One of the most recognizable plants for its smell and appearance is lavender, which looks difficult to grow from seeds at home only at first glance. The shrub, although considered Mediterranean, grows well in areas with a temperate climate.
Description of culture and application
Lavender is a plant that originated in the mountains. This factor contributed to good endurance. It has a lilac, bluish or pinkish hue, depending on the variety, has medicinal properties and serves as an excellent decoration. Belongs to the shrubs of the labiate family. In France, there are entire plantations on which a huge amount of lavender is grown. And those who had a chance to see such beauty live are trying to grow their own bushes in their summer cottages.
Lavender fields
What types of lavender are there
English. The most popular species, particularly in France. Long spikelets with narrow bluish leaves are considered the most beautiful species, while the stem is of medium length. In many countries, (in particular, in Russia), this particular variety is popular due to its resistance to frost. This lavender can be left in the garden in cold weather and not transplanted into pots for overwintering.
The Dutch species was bred from the English, has short inflorescences and wide leaves. Unfortunately, this species did not inherit the ability to winter in low temperatures, and it is better to use such lavender as a home pot decoration.
Bandera Pink - blooms only in the field, not in pots. The height of the flowers is up to 25 cm, blooms from July to the end of August. Such a plant can also be planted in those regions where the temperature conditions are harsh. In another way, this variety is called "evergreen" because of the constant flowering and bright green stems.
Reference! Bandera Pink has the name of French lavender, which can be found in the well-known fields of Provence.
Richard Gray is a variety of lavender with a high stem and fluffy leaves, about 60 cm high. The difference is the stem is green-silver in color, which may look like hoarfrost. Pleasant aroma and delicate lilac color of the petals.
English lavender, growing from seeds at home
Silver Mist. Short stems, growing in wildflowers, dark blue-violet with almost white or gray petals. This variety blooms especially beautifully towards the end of August. It is frost-resistant and tolerates frost down to -15 degrees. Therefore, it is allowed to sow in plots in the south of the country.
Platinum Blond. Very compact shrubs up to 40 cm high. They can only survive winter if transplanted into pots or kept in a greenhouse. Pink-blue or lilac color, elongated buds on a long stem.
Useful properties and application in traditional medicine
The plant has many beneficial properties, therefore, it is widely used in folk medicine. Infusions and decoctions are made from lavender, which are taken orally to normalize sleep and emotional state, relieve muscle tension and as a prophylaxis.Such a prophylactic agent helps rid the body of harmful bacteria, normalizes intestinal function, has a beneficial effect on the state of internal organs, eliminates toxins and helps restore sexual health.
How to choose a lavender variety for planting at home
What Lavender looks like
How to grow lavender from seeds? When choosing the type of seed, you need to build on the purpose of using the flowers and the place of its seedlings. If it is needed as a remedy, then you need to pay attention to the medicinal properties of the selected type. If the flower is planted solely for the beauty of the summer cottage, then here the choice will be limited to those species that can survive the winter period. Especially in the northern regions. For seedlings in pots, you need to choose small bush species.
Self-picking lavender seeds and choosing them for sowing
Collect lavender seeds when the flowers are at their peak. Next, you need to dry the seeds. As a rule, the collection takes place in August, then, until December, the seeds are dried and stored in a closed container that does not allow moisture to pass through. If planting is planned in the ground on the site, and not in pots, then it is necessary to plant seeds before frost so that the seeds take root in cold conditions.
English lavender, growing from seeds at home
Lavender in a container
Note! Do not wait long for frost. It is extremely difficult to plant seeds in the frozen ground, and they are unlikely to be able to stretch out through the frozen ground.
Professional advice
Experienced gardeners who are closely involved in growing lavender from seeds believe that any person can grow it at home. To achieve a positive result, you just need to follow a few simple rules:
- Select only warm and sunny areas as a permanent place.
- Use a pot with good drainage and drainage.
- Stratify lavender seeds for at least 40 days.
- Cut or pinch the top of the bush when six pairs of leaves appear on it.
- Water the plant regularly with settled water and irrigate its green mass.
- Fertilize the soil with mineral fertilizing.
- Provide 10-hour daylight hours to the bushes.
- Additionally moisten lavender if it grows near heating appliances.
- Prune the plant at the end of flowering.
- Transplant young lavender growing in pots annually on a loggia.
How to care for seedlings
How to grow rosemary from seeds at home
How to grow lavender from seeds at home for seedlings? Potted lavender should be placed on a windowsill on the sunny side immediately after the first shoots appear. Lavender sprouts must receive at least 10 hours of sunlight per day for growth to thrive. If in the winter months the sun rises late and sets early, then a phytolamp will help fill the lack of sunlight. The room temperature should be between 15 and 22 degrees.
Conditions for seed germination
The necessary conditions for germination are sufficient light, the right temperature and a safe soil. It is better to purchase the soil in a specialized store so that unfavorable factors cannot negatively affect germination. Lavender seedlings do not require frequent watering and grow in arid areas. Moreover, it is at the same time a moisture-loving plant.
Step-by-step instructions for sowing lavender seeds for seedlings
When to plant phlox in spring in open ground
To grow lavender, you must adhere to the following rules.
Seed selection
Growing lavender from seeds starts with choosing the right seeds. The seeds must be purchased from a quality seller and a reliable manufacturer.Reliability can be understood by the presence of information on the packaging: expiration date, planting instructions, necessary care and other rules of use. Self-harvested seeds do not guarantee the appearance of flowers.
Mandatory seed stratification
Mandatory stratification refers to procedures for creating artificially harsh conditions for the awakening of sprouts. There are several stratification options, consider the 2 simplest and most effective ways.
Stratification options
1 way. You need to take sawdust in an amount 10 times more than the number of seeds sown. They are soaked in boiling water, then, after cooling, excess water is drained and sawdust is poured into the container to the seeds. In this state, they need to be kept for about three days, after carefully mixing. Further, the seeds must be placed in the refrigerator at an optimal temperature of 3-5 degrees. During this time, the seeds should swell. Thus, the seeds are stored for 1 or 1.5 months, periodically ventilated and mixed with sawdust.
Transplanting seeds into the ground
Reference! It is very easy to understand that the seeds are ready for planting: when a quarter of the contents of the container begins to be covered with white growths, the lavender can be planted.
Method 2. Instead of sawdust, take 2 cotton pads and put them in a plate. Seeds are laid out on top of one disc, covered with a second disc and poured with a small amount of warm water. Further, without opening the discs, the contents must be squeezed out of excess water and placed in the refrigerator for 2-3 days to start germination. Otherwise, the process is the same as in the first method. True, it is quite difficult to track the appearance of white growths. One must remember to air the seeds. If you follow all the tips, then lavender should sprout and give good fruit. Read about the correct sowing of seeds below.
Note! Periodically, lavender is taken out and placed in a warm place. The minimum stratification period is 40 days.
Soil and containers for sowing lavender seeds for seedlings
The disembarkation container must be at least 7 cm deep for comfortable disembarkation. It is best to choose the largest, widest containers. As a soil, it is necessary to choose substrates with loose soil and nutrients. Before planting, it is better to shed the soil with potassium permanganate. Sowing is necessary from the second half of February to the beginning of March. It is better to use ready-made soil mixtures. You can even find special lavender soil in specialty stores.
Sowing seeds
How to plant lavender seedlings? Lavender has strong roots, so the seeds should be planted away from each other. A tight planting can negatively affect when transplanting: if the roots are damaged, then after transplanting the plant may not take root. The soil must not be compacted when placed in a container. It must be leveled carefully, and after the surface is even, moisten it with water (or potassium permanganate) from a spray bottle. The seeds should be at a distance of 1.5-2 cm from each other. There should be 2-3 mm on top of the seed. That is, cover it with earth quite a bit. After sifting, the container must be closed with a lid, foil or glass.
Flowers on the site
Planting lavender seedlings in open ground
Transplanting into open ground should be carried out with the onset of stable warm days. As a rule, this is the month of May, after the ground has already thawed and is easy to dig. After planting, it is very important to moisten the soil by periodically watering it. The seeds should be at a depth of 5 cm, not 3 mm. Before transferring a plant, its roots must be cut by 2-3 cm for further reproduction. Around the stem, be sure to tamp the soil harder.Some varieties for soil sowing need to be planted in the fall, and flowering will begin in about a year (July or August next summer).
Alternative breeding
Lavender is propagated from seeds and by means of lignified or herbaceous cuttings obtained by dividing mother plants.
If lavender is grown from cuttings, cuttings with annual flowering shoots approximately 7 cm long should be cut in June or early July. Cut cuttings from three to four-year-old plants to obtain seedlings with a heel. Before planting, the leaves are removed from the bottom, the ends of the shoots are dipped into the root former and the plant is placed in a container. The best rooting medium is perlite, sand, or a mixture of peat and sand. Then the container with the cuttings is covered with foil. Every day you need to lift the film for a few minutes to ventilate the plants. After 5-6 weeks, the rooted plants are planted on the seedbed to a depth of about 2 cm, in the spring of next year, they are transplanted to a permanent place.
Another method of obtaining young plants is propagation by layering. In July, two-year-old shrubs are covered with soil up to one third of their height. During the growing season, plants should be moist, moisture encourages root growth on the shoots. Next year, when the threat of spring frosts passes, the soil is removed, the plant is divided into parts.
Sowing seeds directly into the ground
Some varieties are planted directly into the ground without prior stratification and growing in potting conditions. The first step is to pre-determine the sowing site, making sure that there are no other seeds in the indicated place. The place should be sunny and dry. How to plant lavender seeds in the ground so that they survive the winter and become beautiful bushes in the spring and summer.
When to plant
You need to start planting seeds purchased or self-collected in October at a depth of about 4 mm. The best time is early October. From above, you can sprinkle the soil with a thin layer of sand. With the onset of frost, the site is covered with snow or sawdust, as well as natural burlap.
Loosening and top dressing of the soil
Loosening should be done infrequently. As a rule, other plants and herbs no longer sprout in the fall, which can interfere with the development of lavender in the soil. Loosening can be done with miniature garden rakes or other tools around the seedlings. It is very important not to damage the seed itself and not accidentally bring it to the surface.
Watering
Watering is carried out as needed at a time when the snow has not yet fallen. If the weather is dry, then only then you need to water the lavender seedlings with a little water. In winter, the soil is fed by snow.
Care of young plants
After the end of winter, it is very important to prune the sprouted shoots, giving them a rounded shape. In the summer, in dry heat, it is necessary to water it 2 times a week, the soil around the plant is fertilized with the help of special mixtures or oak bark. At the end of autumn, so that the plant grows favorably and pleases with its inflorescences in the next year, it must be cut off by 1/3 of the total. This is called picking.
Watering the sprouts
When to plant
If lavender is grown from seeds with preliminary preparation of seedlings, then the seeds are planted in the substrate at the end of February or beginning of March. The choice of this time period is due to the fact that by the time of planting on the garden, the sprouts are already sufficiently strong, hardened and soon bloom. In cool regions, seedlings should be chosen.
It is too late to plant seeds for seedlings: the plants will not have time to get strong enough in this case. Early disembarkation is also not encouraged: lavender usually outgrows in this case and, after being placed in the garden, weakens, withers, takes a long time to take root. In addition, in the first winter, it can freeze out.
If we are talking about southern latitudes, you can plant seeds in the ground right away. Sowing can be done both before winter and in spring. If the planting is autumn, then it is done at the end of October, if it is spring - then in May.
Preparing for winter
The need for lavender shelter arises in the regions of Siberia and the Urals. If the temperature in winter rarely drops below -25 degrees, then there will be enough snow for shelter. But in more northern regions, where the temperature often drops to -35 degrees and below, it is necessary to additionally cover the soil with burlap, sawdust or wooden / plywood boxes.
Note! Do not cover with foliage, plastic wrap.
Bushes in flowerpots in winter must be trimmed and bandaged according to the schedule, and also sent to a cold balcony or veranda for a while.
In general, caring for lavender does not require much effort, and the result obtained will please the eye not only of the owners and guests of the house. A pleasant smell will always remind others of summer and give the house a touch of romance and freshness. Therefore, lavender in flowerpots can be an excellent competitor to scented candles and air fresheners.
