlings, the shoots can be dived. The root system is already strong enough and will calmly transfer the transplant. It is better to dive seedlings in containers, the diameter of which will be 2-3 centimeters larger than the previous ones. Now you need to plant young sprouts in a peat-sand mixture. Such a substrate will help maintain adequate moisture levels and good air conductivity. Only the bottom of each pot should be covered with a drainage layer.

Cuttings

How can you grow lavender at home in other ways? If someone you know is ready to give you a cutting, then the lignified annual shoot should be divided into separate cuttings about 10 centimeters long. They should be placed in moist soil and covered with a jar or film. When rooting has taken place, the sprout can be transplanted.

Tip: use several cuttings at once so that at least one of them takes root (there is no one hundred percent guarantee of all rooting).

The benefits of lavender

Before preparing for winter, do not rush to throw away faded inflorescences - they can be of considerable benefit. For example, decoction of lavender flowers can be used as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent.

To obtain a decoction you can pour boiling water over the flowers and leave for 24 hours. It should be consumed regularly (cold or hot) throughout the week. This remedy is the same will help from burns or other wounds.

For problem skin there is a tonic recipe: mix a small amount of flowers with a glass of apple cider vinegar and mineral water. Insist up to 3 weeks. Apply as usual cleanser in the morning and in the evening. If desired, you can add glycerin to the tonic.

As you can see, growing lavender at home is not such an overwhelming task.

In this case the plant will reciprocate you and will delight with its beauty for more than one year.

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1 comment

Lavender is one of my favorite plants. Its scent is often used in aromatherapy, as it has a relaxing and soothing effect. I also like to use lavender decoction as a tonic for my problem skin.

Lavender is an ornamental herb native to the Mediterranean and southern Europe. Flower lovers grow it on plots with single bushes, use it on alpine slides and as a border in flower beds.

Lavender is a shrub without a central stem from the Lamiaceae family. On the shoots, spike-shaped inflorescences of white, blue, purple or pink are formed. The name of this plant comes from two Latin roots "lava". They say that the flower got this name in connection with its use in antiquity as an additive during bathing. Lavender exudes a pleasant, light aroma, therefore it is often used as perfumery fragrances.

Some growers are sure that lavender is a capricious plant and requires increased attention. But knowing some of the secrets allows you to grow it on your own site, without much effort. If lavender is grown in a pot, home care also has some peculiarities and nuances. One of the main conditions is choosing the right variety for growing in the room.

Reproduction by layering

If someone grows a lavender bush in the country, then in the spring, gently peel back two or three shoots, put them in grooves in the soil about 3-4 centimeters deep, fix with wire and water at the points of attachment. You can put some kind of load on top.

It usually takes several months to root, but it will be possible to separate the shoot from the main bush only next spring, then the root system will definitely be strong enough. But some only wait until autumn. Do not forget to water the layers, do it regularly!

Lavender shelter for the winter

Some people think that lavender winters very badly and is highly susceptible to freezing. They even recommend pruning the lavender in the spring. autumn pruning can provoke freezing of the bush (although, if you do not prune it in the fall, the branches may simply break off under the weight of the snow). However, this opinion is somewhat erroneous.

Interesting! Lavender is more likely to get wet in the spring (after the snow melts) than freeze. Therefore, in no case should it be planted in lowlands or wetlands.

Lavender is a very hardy plant (it can withstand frosts down to -25 degrees), thanks to its deep (pivotal) root system.

However, in young bushes, the root system is not yet developed, which means that they can really freeze out. That's why you need additional shelter for the winter.

Thus, usually lavender is not covered for the winter, especially in warm countries, but in cooler regions some warming is required, but only for young bushes (recently planted).

Read also: How to cook strawberry jam correctly

How to cover lavender for the winter than mulch

Suitable mulch for lavender is compost, humus (it will also be a long-lasting fertilizer), straw, rotted sawdust.

Just take it and pour it under the bushes, pushing the branches away.

It is only worth mulching the trunk circle: the trunk itself should not be covered with mulch, otherwise the plant may rot.

If you have very severe frosts, and there is little snow, then it is advisable not only to mulch, but also to cover the lavender for the winter with non-woven material (the same spunbond, lutrasil) or spruce branches, especially in the first year, when the bushes have not yet grown deep roots.

If your winters are snowy, then a layer of mulch will be enough, as a last resort you can use snow. Yes, snow is the best covering material. Just cover the bush with snow and that's it.

Interesting! English lavender (better known as narrow-leaved) quite frost-resistant, which cannot be said about her French (broadleaf) a variety that it is desirable to grow in a pot, and take it to a warmed loggia or to a windowsill for the winter.

Indeed, many gardeners are afraid of leaving lavender to winter in the open ground for the first winter, so they dig it up, transplant it into pots and bring it into the house.

How to keep lavender in your home in winter

Advice! If you have an insulated loggia, then this option will be preferable, because it will not be as dry and hot there as in the apartment, on the windowsill, which means that you practically will not have to water and moisturize.

Video: how to prepare lavender for winter

Thus, caring for lavender in the fall and preparing it for winter is no more difficult than any other plant. The main thing is to follow all the recommended procedures, and then the shrub will respond with active, exuberant flowering every year.

Lavender is a fairly hardy plant, but it often suffers from weather conditions with improper care. This is especially true for the cold season. Therefore, many gardeners have a question, is it necessary to cover lavender for the winter and how to do it correctly.

General advice for growing

It is not difficult to grow lavender in a pot at home; you need to adhere to simple recommendations that will provide the most comfortable conditions for the plant. When growing a flower, you need to remember the following nuances:

• the plant loves a lot of sunlight, so the pot is best placed on the south side of the house;
• excess moisture has a negative effect on the root system, it is important to make a good drainage layer;
• growing soil must be neutral or alkaline;
• watering is best with settled water at room temperature;
• feeding is recommended to be carried out with fertilizers, which contain potassium;
• the flower needs constant haircut.

These simple guidelines will help you grow beautiful lavender, which will not only delight the eye, but also fill the room with a unique scent.

What is stratification?

Stratification - long-term keeping of seeds at a certain temperature for better germination. Lavender seed needs cold stratification, because without such treatment, the seeds simply will not sprout.

Depending on the processing time, two stratification methods are distinguished:

1. Artificial. That is, the exposure of the seeds before sowing in a cool environment.
2. Natural. Sowing seeds for the winter. During this time, the seed gradually gets used to the cool temperature and soil.

Lavender seed stratification takes at least 1.5 months. But at the preparatory stage, it is better not to rush, because the longer the cooling lasts, the more chances that all the seeds will sprout. There are three options for carrying out the procedure: on cotton pads, on cotton paper and on wet sand.

Step-by-step instructions for stratification on cotton pads:

1. You will need several cotton pads, which must be placed on a plate.

   

2. Sponges should be sprayed with a spray bottle. The container should contain water at room temperature.

   

3. Now you need to transfer the seeds to cotton pads. The most convenient way to do this is with a toothpick, which must be moistened with water.

   

4. The seeds should be covered with the same cotton pads on top and sprayed again with a spray bottle.

   

5. After that, the plate, together with the “packed” sponges, is placed in a bag and placed in the refrigerator.

   

From time to time, seeds must be removed and sprayed to maintain optimal moisture levels. Stratification in sand and on cotton paper is carried out in a similar way, only the material is different.

Treatment of seeds with growth stimulants is allowed. One of them is Kornevin. The tool remarkably stimulates the growth of the root system.

We recommend watching a video that explains how to carry out stratification and what other materials are available for the procedure.

Preparation of planting material

There are several ways to get material for planting.The easiest option is to purchase it in a specialized store. However, some growers prefer to grow lavender directly from seed. The third option for obtaining planting material involves the purchase of fresh lavender sprigs and their rooting.
When growing a plant from seeds, it will take quite a long time, initially they must undergo stratification. This process will take about 30-40 days. During this period, the seeds must be kept in the sand at a certain temperature. They can simply be placed in the refrigerator. Another option for stratification is to place seeds in the topsoil, which is covered with polyethylene and placed in a refrigerator. After the end of the stratification period, the seed pot must be moved to a warmer place.

In the store, you can buy cuttings and simply root them. However, only annual stems are suitable for this, the bark has not yet formed on them, so they are green.

Lower the end of the cutting must be freed from the deciduous part and the grassy top also needs to be trimmed. The resulting stalk is placed in water for 24 hours. For best results, instead of water, you can use a special solution to stimulate the formation of the root system. These can be drugs such as Tsirkol, Ribav-extra or Kornevin.

To carry out the rooting procedure, you will need a pot filled with alkaline soil. It is recommended to use washed coarse sand as a top layer. Cuttings should be placed in a container at a slight slope. Next, the pot is hermetically sealed with polyethylene.

What materials can be covered

If we talk about covering materials, then it is better to give preference to natural or close to them options. But in gardening stores there are also special options that allow you to cover the bush without provoking unwanted effects. Mainly used:

• Sackcloth;
• Wooden or plywood boxes;
• Covering materials such as agrospan or lutrasil;
• Pine needles, twigs or peat soil mulch;
• Lapnik.

Read also: Gel Moisturizing Gloves Reviews

Having built a shelter, you need to correct it from time to time, especially if there are strong winds. It is also necessary to throw in snow, if any.

Features of planting and care

For growing lavender in a pot, it is recommended to use a nutritious soil. To prepare it, you will need the following components:

• 3 parts of sheet soil;
• 2 parts of humus;
• 1 part sand;
• 1 tbsp. l. lime or wood ash.

To exclude stagnant water and rotting of the root system, you need to make a good drainage layer. The flower grows best on calcareous soil, so experienced florists recommend adding a little eggshell to the planting soil.

It is not enough just to plant lavender in a pot; you also need to properly care for it. The main recommendations for care are as follows:

1. Watering should be in moderation. Drying, like waterlogging, can have a negative effect on the decorative properties of the plant.
2. Fertilizers should be applied immediately after planting and pruning. To make the green part grow better, you can apply nitrogen-based fertilizers. During the flowering period, it is necessary to use preparations of complex effects.
3. Pruning should be done before flowering and during summer. It not only helps to form a beautiful bush, but also stimulates flowering.

Growing lavender in a pot at home is a rather painstaking task, however, if all recommendations are followed, the flowering will be abundant and beautiful.

Preparing for planting a plant - choosing a site and preparing the soil for homemade lavender

An important aspect of growing lavender at home is the right place for the plant.

When choosing a place for lavender, remember that the plant likes places well-lit by the sun's rays.Bushes, of course, can survive in the shade, but you will have to forget about long and abundant flowering.

Lavender is critical of the structure of the soil and the level of its acidity, so when choosing a land for growing a plant, give preference to neutral potting mixes, but if in doubt, it is better to play it safe - add some wood ash to the soil before planting. And to ensure the porous structure of the soil, it is enough to add a little vermiculite and perlite to the mixture, these minerals will loosen the soil and improve its structure.

As a soil, you can also use landless mixtures, which are gaining more and more popularity in home floriculture every year due to a number of their advantages. Typically, these blends are made from coconut fiber and shells. Landless substrates have a lighter structure than peat mixtures and prevent the reproduction of pathogenic fungi, pests and decay of the root system.

Growing problems and their solution

When planting and caring for lavender, very rarely there are any specific problems. If they do arise, it is due to ignorance of certain nuances.
Lavender loves space, this should be considered when choosing a pot. The plant has a rather long root, so as it grows, it can start to rest against the bottom of the pot. As a result, growth stops. Therefore, given this feature of the plant, it is recommended to choose not only wide, but also rather deep containers.

The plant cannot grow normally without sunlight, if it is not enough, then additional artificial lighting will need to be organized. The flower should be exposed to sunlight for about 8 hours a day. In the summer, it is recommended to take the plant out to the balcony or garden, as it needs periodic ventilation.

In winter, the lavender pot should be on the sunniest windowsill. Watering should be moderate, and the air temperature should not fall below 15 degrees.

The lack of feeding the plant in the spring and autumn will negatively affect the condition of the flower: it will stop growing and will begin to die off over time.

The transplant must be carried out annually. At the same time, change not only the pot is recommended, but also the soil.

Possible problems

Lavender is rarely affected by pests, especially at home. Moreover, with its help you can fight with many bugs.

Her main enemy – overflow... Since lavender is quite drought tolerant, it is better to underfill rather than pour it over. Signs of overflow are decay of roots and yellowing of shoots, leaves.

Since the soil for lavender requires loose soil, it very fond of weeds... At home, such a phenomenon is rare, but it also happens sometimes. It is very important to prevent weeds from oppressing the plant.

It is also worth protecting the plant from leafhoppers and septoria... A suspension of copper oxychloride will help against septoria, and phosphamide against pests.

In which pot to grow lavender, we select the size

The roots of mature plants require a lot of space to be able to feed flowers and leaves. In order to properly care for and plant lavender, you should first choose the right pot or container, because even if your flower spends spring, summer and early autumn in the open field, you still want to remove it for the winter (which is not at all necessary, you can simply shelter the lavender from the wind) in the correct and comfortable “shelter”. This plant, from the very beginning, loves large pots and containers.

In order for lavender to receive proper care and planting, one pattern should be remembered - the smaller the pot, the less space for nourishment and growth, the smaller the flowers. The container (pot) must have a volume of at least 2 liters and a diameter of about 30 cm. The pot must have sufficient holes for water drainage, but gravel or drainage should not "close" these holes when planting.

Do I need to feed lavender in the fall

Feed lavender several times per season:

• In the spring, nitrogen fertilizers are used to build up green mass, for example, urea (at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 1 bucket of water).
• During the budding period and during flowering, the plant needs a lot of potassium, which means that you need to perform potassium fertilization, for example, with potassium sulfate or potassium nitrate. A weaker, but much more popular potash fertilizer is a solution of wood ash (100 grams per bucket of water).

By the way! If you use compost as a mulching material, then you most likely will not need additional fertilizing.

• Autumn - As a rule, lavender is not fertilized, although you can give it a little phosphorus (superphosphate), and this can be done in the summer when you do potash.

How to choose a place for lavender

Many people think that lavender is not meant for indoor living, but this is a myth. Yes, lavender requires some special care, but all plants require care! So, the main factor in the quality of your flower will be the place for its "life". Here the opinions of botanists differ: some believe that lavender feels best in the open field, others - in apartment conditions.

Either way, the best shelter for lavender is a sunny, wind-sheltered place. If you leave the flower outside for the winter, you can cover it. The soil in which lavender is planted also requires special attention: it is best to use a mixture of peat and sand and remember that the soil must be alkaline.

Features of lavender care in autumn and preparation for winter: what to do with shrubs after flowering

Recommended measures for the care of lavender in the fall and in preparation for winter usually include the following:

• loosening near-trunk circle of bush and weeding (weed removal);

However, rarely does anyone grow lavender without mulch, and mulching excludes loosening and weeding.

• feeding;
• trimming, to be precise, a haircut;

The trimming procedure is optional, i.e. performed at the request of the gardener. In other words, whoever wants to and cuts (forms). But there are still several recommendations.

• shelter for the winter (mulching).

Video: how to cut lavender in autumn

Lavender care

Lavender requires proper care and planting, which is carried out in a comprehensive manner throughout the entire growth and development of the plant. We have already mentioned the need for constant access to the sun's rays to the leaves and flowers of the plant, so it is best to place the pot of lavender on the south side. In the summertime, lavender is taken out for a walk on the balcony. But you should start walking for an hour, because if you leave the plant outdoors for a long time, it can fade from an excess of oxygen.

Lavender is very thermophilic, but does not like dryness. For the winter, it is better to put lavender on the windowsill on the south side (if possible), but a temperature of 10-15 degrees will be optimal. But temperature, lighting and the place of growth are not everything. In order for the lavender to receive proper care and planting, it is also necessary to regularly feed the plant, cut off the cuttings, transplant the flower from time to time and loosen the ground.

It is also important to remember about humidifying the air, if you do not have a humidifier, you can use a regular spray bottle and spray the plant with clean water.

Top dressing

The main thing to remember about lavender isthe plant does not tolerate organic and nitrogen fertilizers. The necessary preparations for the growth and development of a plant are those that contain potassium as the main component. The first time (8-10 weeks) after sowing seeds / planting a seedling, you need to fertilize the plant once a week with liquid fertilizers, based on the calculation of 2 g (1 plug) of fertilizer per liter of water. An effective fertilizer will be crushed eggshells, which will maintain the alkali balance in the soil. If your lavender grows in open ground, then it should be fertilized at the beginning of flowering with the same fertilizers (for example, Agricola) and after flowering (any mineral fertilizer) with the calculation of 3 liters per 1 bush.

Features of watering in winter and summer

Lavender only needs watering during dry periods, but don't think about watering lavender once a week. Of course, from too much watering the flower will rot, but the soil for room lavender should always be moist. Water for irrigation must be filtered or settled. If your plant is still young, then you need to water it twice a day: in the morning and in the evening.

Plant pruning

In summer cottages, lavender care also depends on the correct pruning of the plant, because if you cut the plant incorrectly, then there will be nothing to care for. The lavender pruning procedure is best done in 3 stages: summer (most important), fall and spring pruning.

Let's start with summer pruning. In order to prune lavender, we need gloves and regular garden shears. First of all, we cut off those branches that have small sprouts on the sides. We cut to these sprouts, then they will grow into a flower. If the branches of your plant have a tendency to bend, then you need to cut such a branch to the very bottom shoot. We also carefully check the plant for the presence of completely dry branches, which also need to be cut, usually such branches appear due to weather conditions or the age of the plant.

During the autumn pruning of lavender, the main task is to prune all flowers from the "falling" branches - cut to the point of bending. You can cut the lavender very shortly, you can not really, the time of the "rise" of the buds in the spring depends on it.

Spring pruning of lavender is best done in late March (weather permitting). Spring pruning is more like cleaning, as it is aimed at removing dry branches, broken, rotten. Pruning in the spring is also done to "shape" the shape of the plant.

How to grow potted lavender on a windowsill at home?

Many indoor plant lovers ask themselves: is it possible to grow fragrant lavender at home on a windowsill, how difficult is it to grow lavender in a pot, and what you need to know for this?

Of course, it is possible to grow lavender on a windowsill at home, but this task is not as simple as it might seem. What do we need in order to grow lavender at home and turn your apartment into a real blooming Provence?

Lavender is a beautiful plant with fluffy and colorful flowers from the Lamiaceae or Labiatae family and includes more than 47 different species. Many people associate lavender with Provence and the south of France, but few people know that lavender grows over a wider area of ​​the globe: the Canary Islands, Australia, Arabia, North and East Africa and India, and cultivated forms of lavender are grown in gardens and greenhouses all over the world.

Lavender is widely used in the perfume industry, and essential oils derived from lavender are used as a sedative and help relieve anxiety and irritation.

Of course, getting a luxurious lavender bush on your windowsill will take some effort. Caring for lavender requires constant: watering, pruning, applying mineral fertilizers, loosening the soil and periodically replanting the plant.

When growing lavender on the windowsill of a city apartment, remember that lavender is a thermophilic plant and does not tolerate frost and hypothermia.

You can use any variety of lavender to grow lavender as a houseplant.

How to plant lavender at home, plant propagation

Frequently asked question: how to plant lavender at home is as easy as shelling pears! All you need is a sapling, cutting, seeds, lavender cuttings, soil (container), fertilizer, shovel, soil baking powder and some basic knowledge and skills.

With air layering

The method of propagation of lavender by air layers is best used in cool weather, when the soil moisture is highest.When using this method, you do not need to prepare cuttings or buy seeds, just select the oldest branch (but alive) on an adult plant, cut a flower from it, dig a small hole and bend this branch there, sprinkle it with earth, water it every two days and fertilize a little 5-7 days after planting. This method sometimes works without your help: if you look under a bush of a mature flower, you will find several sprouts there, as a result of self-sowing lavender.

Cutting lavender

Many inexperienced growers immediately undertake to plant lavender flowers with seedlings. Most make mistakes, because you need to know not only how to plant a lavender seedling, but also how to get it right. For cuttings, you need to take only young, but already lignified annual shoots from a healthy bush. It is necessary to cut off the color from the cutting (although it is advisable to choose shoots that have not yet bloomed) and clean the lower leaves by 3-4 centimeters.

For grafting, we need a medium-sized pot, clay shards, soil (a mixture of turf, leaf and sand in equal amounts) and dry sand. We spread the shards at the bottom of the pot, then we spread the moistened sand (for better drainage), then we tamp the earth. We put another layer of wet sand on top of the ground 1.5 cm. Next, we take the finished cutting, process it with growth stimulants and insert it into the ground with the cleaned side.

For better rooting, "squeeze" the plant from below with two fingers. After that, the seedling needs to be watered. We also create a "tropical effect" for the cutting: at home - cover it with polyethylene so as not to damage the plant, in industrial conditions there are special greenhouses and "caps" for this. We leave the cutting for a week in such conditions. If you did everything correctly, then your cutting will easily root and grow up to 15 cm in height.

Growing lavender from seeds

Now let's talk about how to grow lavender from seeds. So, first, all seeds must go through a stratification process.

The first and easiest way to stratify is using sand. Pour the seeds onto wet sand and sprinkle them with dry sand on top, moisten it a little. Wrap the container with lavender in a bag and put it in the refrigerator (temperature 3-5 ° C). The stratification process takes 30-60 days.

The second way - we take a bowl or any flat container, put a cotton pad on the bottom, moisten, pour the seeds on top, put another moistened cotton pad on the seeds. Next, wrap the container with a bag and put it in the refrigerator.

The third method is almost the same, but instead of discs, we use wet wipes.

The fourth way - we use a pot of soil and sand (ratio 1: 1), pour seeds into the moistened soil, sprinkle the sand on top and moisten it on top in the same way, wrap it in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator for 30-60 days.

A week and a half before the end of the stratification period, we begin to take our seeds for 1 hour from the cold and "accustom" them to room temperature. When you have already decided to plant lavender, plant the seeds in a pot with soil and sand (1: 1) without burying them deep in the ground, sprinkle them with sand on top, moisten them. We cover the pot with cling film, put in a sunny place. We ventilate and spray once a week.

If you follow all the recommendations, then your plant will delight you with a pleasant, enchanting aroma and wonderful color for many years.

Description of the plant

Lavender is a flower that is grown commercially throughout the world. For what? The plant has a lot of useful properties that are used in medicine and cosmetology.

There are only 47 types of lavender, you can add 7 more hybrid varieties to them. But among the whole variety of flowers, only some varieties have healing properties:

1. Lavender toothed.The leaves of the flower have a silvery or gray-green hue, and the flowers are purple.

   

2. Broad-leaved lavender. The shrub can grow up to 1 meter in height. The color of flowers can be different, for example, there are gray-blue, blue, mauve, dark purple petals.

   

3. Narrow-leaved lavender (English). Reaches 70 centimeters in height. The plant blooms from July to August. The flower can be grown in the middle lane, as well as in Siberia and the Urals, since the narrow-leaved lavender is resistant to low temperatures.

   

4. Spikelet lavender, or French. The plant grows as a shrub, the height of which does not exceed 60 centimeters. Spikelet lavender is a hybrid plant, so different forms can be obtained during reproduction, which may differ from the parent specimen. On an industrial scale, the flower is propagated by cuttings and layering.

   

5. Dutch lavender. The plant is distinguished by large inflorescences and shrub height, which can reach 2 meters.

   

The easiest way to propagate lavender is vegetative. So the plant gives more growth, and cuttings and layers root better. But growing lavender from seeds is no less effective and does not cause any difficulties. The only long-term process is stratification

Lavender - wintering

In general, lavender is not afraid of low air temperatures, but only if a lot of snow falls. If there is little snow in the winter, there is a chance that the plants will freeze and die. To avoid this, it is necessary to organize additional insulation for flowers.

After pruning lavender bushes on top, branches of coniferous trees are laid, this is quite enough for the plant to overwinter until spring.

Leaves should not be used for warming, as lavender begins to rot under them.

Step-by-step instructions: how to cover lavender for the winter

The correct cover for lavender should be in accordance with the specific region, as mentioned earlier. It is best to proceed according to the following scheme:

1. Pruning lavender branches is a decision of the individual grower. But it is imperative to tie them so that no snow gets inside.
2. The soil circle near the bush is abundantly mulched with needles or peat. This will help prevent the roots from freezing - the main cause of death of lavender during periods of extreme temperatures or high frosts.
3. A kind of hut is made over a tied bush made of cinquefoil, which is fixed with natural threads, for example, with twine.

In especially cold regions, the bushes are covered with boxes. You can also throw a cinquefoil on top to keep the heat more efficiently.

Important! After the lavender has been covered and snow has fallen, you can safely fall asleep on the plant, creating a hat. This will prevent the stems from freezing and breaking.

Note to the florist

When does lavender bloom?

The flowering period of lavender begins in the second half of April and lasts until autumn. Flowering peaks in mid-summer.

Where does lavender bloom?

You can admire the blooming lavender fields in Provence; many people associate this place on the map with lavender. You can also see the lavender miracle in the mountains of Italy, the Caucasus, Greece and Spain.

Competent planting

Proper planting of lavender

Before you start preparing lavender for wintering, it is important to plant it in accordance with all the rules. The landing process is an extremely responsible event. It is worth noting that an adult plant reacts negatively to a transplant, so it should be carried out only for good reasons. Determine at once the places where lavender will grow.

How to determine the distance between bushes? Maintain a gap that roughly corresponds to the height of the plant. In this case, the lavender will grow lush and attractive. If you want to see the planting in the form of a slender hedge, then this distance should be reduced several times.

If reproduction takes place by cuttings, then planting will not be difficult, plants take root very quickly. The whole process is so simple that even a beginner can handle it. The plant must be deepened, covered with soil to the desired level, covered with a film and periodically moistened. When the cuttings are well rooted, they can be carefully dug up and transplanted to a permanent place of growth.

If the planting went according to plan and the plant began to develop quickly and well, you can be sure that in the fall it will already get stronger and it will be possible to prepare it for the first wintering. Proper planting will ensure that the plant will successfully overwinter and continue its development in the spring. But for further growth, it is very important to prepare the plant before sheltering for the winter.

How to do it? How to grow a healthy and flowering lavender bush?

1. Find the right pot. The diameter of the pot at the top should not be less than 12-15 cm. In the future, as it grows, the pot will need to be increased. It is better to take an unglazed clay pot for growing. 2. Prepare the soil. Pour a thick layer of drainage on the bottom of the pot. Do not take soil from the garden. Buy a good soil for flowers, add one teaspoon of ground lime to each pot with a diameter of 12 cm. Lavender does not like acidic soils. Perlite can be added to the soil. 3. Prepare planting material. A) You can buy seeds. B) Ask friends for lavender cuttings. C) Use rooted cuttings from mature shrubs in the garden. D) Get a cut from a large bush. D). Buy a young plant in the garden center. If you bought lavender seeds, then you need to stratify them. On the envelope with seeds you can read: "Before sowing, the seeds require stratification: they must be mixed with wet sand and kept at a temperature of +5 degrees, for 30-40 days."

Lavender - pruning

Pruning lavender is done if you want to grow a lush bush. For pruning, a period is chosen when all the inflorescences will wither. It is not necessary to cut the plant very strongly, it is enough to shorten the shoots by a few centimeters. But at the end of the season, in the fall, you can cut the bushes harder, however, gardeners recommend not cutting the bushes to the lignified part, otherwise the lavender will die.

How it happens in practice

You can pour sand into a bowl with low sides, moisten and sprinkle seeds, cover with sand. Cover with a damp paper towel and place on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. But when it comes time to sow, you’ll think about how to extract the seeds from the sand and transfer them to a pot of soil. Experience suggests this way: immediately pour soil into a low pot, then a thin layer of sand, moisten, and then, as mentioned above. After 40-50 days, put the pot on the windowsill and wait for the seedlings to appear. Water carefully, not often, but the soil should not dry out. If you get quality seeds, seedlings will appear. It is difficult to name the exact date. If the seeds were old, then you will fail. If nothing is visible after a month and a half, you can put the container with soil and seeds in the refrigerator again for a couple of weeks and try again to germinate the seeds, putting the container in a warm place after 2-3 weeks. You might get lucky. It is safer to use cuttings to get a lavender plant in the house. But this is possible if you have someone you know who already has lavender growing. You need to take lignified annual shoots, cut them into cuttings 8-10 cm long and root in moist soil under a jar or covered with a bag. Rooting cannot be guaranteed to be 100%, so cut up the cuttings in excess. It is easier to propagate lavender by layering. If someone grows a lavender bush in the garden, then in the spring you can carefully bend 2-3 shoots and put them in a groove (3-4 cm deep). Pin with wire, cover with soil at the pinning point and water. All summer long it is necessary to monitor the moisture content of the earth above the cut.The next spring, the shoot can be separated from the mother plant and planted in a pot or garden. And another way of breeding lavender is by dividing the bush. The lavender bush in the garden should be pruned in the fall, and then covered with soil so that it falls between the stems. In the spring, huddle again. Over the summer, the bush will give growth, and in the fall it can already be divided. The easiest and quickest way to get your lavender plant home is to buy it.

How is the wintering of potted lavender

Lavender has recently come to be appreciated as a container crop. Thanks to this cultivation, it can be moved at any time to different places. But at the same time, the issues of preparing for the winter do not bypass this option of growing a bush. In general, it is enough to limit ourselves to the following steps:

• Timely pruning of the plant according to the schedule.
• Tying the bush with twine.
• By moving the container to a cool, but closed room - a greenhouse, loggia, veranda or balcony.

Some gardeners put the plant in the cellar for the winter. In any case, there is only one condition - a cool, but insulated place without drafts. It is impossible to leave the pots on the street, as a limited amount of soil will quickly freeze through and lead to the death of the root system. On the other hand, a warm apartment will not be the best place, since in such conditions the plant will begin to grow. But if there is no choice, after winter all growths are cut off.

In general, the plant does not cause much trouble in its wintering. As practice has shown, lavender can tolerate frosts well enough, and therefore it takes root even in those regions where winter can last up to 170 days. Florists from Denmark and Norway can confirm this.

Watering

Balanced water management has a positive impact on the vitality and flowering of lavender.

• Regular watering in the pot when the substrate is dry;
• The correct amount of water to avoid stagnation;
• Do not allow the root ball to completely dry;
• Empty the base after a maximum of 10 minutes so that the dripped water does not absorb back.

What materials should not be covered

Oddly enough, but there are materials of both artificial and natural origin, which are not suitable for sheltering lavender for the winter. These include:

• Artificial films;
• Polyethylene;
• Fallen leaves.

All these materials have one thing in common - they create a greenhouse effect, especially at the roots. And the latter also has a number of other disadvantages, such as a high probability of preserving harmful insects in the leaves, as well as various pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and parasites. In any case, such materials threaten not only diseases, but also root rot and the death of lavender.

Mistakes of novice gardeners when hiding

The main mistakes of a novice gardener are the main threat to the safety and well-being of lavender. This is especially true for issues of wintering and sheltering the plant. Mainly highlighted:

• Abundant watering, which this plant does not tolerate due to damping off of the roots and trunk.
• Pruning that is done outside of the plan. The first should be done in early spring, and the second in late summer or early autumn. At the same time, it is impossible to cut off the stems shortly before frosts, otherwise the bush will simply not be able to recover after wintering.
• Clay or peaty soil always requires loosening before sheltering. Otherwise, the roots will lose the ability to "breathe".
• The dried stems should be cut after spring has come and the lavender can be opened.
• The hiding place is often incorrectly selected by the gardener, without taking into account the region. As a result, the bush will overwinter, but it will not be able to fully recover after the cold weather.
• Covering the plant with a film together with the ground. If this material is still used, then only to the trunk.
• Leaving the bush untied even in warm regions is a big mistake.

These are the simplest things to consider when organizing a lavender shelter.It should also be borne in mind that some plant varieties are more sensitive to cold weather, and therefore they need to be prepared for wintering more carefully.

Types of lavender with photos and names

There are 45 types. They are classified into 2 groups:

English lavender

It has narrow leaf plates, elongated spike-shaped inflorescences. They winter hard in the open field.

French lavender

Has wider leaves and shortened inflorescences. Most often grown as a pot crop. Withstands temperature drop down to -15 ° С.

Let's consider in more detail the popular types:

Lavender real or English, spikelet, narrow-leaved Lavandula angustifolia ‘Elizabeth’ photo

The bush is 1 m high and wide. There are subspecies 30 cm high. The inflorescences are spike-shaped. The most common type.

Broad-leaved lavender Lavandula latifolia

On one stem there are 3 inflorescences, it has the brightest aroma.

Lavender Dutch hybrid or lavender Lavandula intermedia

The result of crossing the two previous species. The bush can reach dimensions of 2 m (height and width). The inflorescences are curved.

Pedunculate lavender Lavandula pedunculata

Has an unusual bright purple bloom.

Lavender toothed Lavandula dentate

It has soft leaves of a green-silver color. Differs in larger flowers.

Your personal gardening consultant!

Few people think about the reproduction of lavender in natural conditions because of its "self-cultivation". As they ripen, lavender seeds themselves fall into the ground, they themselves undergo stratification, and germinate themselves. True, when it is necessary for the bushes to grow in a certain place, some work still needs to be invested. But if there is no particular difference where lavender will delight us with beautiful inflorescences, then you can, in principle, forget about the worries associated with its cultivation. Another thing is when you want beautiful flowers to be in a pot on the windowsill. This will take some knowledge and time. But everything is not so scary, southerner lavender growing from seeds at home tolerates well, and if you make a little effort, you can see a large bush of this wonderful plant on the balcony.

How can you start growing lavender at home on a windowsill

At home, on a balcony or on a windowsill, lavender can be grown in several ways:

1. The simplest is propagation by cuttings. There is a bush, an annual shoot is cut off from it, which is divided into 10 centimeter cuttings. Cuttings are "planted" in a pot with moist soil and covered with foil. That's all, it remains to wait for the roots to appear.

2. The next way is to divide the bush. A great method to grow lavender in your home when you have something to share. How is it going? In the fall, the bush in its earthen part is divided into two or more parts. After that, now individual plants are huddled so that the earth falls between the cut stems. In the spring they huddle up again, over the summer the separated parts become completely "autonomous" and in the fall they are seated.

3. Third way. If the cultivation of lavender at home is carried out in a large container, layers are made from the main bush. How? It bends down from the bush, deepens by 3 centimeters into the ground and the shoot is strengthened. During the summer, it takes root, rests in winter, and in the spring the “young lavender” is separated and transplanted into a separate pot or box.

4. The fourth method on how to properly plant lavender at home from seeds. It is not suitable for everyone, but it has a right to exist. In this case, all the difficulties lie in stratification. Although not even difficulties, but simply need additional time for the preparation of planting material. Lavender seeds, if they do not lie in the cold, will not even think of germinating. Therefore, before germination, they need stratification, that is, exposure for a certain time in a cold place. How is it going? In a shallow container, lavender seeds laid on the sand are sprinkled with sand on top and sent to the refrigerator (maybe a cellar) for 1-1.5 months. The temperature at the place where the seeds are stored should be at the level of 5 ° C. This is about preparation, and now the process itself.

How to plant lavender seeds correctly

It is recommended to choose a wide and deep container for growing lavender. If it is a pot, its minimum "diameter" should be 30 centimeters.The root system of the plant develops very decently and at some point in a small pot the lavender will stop growing.

A shrub like southerner lavender is grown from seeds at home only in loose soil. Alternatively, it can be a mixture of sand and peat in equal proportions or a purchased substrate. If desired, perlite, vermiculite or eggshells can be added to increase soil fertility.

The seeds prepared by the cold are removed from the refrigerator, planted in a container (pot or box) filled with moist soil and sent to a bright, warm place on the balcony or windowsill for germination. The depth of planting seeds is 3 millimeters. Further, lavender on the window only needs care and attention.

How to care for lavender on a windowsill

- Water the bush only with settled water every day in the morning or in the evening. In this case, the water should fall both on the ground and on the green stems. In summer, it is advisable not to overdo it with watering - the soil should be slightly moist. But in winter, it is advisable to reduce watering to a minimum. This will give the plant the opportunity to please everyone with large beautiful flowers in the summer.

- Containers with a developing bush are exposed in a well-lit place. In case of weak daylight or lack of it in winter, it is necessary to organize the illumination so that the total duration of the "winter" illumination is at the level of the "summer".

- In order for the lavender in a pot to develop well in winter and give full-fledged inflorescences, the air temperature is maintained at 15-20 ° C. But this is only during the growing season. In winter, the bushes should be kept cool.

- Sometimes, due to the nearby radiators, the plant on the windowsill suffers from a lack of moisture. Installing a humidifier in the room or spraying water near the plant will compensate for this disadvantage.

- The first 30-40 days after planting the seeds, liquid fertilizers for flowers are applied to the soil. The regularity of the procedure is 2 times a month. If cuttings were used as planting material, fertilizers can be omitted.

- In the second half of summer, when the lavender blooms on the balcony, an image is made - dry stems are removed completely, the bush itself is slightly trimmed.

- Young lavender in a pot on the balcony requires an annual transplant. This may require larger containers if the pots were originally chosen "back to back".

That's all the advice on how to properly plant lavender on the balcony at home and how to properly care for it. As you can see, a wonderful plant with beautiful flowers and a pleasant smell is able to delight others not only in the summer at the summer cottage, but also in the winter at home greenhouse conditions on the balcony or windowsill. Yes, there is little work. But isn't lavender worth it?

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How to make a pot with your own hands

Thrifty owners will consider it irrational to buy a new lavender pot every year, because you can make it yourself from simple materials.

Wicker pot

Available materials

To make a pot with your own hands, you can use simple and affordable materials:

• Gypsum;
• Concrete;
• Wooden;
• Brushwood;
• Vine;
• Clay.

Note! For some reason, most people forget about old jars, buckets and plastic containers, on their basis you can make a new flowerpot and arrange it to your taste.

List of components

Depending on the material chosen, additional components will be required:

• Fast fixing glue;
• For concrete, plaster and clay, you need water;
• Varnish to protect wood from moisture;
• Wicker pots require a plastic base, sturdy twine, and burlap.

Diseases and pests

Like any garden or house plant, lavender is susceptible to certain diseases that can be the result of improper care or a viral infection.The most difficult is "gray rot", as a result of which the bush can die if the affected areas are not cut off in time.

Silvery leaves and exquisite inflorescences often become a delicacy for small pests that feed on plant sap. The most dangerous are the following representatives:

- Spider mite. Signs of its presence can be identified by dusty bloom on the back of the leaf (this is how their colonies look) and a thin cobweb;

- Cicada and its larvae, which secrete a fluid that eats away at the stem. The bush begins to fade in places of damage and may die.

In the fight against pests, spraying with soapy water and the use of insecticides effectively help. Sometimes predatory mites are specially launched into mass plantings, which destroy the weaker ones - spiderwebs.

How to care for a lavender bush at home

You can read how to grow lavender in the garden and get creative at home, taking into account the requirements of this plant. The soil is discussed above. Watering young and old plants in pots should be regular throughout the growing season. The water must be allowed to settle. In hot weather, you can spray the plants themselves, just not in the bright sun. For the first 10 weeks, feed the plant with liquid fertilizer for flowers once every two weeks according to the instructions. The hardest part about trying to grow lavender is getting it from the seeds. The rest comes with experience. If you take into account the peculiarities of your home, you can choose the optimal conditions for the plant yourself and select the watering regime empirically. Just remember that more often potted plants die from overflow, and not vice versa. In summer, lavender bushes can be placed on an open balcony, you can put a pot in the garden, if there is one. Lavender is worth your attention and care. If you are having trouble growing tea plants at home, just go to a tea store and buy yourself a variety of tea additives. You will not regret.

Varieties of pots

When lavender blooms

Before you can grow lavender yourself at home, you need to choose the right pot for it.

Pots

A cache-pot is a decorative container in which a pot with a plant is installed. Benefits:

• Aesthetic appearance;
• The ability to immediately purchase a large planter, which will fit the grown lavender;
• No need to choose expensive pots that will change frequently.

Wooden pots

Flowerpots

Vases are called decorative pots made of stone, plaster or metal, which stand in the open air. There are vessels made of clay, ceramics or concrete. Vases for planting lavender can be mobile, so that with the onset of cold weather they can be easily moved indoors.

Flowerpots on the street

The size

Lavender grows well in spacious pots, the diameter of which is at least 25-30 cm. The shrub grows quickly, so you can choose a container "for growth". The height of the pot should be 5-6 cm more than the length of the central root, the volume should be at least 2 liters.

Material

It is advisable to choose breathable materials such as clay, wood and ceramics. It is allowed to use metal and pots with a glossy surface with drainage openings.

Note! The pot must be light or medium in color. Dark surfaces heat up faster and retain heat, which is unacceptable for lavender.

Price

The price depends on the material and size, as well as on the appearance of the pot and the amount of decor. Prices for pots vary from 1 thousand rubles. up to 7-9 thousand rubles * and more. Vases made of clay or ceramics will cost from 300 rubles on average. up to 4-5 thousand rubles *

* Prices are valid for July 2019.

Designer pots

Indoor flowers play a significant role in the interior decoration of an apartment; the planting pot should be combined with the overall concept. In pursuit of unusual design solutions, functionality should not be forgotten. Before buying, you need to pay attention to the following criteria:

• The material must be breathable or have holes for airing the soil;
• The shape of the vessel should be elongated, you cannot choose low and wide pots;
• A prerequisite is the presence of drainage holes;
• A lavender pot shouldn't be dark, even if it's a stylish design.

Fancy pot

To give preference to an ordinary pot or a designer one is everyone's personal choice, but it must be borne in mind that in a year the lavender will have to be transplanted to a new place.

Note! A more rational solution is to purchase a designer pots, in this case the appearance of the pot does not matter.

Specialized (other types)

In addition to traditional flowerpots and flowerpots, there are a number of unusual containers for flowers, these include:

• Hanging pots and pots are an alternative to regular flowerpots that allow lavender shrubs to be lifted up;
• Backlit cache-pot - a design solution for decorating gardens and verandas;
• Silicone flowerpots and pots are one of the latest design decisions. In such a flowerpot, you can bend the edges, as the flower grows, bend it back and increase its volume;
• Florariums are vessels made of transparent glass. Only light-loving plants that are resistant to dry weather can grow in them;
• One of the latest developments is smart pots with an automatic watering system. The development is relevant for plants that require regular moisture.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

The way lavender propagates by dividing the bush requires some preparation. In autumn, the plant must be cut off by 8-10 cm, and then sprinkled with earth. Sprinkle again in the spring: this will lead to the formation of numerous shoots. In the fall, the lavender bush will be completely ready for dividing.

New lavender bushes are planted depending on the size of the latter; the approximate distance is 0.5-1.5 meters between each other.

Lavender in a pot is beautiful, it is fragrant, it is unusual! Growing such a culture indoors is somewhat more difficult than in the open field. In this case, compliance with the temperature regime and careful care will be important components of its high-quality growth. Indoor specimen of lavender is an order of magnitude smaller than its street compatriot, which does not detract from its decorative effect.

When they do it

You can transplant lavender bushes in spring or autumn. An autumn transplant is considered preferable for the southern regions. In autumn there is no heat, and more moisture in the soil, less watering is required. They do it in October. The plant will need at least 2 months for the roots to take root in a new place, and it takes root. This should happen before the onset of cold weather.

For Central Russia, where the plant needs to be covered for the winter, it is better to do this in the spring. Ate, however, it becomes necessary to transplant the bushes in the fall, this is done in the last decade of August or in September, after the end of flowering. Then there is a chance that the transplanted lavender will take root.

Top dressing lavender after pruning

Preparing lavender for winter includes feeding. This is done after the autumn pruning. Better to use mineral fertilizers. The optimal proportion is two tablespoons per ten liter bucket of water. You can dilute the fertilizer following the instructions on the package. First it is necessary to loosen, then irrigation with water is required. Fertilizers cannot be poured onto dry soil, this will burn the roots of the plant. Nitrogen fertilizing should not be applied in the fall, otherwise the young leaves may freeze.

Transplanting lavender: general recommendations

Lavender is a thermophilic plant, and therefore does not tolerate transplantation. With the right approach to the event, you can achieve a rich, beautiful flowering. The recommended time to replant lavender is in spring or fall. Various factors are taken into account in the works.

Place for transfer

So that the plant does not suffer and quickly takes root in a new place, it is important to choose the right planting site.For this, areas open to sunlight with moderate shading are suitable. The soil should not be too wet, with a low level of acidity. Before planting, wood ash or lime is introduced into the soil. You can also add compost to the garden bed - it will loosen the soil, replenishing the supply of nutrients.

Transplant timing

Planting a culture in open ground involves careful preparation and further care for it. The main condition is that there should be no risk of frost at the soil level. Therefore, it is best to transplant lavender in the summer or early fall, before the onset of cold weather. The advantage of a summer transplant is the presence of an optimal soil moisture level. Due to this, the plant does not need frequent watering. Providing a higher level of soil moisture is necessary only in the case of propagation of bushes using the cuttings method.

When lavender is transplanted to another place in the fall, a higher degree of survival of the bushes is guaranteed, due to the stiffening of the stems - they become stronger and more resistant to external influences. At this time, the plant is well adapted to the characteristic temperature variations, the risk of root freezing is reduced.

Soil preparation for transplant

Lavender tolerates varying levels of minerals in the soil well, but hardly takes root in wet or heavy soil. The best options are considered to be areas with soil composition close to sandstones. In the absence of such, preparation for transplanting a plant into heavy soil involves adding river sand to it in a 1: 1 ratio.

If the site where it is planned to transplant lavender in the summer is characterized by a close occurrence of groundwater, it is necessary to organize an additional drainage layer. For this, expanded clay, sand, broken brick are used. These materials provide efficient water drainage.

Also, before replanting lavender in the fall, the acidity level in the soil is checked. It should have a range of 6.5 pH to 8 pH. In the case of increased acidity, wood ash or lime is added to the soil, which deoxidize it well.

Lavender - planting, transplanting

Florists recommend choosing lavender varieties that grow in your climatic zone for planting on the site. This will allow the plants to adapt more easily and quickly in the garden. The best time to plant is early spring when the frost ends.

Recommendations for planting lavender:

• Immediately before planting, the plant is placed in water for one hour;
• The height of the beds or flower beds should be up to 40 cm;
• The upper part of the bush is cut off before planting;
• It is also necessary to cut off small, deformed side shoots;
• Planting depth - 30 cm;
• The distance between lavender bushes is from 30 to 120 cm, depending on the size of an adult plant.

How to properly prepare the soil

The main requirements for the soil:

• Good drainage;
• Alkaline;
• Sandy loam or loamy.

If the soil on the site is too acidic, it can be neutralized with limestone or wood ash.

Lavender does not tolerate transplanting well, so it is better to immediately find a permanent place for it in the garden. If there is a need to transplant a plant, this should be done with a large clod of earth, which will minimize trauma to the root system.

Treatment of a site with lavender

The main condition for growing a flower is free access of oxygen to the plant's root system. For this purpose, the clubs are regularly cleaned from weeds, the soil is loosened.

The best way to ensure proper growing conditions is to organize a mulch layer of decayed foliage, decorative substrates that decorate the garden with bright colors.

In this case, it is important to leave the soil open directly near the plant.

When can the cover be removed

The shelter is removed even when there is complete confidence that the frost has passed. Most often this is the end of March - beginning of April.Accordingly, it is not worth opening the bushes in early spring, since daytime warming during this period is usually replaced by sharp night frosts. This leads to freezing of the soil and the formation of ice, due to which most of the plants die in the absence of shelter during this period.

Important! Many gardeners and summer residents believe that not so much winter cold as spring temperature drops are terrible. Only having the right cover will save lavender from such strength tests.

Varieties

Different varieties of lavender can come in different sizes. The choice of variety depends on the amount of space available. Low-growing varieties are most suitable for growing on balconies... In a sufficiently large container, even a meter long will grow well. broadleaf lavender (Lavandula latifolia).

The main undersized species include the following varieties of narrow-leaved lavender (Lavandula angustifolia):

• 'Peter Pan' is a dwarf variety. Height 25-35 cm. Dark flowers;
• ‘Dwarf Blue’ - height up to 30 cm. Purple-blue flowers;
• ‘Nana Alba’ is a beautiful, compact shape. Height up to 35 cm. White flowers;
• ‘Silver Blue’ - Powerful, silvery leaves. Height up to 50 cm. Violet-blue inflorescences. Extremely long flowering period - sometimes up to October;
• 'Munstead' is a classic variety. Height up to 40 cm. Violet-blue flowers.

What is the best lavender for home breeding?

In total, there are about 30 species of mountain flowers. They belong to semi-shrubs, maximum can reach up to 2 m in length. Three types stand out among them - these are English, Dutch and French lavender. The first two varieties are distinguished by thin leaves, a long stem and small short purple flowers, planted tightly to each other and together forming a spikelet, elongated to the sun. French lavender is an inflorescence with wide petals. It is she who is the ancestor of the rest of the species.

English lavender is more unpretentious, therefore it is more often chosen by gardeners for planting in their summer cottage. She is going through the winter well, so it is not required to transplant it into pots and take it home in cold weather. It also divorces perfectly indoors, but requires careful care, because it does not tolerate tight pots.

French lavender will not survive in winter frosts, so transplanting into home pots and waiting out the cold in a warm place will be very helpful.

How to transplant lavender

A transplant must be carried out if necessary - do not get carried away by changing the location of the plant, since it is difficult to adapt. For planting, you need to choose a sunny, well-lit area with light soil. In the prepared spacious hole, about 40 cm in diameter, it is necessary to apply organic and mineral fertilizers, as well as a drainage layer. After planting the bush, the soil must be watered and mulched, so that the first time it retains moisture well enough.

Necessary conditions for growing

Lavender on the windowsill is a very real phenomenon. The main condition is the selection of dishes, soil and compliance with the requirements of maintenance in the apartment.

Pot for lavender

When choosing a pot, an important condition is sufficient space to accommodate the root system. For planting, you can use a pot or oblong container. Lavender loves space, so to start growing, the diameter of the pot must be at least 30 centimeters. A smaller diameter will negatively affect flowering: the less nutrition at the roots, the smaller and more inconspicuous the flowers. A container for lavender is selected with a volume of at least 2-3 liters. Several bushes, planted in an oblong container, look spectacular.

The grow tank should have enough drainage holes to drain off excess water when watering. The material of the pot does not matter. But experienced flower growers advise using an unglazed ceramic pot, since in a plastic one the roots can suffer from waterlogging. A drainage layer at the bottom of the pot with a height of at least 5-6 centimeters will help protect the plant from waterlogging.

The container for planting lavender must be light. Dark dishes get very hot in the sun, and the earthy ball will dry out too quickly. Overheating of the roots of even such a thermophilic plant will adversely affect its well-being, and may even lead to death.

Location and lighting requirement

Lavender is extremely demanding on lighting and will not grow if it is lacking. She needs a southern window sill in the apartment. In summer, it is advisable to put the plant on the balcony, and it is better to take it out into the street.

Potted lavender in winter, even on the southern windowsill, will suffer from a lack of sunlight, so it must be additionally highlighted. For the organization of additional lighting, you can use special phyto- or fluorescent lamps. Daylight hours for a plant should be at least 10 hours.

Selection of soil for lavender in a pot

The ideal soil composition for lavender consists of sand or gravel, humus, turf or leafy soil in a 1: 1: 2 ratio. If the substrate cannot be prepared on your own, ready-made flower soil from the store is quite suitable. You need to add a small amount of fine gravel to it for looseness and breathability.

Simple garden soil cannot be used for planting lavender, as it becomes denser during watering, and the roots of the plant begin to "suffocate".

Fertilizer

The nutrient requirements of lavender are low. To avoid harmful fertilizer overdose, regular use of organic liquid fertilizers is recommended.

• April-August feed every 4-6 weeks;
• Feeding is stopped from mid-August;
• Add a dose of magnesian lime once a season;
• Avoid the use of nitrogen fertilizers, they reduce the frost resistance of perennial lavender.

Answers to readers' questions

Plant lifespan

The life span of a plant in culture can be 20-30 years, but bushes are often grown for no more than 10 years.

Why doesn't the flower bloom?

Flowering may be absent due to the small age of the plant if the lavender is grown from seed, or it may be caused by maintenance errors. Most often, flowers do not appear for two reasons:

• The landing site is too shady;
• The plant was overfed with nitrogen fertilizers.

Flower care in winter

In the garden in winter it is necessary to ensure that the bushes are well covered. When growing in an apartment, it is advisable to take the plant to a cool place for wintering.

Lavender is a spicy, aromatic and medicinal plant widely used in everyday life and in various industrial sectors: for the manufacture of aromatic tea, essential oil, as a honey plant, in beauty recipes. Outwardly, lavender looks like an evergreen, herbaceous perennial shrub with branched stems and silvery-green narrow leaves. Peduncles of purple, lilac or pale blue in the form of spike-shaped inflorescences.

The plant perfectly complements the landscape of rockeries, alpine slides and ordinary garden areas. However, in order for the culture to take over in a new place, it is important to know exactly when it is possible to transplant lavender to another place, how to care for it in the open field, what to do when cold weather sets in.

Lavender - photo

Lavender is a stunningly beautiful plant that looks equally attractive both in indoor pot arrangements and on a backyard. It is used to create hedges, mixborders, rockeries and alpine slides. In our photo gallery you can get acquainted with the variety of species of this culture, its luxurious flowering, as well as ways of decorating backyard territories.Happy viewing!

Lavender: description

Lavender at home is an effective insecticide: planted in orchards and vegetable gardens, it repels pests. In particular, the plant is not tolerated by moths and Colorado beetles.

In gardens and flower beds, lavender creates a chic backdrop, highlighting the individuality of the rest of the plants. Its harmony with roses is gorgeous, as well as the combination of aromas of these two beautiful plants.

Outwardly, lavender, the cultivation of which is not particularly difficult, is a bush with an approximate diameter of 0.5 to 2 meters, with narrow, silvery leaves; flowers (from blue to dark purple) are collected in spike-shaped inflorescences. Dried twigs have a delicate, somewhat bitter aroma. Used at home as an effective anti-moth remedy. They look harmoniously in "folk" interiors: chalets, provence, country.

In ancient Greece, lavender was used for washing and washing, which is the reason for its today's name: "lava" from Latin means "wash".

Required tools

Transplanting will require regular gardening tools. First of all, it is a shovel. It should be sharp and clean. You can dig up a small plant with a pitchfork, while avoiding damage and pruning of roots.

A sharp garden knife and pruner will be useful. With their help, we cut off broken or dry branches and roots. To trim the walls of the planting hole and add earth to the roots, we use a small shovel or scoop. A bucket and a watering can are needed for watering and dissolving fertilizers.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantage of room lavender is its aromatic scent., exuded during flowering, has a calming effect and relieves headaches.

An essential oil is made from flowers, which is used in medicine, aromatherapy, cosmetology and perfumery.

Lavender oil is used to treat burns, joint pain, and as a massage oil to help relax and relieve muscle tension. It has a strong antimicrobial effect.

Lavender basket

When growing a flower at home, you can use them by cutting and drying flowering shoots:

• for making sachets - aromatic pillows to add a delicate aroma to linen and repel moths;
• add to the formulations of herbal pillows that help with spasmodic headaches and the fight against insomnia;
• use as a freshener for shoes (put into shoes at night, they remove an unpleasant odor);
• as an addition to green and flower tea;
• in cooking, add to baked goods, salads, vegetable and fish dishes.

The plant has no drawbacks, except that the individual intolerance of the rich bitter aroma.

Propagation of lavender by cuttings and layering

The most popular is vegetative propagation (by cuttings, layering).

• Cuttings root quickly and easily. Do this early spring or mid-summer.
• Green and lignified cuttings with at least 2 internodes can be rooted.
• Cut the leaves from the bottom, treat with a rooting stimulator and plant the cutting in loose soil, deepening a couple of centimeters, cover with a jar, cut with a plastic bottle or film.
• Air regularly, moisten the soil.

Start in the spring. Bend one of the lower shoots to the ground, fix it in place of contact with the soil and sprinkle it with earth, the top should remain on the surface. Water. After about 3 months of active growth, the new plant is ready to separate from the mother bush.

Lavender: general information about the plant

Lavender is a fairly simple plant, but at the same time, it has incredible abilities. To begin with, it is worth mentioning that this present flora has a very delicate refined aroma, which can relieve headaches and remove stress and calm the nervous system.

Lavender belongs to the class of essential oil plants. The Mediterranean coast is considered the birthplace of lavender, which is why it is quite thermophilic. Most gardeners do not take up the cultivation of lavender, as it is popularly believed that this plant is very finicky. We can say with confidence that this is a myth, because given the climate of the post-Soviet countries, this plant can be grown without difficulty and unnecessary hassle in the backyard and even in a flower pot. The main thing is to take into account some features of the plant when cultivating lavender and choose the appropriate type.

For cultivation in the suburban area, it is recommended to choose narrow-leaved lavender. This type of plant is considered the least whimsical and frost-resistant. In height, narrow-leaved lavender can reach one meter. At the same time, the plant is quite durable, it can grow in one place for more than 10 years. Also, it is worth mentioning that narrow-leaved lavender has very beautiful bluish-pink flowers.