Information about Lavender

Botanical name: Lavandula

Flowering time: The majority of lavenders bloom in midsummer (June-July)

Flower colors: Many shades of purple

Height: 2-3 feet

Lavender is a perennial plant originated from Mediterranean and Asia. Most lavender species are cultivated in warm areas for many uses: garden landscape, culinary use and oil extraction.

Lavender blooming time can vary from specie to another and from location to another.

With hybrid lavenders, colors other than purple exist (white, yellow, pink, …), which gives an opportunity to diversify your landscape and assure a full year blooming with different colors.

Planting Lavender

You can grow lavender with many methods: from seeds (sow indoor before last frosts), softwood and semi-hardwood cuttings or layering.

You can buy Lavender seeds from Walmart or SeedsNow

Planting Lavender outdoor 

• Lavenders like well-drained soil; they do not support water excess. They prefer dry, stony and softly alkaline soils with pH between 6.1 and 8.5. Only Lavandula stoechas and viridis varieties require acid soil. Add organic matter and sand to improve heavy soils. In clay soils, lavender turn to be short-lived plant

• The plant location should be exposed to full sunlight. A little shade cannot be a problem

• Lavender is cold-hardy but should be planted in the spring after the last frosts

• Eliminate the roots that have become too long and may suffocate

You can buy Lavender seeds from Walmart or SeedsNow

Planting Lavender indoor

• Growing lavender in north cold zone can be done with few challenges

• The lack of light can affect plant growth and color

• Choose a pot about 12 inches in diameter, the volume will be 1.5 to 2 times that of the root ball, and that has a hole to drain excess water

• Place lavender pots near a window exposed to maximum sunlight, fluorescent tubes can be used to provide sufficient light for growth

• The location should be aerated

You can buy Lavender seeds from Walmart or SeedsNow

Lavender plant care

Watering

Water regularly but not frequently, letting the soil dry slightly between watering, too much watering and excess of humidity in the soil may cause rot.

Pruning

Prune in spring after flowering. Pinching tips of new plants will result in dense branching that helps blooming growth. When your plant become woody, consider cutting some old branches to encourage growing new ones. When pruning lavender, put in mind that the plant produces flowers in the branch tips and heavy tip pruning will reduce flowering.

Fertilizing

Fertilizing lavender in an average soil is not necessary. In fact, lavenders like poor soils, rich soils or over fertilizing will promote foliage and the plant may never flower. The plant may even die from an excess of nitrogen. You can feed your plant using slow release fertilizer once a year which prevents hurting it.