Lavender planting and care outdoors in the south of russia

Growing lavender outdoors

Lavender, the varieties of which number more than a dozen, belongs to the perennial decorative dwarf shrubs. It is a popular plant for landscape decoration in European countries, especially in Italy and France. To transfer a beautiful part of Provence to your summer cottage, you can plant the culture in the form of an edging of a garden path or a small flower bed.

Growing lavender (lat.Lavandula) on your site is quite within the power of even a novice gardener, and a flower bed or mixborder of various varieties will create an amazing play of lilac and purple shades on your site.

Site selection and soil preparation for lavender

Choosing a suitable planting site for lavender is the key to the successful development of the plant and its lush flowering. Lavender loves the sun very much, so to create a flower bed, you should choose a place that is not shaded by trees and buildings.

Soil preparation

The culture is not demanding on the content of minerals, but does not like wet and heavy soil. The composition of light sandstone or sandy loam is well suited. If the soil is heavy, in preparation for planting lavender, it is mixed with river sand 1 to 1.

If the groundwater on the site runs close to the surface, it is necessary to organize a drainage layer of expanded clay, broken brick and sand to drain water. When preparing a flower bed, it is important to take into account the acidity of the soil - recommended from 6.5 to 8 pH. If not, you can add ash or a little lime, which are good deoxidizers.

Preparing soil drainage for planting lavender

The best lavender varieties to plant

There are two large groups of lavender varieties: French and English.

French lavender (lat.Lavandula stoechas) is a capricious, delicate plant with wide green leaves and shortened inflorescences. It is used for home cultivation in pots. Temperatures below minus 15 degrees Celsius can kill her.

Growing French lavender at home

English lavender has become widespread among gardeners, planting and care in the suburbs and central Russia, behind which it is possible in the open field. English lavender (lat.Lavandula angustifolia) is known by other names: narrow-leaved lavender, medicinal, real. Differs in long spikelets of inflorescences and narrow leaves. Among gardeners, varieties of narrow-leaved lavender are popular: Munstead, Hidcote Giant, Alba, Ellegance Sky.

English lavender - cultivation and care in the garden Lavender propagation and planting in open ground

When planting an adult lavender bush in open ground, it should be borne in mind that the plant does not tolerate transplanting well. Before transplanting, the plant should be watered abundantly so that it is easier to remove the clod of earth from the pot and not damage the root system. It is recommended to plant plants at a distance of at least half a meter.

The plant reproduces well by layering and cuttings, which are planted at the same distance, without deepening the root collar. After planting in open ground with cuttings or layering, it is imperative to create greenhouse conditions by covering with a film and regularly moistening the ground.

Planting seedlings of lavender when propagated by seeds is carried out in May - early June. The rest of the breeding methods (layering, cuttings, dividing the bush) are carried out in two stages - preparation and planting. In this case, landing in a permanent place is carried out in the second half of summer and autumn.

Propagation of lavender by cuttings

An affordable and easy way to obtain seedlings for a large number of bushes is to propagate lavender by cuttings. At the beginning of summer, 8-10 cm stems are cut, which are then rooted in water or soil prepared from a mixture of peat and sand.

Propagation of lavender by cuttings

In greenhouse conditions, rooting is faster, and after a month, the seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent place. Young bushes bloom in the first year, but it is advisable to remove the inflorescences so that the plant has time to grow as much green mass as possible over the summer and does not waste energy on the formation of flowers.

Propagation of lavender by layering

The method of propagation of lavender by layering is good in that you do not need to injure the bush by digging and damaging its root system. For layering, a young flexible branch growing from the edge of the bush is chosen, near which it is necessary to dig a shallow furrow.

The branch is deflected 15-20 cm away from the plant and bent in such a way that its main part fits into the furrow, and its end with leaves and a flower remains above ground level. To prevent the branch from springing, it is fixed with a hairpin made of wire or a stone, then the part of the branch buried in the soil is covered with earth.

You can dig up a daughter plant only after it has young shoots and it is best to do this in cool weather in early autumn.

Reproduction of lavender by dividing the bush

Preparation of the bush for division begins in the fall, and the procedure itself is performed a year after that. The lavender bush is cut to a height of 10 cm and huddled, while the earth is covered between the stems.

Prepared lavender seedlings after dividing the bush

In the spring of the next year and during the summer, the plant will give numerous shoots around the bush. In the fall, the plant is dug up and divided using a sharp tool - a shovel or a scoop, after which the sections are treated with garden varnish or sprinkled with crushed coal. Prepared seedlings are planted in permanent places.

Growing lavender from seeds at home

Lavender, propagated by seeds, is quite capricious when grown. This method is rarely chosen for the preparation of planting material, since seedlings grown from seeds will bloom only a year after planting.

Before sowing, lavender seeds must be stratified. This can be done at home by placing the seeds in artificial cold, or in the fall, sowing seeds in the ground. But unstable low temperatures in natural conditions can destroy seeds, so it is better to use the first method.

Lavender - growing from seeds at home

For stratification at home, seeds are mixed with fine dry sand and poured into a container or cup. Next, the container is placed in a plastic bag and placed on the lower shelf of the refrigerator for 40-45 days.After that, the seeds are sown together with the sand in a seedling box or greenhouse.

After going through the stratification procedure, lavender, the cultivation of which from seeds at home has been completed, can be sown in open ground under a film, in a seedling box or a greenhouse.

Greenhouse conditions for lavender seedlings

Sowing in open ground is possible only in spring, at a constant air temperature plus 20 degrees Celsius, otherwise the plant will not have time to develop enough and will freeze with the onset of winter, despite the shelter.

Growing lavender outdoors

Lavender, planted according to all the rules, in a prepared soil and in a sunny place, is not demanding to care for. It is important to control soil moisture to prevent waterlogging and ensure good drainage.

Watering lavender

Watering should be moderate: lavender tolerates drought well, but does not tolerate waterlogging and waterlogging. Therefore, water the flower bed should only be done when the soil dries up, but in no case should it be poured. Enough 5 liters of water for an adult bush in 1-2 dry weeks. After flowering, lavender is not watered at all.

Watering lavender outdoors

Soil mulching

Mulching for lavender is undesirable, since mulch helps to retain moisture in the soil and prevents the respiration of the plant roots. Therefore, when creating decorative dumps or a mulch layer, it is necessary to leave the soil around the bush open and loosen it 1-2 times during the summer, providing oxygen access to the roots of the plant.

Feeding lavender with fertilizers

Lavender grown outdoors requires two-step feeding. In the spring, the bushes are watered with the following composition: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of urea is dissolved in 10 liters of water, this portion is enough for two adult plants (5-6 liters per bush).

At the beginning of the flowering period, fertilizing is carried out with Agricola or Agricola fertilizer - a fantasy. They are bred in a proportion of 2 tbsp. spoons per 10 liters of water, consumption for each bush 3-4 liters of mixture.

Pest control

Pests almost never damage lavender, as the essential oils contained in lavender repel parasitic insects. The scent of flowers attracts bees, which makes the plant a good honey plant.

Lavender is an ideal honey plant and is used to attract pollinating insects.

Lavender in the garden, planting and care in Russia

Caring for lavender in the conditions of central Russia and colder climatic zones consists in timely pruning and sheltering the plant from freezing. The procedure is necessary to maintain the neat shape of the bush. If you do not prune, the lower part of the stems is exposed, and the plant takes on a knotty, not well-groomed appearance. Bare stems freeze easily at low temperatures or strong winds.

Formative pruning scheme for lavender

In the south of Russia, the shortening of shoots can be done in the fall by removing the peduncles and the two upper pairs of leaves. In conditions of a harsher winter, it is better to postpone pruning until spring - so the plant will be reliably sheltered from the cold with a snow cap and the root system will not freeze.

Pruning lavender in the fall

You can additionally insulate the bush for the winter with spruce or pine branches. Shelter in the form of fallen leaves or compost is not recommended, as the plant may rot.

Growing lavender at home

Nowadays, it is very fashionable to decorate terraces, halls and living quarters with plants in floor pots and pots. It may well decorate the interior with lavender, home care for which consists in observing the rules of cultivation.

Lavender - home care

Growing conditions

The container for planting lavender should be at least 5 liters in volume. Since lavender is a perennial plant, it must be provided with sufficient soil for growth and development. At the bottom of the pot, it is necessary to create a draining layer of expanded clay with a thickness of at least ¼ of the height of the pot.

Lavender, planting and caring for which at home is different from open ground, requires additional preparation of the soil before planting. Sand, peat and shells are added to the soil to obtain a light, breathable and nutritious composition for the plant roots.

The lavender pot should be in the lightest spot. If there is a lack of sunlight, artificial lighting can be used. Watering lavender should occur no more than once a week with warm, settled water - 0.5 liters per bush.

If lavender is grown at home, it needs sanitary pruning in winter. In this case, you need to remove dry and broken branches, trim the crown without changing its shape. The plant should be moved to a cool, bright room, away from heating appliances.

Transplant to open ground

Transplanting lavender from open ground into a pot should be done in early spring or late autumn. You can transplant a plant from a pot into open ground during the entire gardening season, carefully preserving an earthen lump.

Growing lavender in pots in the Urals

At home, the plant will require more attention and better soil composition than growing lavender outdoors. However, this method significantly expands the geography of plant cultivation. Lavender is grown in pots or pots in the Urals and Siberia, planting and caring for which requires a consistently warm and long summer. Since when breeding in containers, they can be quickly removed indoors in case of frost.

How to properly prepare and dry lavender

Lavender is pruned when its spikelets are half-blooming and wilted. The greatest amount of essential oils is found precisely in the calyxes of the flowers that remain on the stem after flowering.

Collection of lavender flowers

The tops of the stems 15-20 cm long are tied into small bouquets and hung down with inflorescences in a dark, dry place - in the pantry, in the attic. After 3-4 weeks, dried bouquets can be folded into linen bags and stored, for example, in a linen closet. Such storage has its advantages: lavender will scare away moths, give the linen a unique aroma of field herbs and will be perfectly preserved for future use.

Lavender is a medicinal plant, so cut flower stems are preserved and used for various purposes. They can be added to baths to heal wounds, treat skin conditions and provide freshness. The anti-stress effect of lavender essential oils is also known, for the manifestation of which fragrant bags of loose fabric filled with lavender are placed at the head of the bed during sleep.

Scented Lavender Sachets

In France, Italy and Spain, lavender is used as a condiment, adding it to dishes and sauces, as well as drinks.

Outcome

Lavender is a sophisticated and graceful flower that can be seen in any mixborder. Plants look best in strip planting along paths or terraces. The efforts put into its cultivation will be rewarded with lush lilac, purple or bright blue flower caps exuding a delicate aroma.

Lavender is one of the most famous aromatic plants. There is probably no person who, hearing this name, would not remember the lavender scent. Not everyone loves this smell, but few will be left indifferent by the sight of a blooming lavender field - a lilac sea of ​​flowers swaying in the wind.

Lavender was popular in ancient Egypt, it was grown in the sacred garden of Thebes. The ancient Romans used lavender flowers for bathing, washing hands, dishes, and laundry. Hence the name of the flower: in Latin lavare - to wash.

In Soviet times, lavender was grown in the Crimea for oil. Over the past 25 years, its plantings have greatly decreased, many essential oil farms have disintegrated. But in 2016, the lavender plantations were updated with 2 million new seedlings. This gives reason to hope for a revival of the industry.

For thousands of years, people have used lavender as an aromatic, essential oil, melliferous, medicinal, disinfectant plant. But it is no less valuable as a decorative culture, which, with proper care, can be grown even in the Moscow region.

Types and varieties of lavender

L. narrow-leaved

Lavender is a genus of evergreen dwarf shrub with a height of 30 to 100 cm with narrow green or gray-green leaves and spike-shaped inflorescences. Flowers are most often lilac or lilac-blue in color. All parts of the plant contain essential oil, the highest concentration of which is in flowers. Lavender is found naturally in the Canary Islands, Arabia, East and North Africa, India and southern Europe. Under favorable conditions, lavender bushes live up to 25 years.

The genus has 47 species and 7 hybrids.

The most famous member of the genus is narrow-leaved lavender, or real, or English (Lavandula angustifolia, L. officinalis). Leaves 2 to 6 cm long, narrow, with curled edges, gray-green due to pubescence. The flowers are bluish purple. This is the only type of lavender that overwinters outdoors in central Russia. In culture, various varieties of this species are grown, differing in the color of the flowers, for example:

Munstead - lilac blue

Alba - white

Rosea - pink

Gem - deep purple.

Lavender toothed (Lavandula dentata) differs from other species in soft gray-green or silvery leaves with jagged edges and large purple flowers. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental and essential oil plant. The most popular variety of scalloped lavender is Royal Crown, with purple flowers.

Stekhad lavender, or French (Lavandula stoechas) has narrow leaves 1-4 cm long and pinkish-purple flowers. Distributed in southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia.

For lavender broadleaf (Lavandula latifolia), characterized by lanceolate leaves 3-6 cm long and 5-8 mm wide, wider than most lavender species. The flowers are light blue. Its aroma differs from the scent of narrow-leaved lavender due to the presence of cineole, camphor and borneol in the composition. It is less refined, but the content of essential oil in plants of this species is higher. The most popular varieties:

Papillon - mauve flowers that resemble butterflies,

Tiara - large blue flowers

Regal Splendour - deep purple flowers.

Pedunculate lavender (Lavandula pedunculata) contains essential oils similar in composition to those of lavender lavender. Has decorative value due to large inflorescences, consisting of scaly bracts and long purple flowers at the top.

Lavender woolly (Lavandula lanata) gets its name from the thick layer of hairs on the leaves. Long, spike-shaped inflorescences are purple in color.

Lavender multi-cut (Lavandula multifida) is very different in appearance from other varieties. The leaves are dissected, resembling fern leaves, and the bluish-purple inflorescences are arranged three at a time at the end of a long peduncle. It grows in northern Africa and southern Europe. In central Russia, it does not winter in the open field, it is grown as an annual or a houseplant.

Green lavender (Lavandula viridis) has an unusual color, its leaves and flowers are greenish-yellow. Particularly drought-resistant species, it grows in Portugal and Madeira.

Hybrid lavender, or Dutch, or lavender (Lavandula intermedia) - Natural sterile hybrid of English lavender with broadleaf. Differs in large inflorescences and narrow silvery leaves. It grows up to 2 m high. It is used to make essential oils. The most famous varieties:

Arabian Night - deep purple

Grosso - purple

Seal - blue-lilac

Olympia - deep purple

Growing lavender

What wisdom do you need to know in order to grow lavender outdoors? Planting and leaving, pruning, choosing a place ... Let's consider everything in order.

Choosing a landing site

Wild lavender grows in mountainous and hilly areas, and prefers those areas where there is a large amount of rainfall. Industrial cultivation of lavender geographically coincides with the zones of viticulture: France, Italy, Moldova, Crimea, North Caucasus. The soils on which this shrub grows are infertile, slate or calcareous.

Important: lavender does not tolerate close groundwater or stagnant water during heavy rainfall or snow melting in spring. Therefore, when planting, you need to choose a high place and ensure good drainage.

To do this, you need to add washed river sand or fine gravel to the soil. On heavy loams, lavender may not survive the winter.

Before planting, add a bucket of rotted manure or compost, 35-50 g of superphosphate and 20-25 g of potassium salt per 1 m² of area. This plant loves alkaline soils, acidic soils must be limed until a pH of 6.5-7.5 is reached.

The place where lavender will grow should be as sunny and open as possible.

Care

The plant is undemanding to moisture, but it does not tolerate prolonged droughts. On light sandy or peaty soils in dry summer, it needs regular watering, on loams there is usually enough rain. In hot summers, mulching the soil around the bushes will retain moisture and prevent crusting on the soil surface. If you leave the soil bare, then you need to loosen it periodically to provide air access to the roots. But with heavy rains, it is better to rake mulch from the bushes so that the plants do not rot.

At the beginning of summer, lavender can be fed with nitrogen fertilizers if the soils are very poor. In the second half of summer, excess nitrogen can interfere with flowering, but potassium fertilization will be very useful.

Wintering

In a temperate climate, only narrow-leaved lavender winters in the open ghunt; other types of lavender cannot withstand the harsh Russian winters. But for the successful wintering of this single species, certain conditions are needed:

• The bushes are loosely covered with spruce branches (branches of conifers), especially in areas open to the wind. It is better not to cover with foliage, the plants can vanish.
• In severe winters with little snow, snow is shoveled around the bushes to save them from freezing.
• In the spring, the snow is raked away, accelerating the heating of the frozen soil and creating conditions for the roots to be included in the work.
• The bushes are pruned to reduce the area of ​​evaporation, otherwise the plants may dry out in the bright spring sun, when the roots are not yet able to draw water from the frozen ground.

Pruning

Some gardeners mistakenly believe that it is enough to remove only faded flower stalks from lavender. But then the plant will stretch out strongly, the branches will be bare from below and the bush will not look very decorative.

Important: pruning for lavender is essential. When pruning, the shoots are shortened by one third of the length.

In the south, this procedure is carried out in the fall, in the middle lane and Siberia, it is better to postpone pruning until spring, so that the plant is less damaged in winter.

Bushes over 10 years old need to be rejuvenated. They are cut almost to the root, leaving only 5 cm above the ground from the shoots. An old bush with a height of more than 1.5 m grew on my site. It is already more than 20 years old, the previous owners launched it, the old branches were very bare and gradually died out. But after a strong pruning on the seemingly lifeless branches, as if out of nothing, new strong shoots began to grow. So even in the case of a neglected bush, do not be afraid to carry out anti-aging pruning, the appearance of the plant will only benefit from this.

Growing at home

Lavender can be successfully grown not only outdoors, but also indoors. To do this, you must observe the following rules:

• From the end of October to February, organize additional lighting so that the daylight hours are not less than 10 hours.
• The room needs to be ventilated, but the plant should not be exposed to cold air; it is dangerous to leave it under an open window in winter.
• The main danger for lavender growing in an apartment is dry hot air coming from central heating batteries. Therefore, in winter, pots of lavender should be taken out to a cool room, where the temperature will not exceed 15 degrees and do not fall below 5 degrees. If this is not possible, it is recommended to install a humidifier in the room and spray the plants with water from a spray bottle every day.
• In summer, it is better to take lavender pots to a balcony or loggia.

Growing lavender at home

Reproduction

Most often, lavender is propagated by green cuttings. For beginners, methods such as dividing a bush and reproduction by layering are more suitable. But if there are no cuttings or bushes at hand, then it is quite possible to grow this fragrant plant from seeds.

Seed propagation

In the southern regions, lavender seeds can be sown directly into open ground before winter. But in most of our country, winters are too harsh for this planting method, and plants are grown through seedlings.

In January, the seeds are mixed with sterilized wet sand and placed in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. After one to two months, in February-March, the seeds are planted in prepared soil. To prepare the soil, mix 3 parts of garden soil, 2 parts of humus and 1 part of washed river sand. It is also good to add perlite.

Seed Lavender

When two true leaves appear, the seedlings dive into separate pots. In May-June, the seedlings are planted in a permanent place, observing the distance between the bushes of 50-100 cm. The further south the growing region, the more luxuriant the bushes will be and the more space you need to leave for the development of plants.

Lavender begins to bloom in the second abundant flowering from the third year.

Propagation by cuttings

To cultivate lavender at the end of June, young slightly lignified cuttings 10 cm long are cut off. The lower leaves are cut off, the cut is powdered with root roots and planted in a mini-greenhouse, keeping a distance of 6 cm between rows and 4 cm in a row. A light substrate is needed for planting: a mixture of sand, perlite, peat, turf.

After 4-5 weeks, the branches will be overgrown with roots. If the cuttings grow in the ground, then they are transplanted to a permanent place in the spring. Young plants in pots must be transplanted no later than mid-August, so that they have time to take root in a new place before the onset of cold weather. Therefore, one should not be late with cuttings. If, nevertheless, it did not work out in time to plant the processes in a permanent place, you can arrange for them to winter in a cool room with a temperature of 5-15 degrees.

Reproduction by layering

This is the easiest way to propagate lavender, available even to novice gardeners. In the spring, the lower shoots are bent to the ground and laid on the bottom of a groove 3-5 cm deep. Then they are fixed, for example, with a hairpin made of thick wire and sprinkled with earth. At the end of summer, roots are formed on the buried section of the stem, as evidenced by the appearance of new leaves. If the roots have not grown enough for independent existence, then the layers are left until next summer. A year later, the shoot with the roots is carefully cut off, the place of the cut is sprinkled with charcoal and the new plant is transplanted to a permanent place.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

An overgrown lavender bush over 3 years old can be divided into several separate plants. In the fall, the bush needs to be cut tightly, to a height of 8-10 cm from the ground, and it should be well covered with earth, so that there is no void between the stems. In the spring, add earth again, as the soil will settle over the winter. In the fall, the bush can be dug up and divided into individual plants.

Diseases and pests

Lavender is a fairly problem-free plant in terms of disease and pest damage. But occasionally troubles happen to him.

Gray rot

Due to waterlogging in cool weather, lavender bushes can get sick with gray rot. This happens quite rarely when there are drainage problems. The decayed parts of the plant must be cut off and burned so as not to spread the fungus.

Pennitsa (slobber)

This insect from the category of cicadas is widespread throughout Russia. The length of the penny is 5-8 mm, it can have various colors, from solid black to light brown with various patterns. They can live in very humid and very dry places.

Pennitsa lays eggs at the base of the lavender shoots. The larvae hatch from them produce a foamy liquid, similar to saliva.It is necessary to protect against enemies and from drying out. The larvae feed on the juices of the host plant, which greatly weaken it, and reduce decorativeness.

To remove the saliva larvae, you need to rinse them with a stream of water from a hose. Treatment with insecticides also helps.

Rainbow beetle (rosemary beetle)

This leaf beetle 5-8 mm long has a very beautiful color - longitudinal stripes of green and purple, shimmering with metal. It feeds on lavender, rosemary leaves, less often thyme, sage and perovskite. You can only deal with it by mechanical collection.

Agalmatium two-bladed

Agalmatium is widespread in the south of Russia and specializes in essential oil crops. This insect, up to 6 mm long, lays pale yellow eggs in groups of 2-22 on lavender stems from the shady side. Sticky eggs become covered with dust, disguising themselves as lumps of earth. The larvae hatched from eggs feed on lavender leaves, forming dots and spots on them.

To protect against agalmatiums, plants are treated with insecticides.

Harvesting lavender

They begin to collect lavender when half of the flower stalks have blossomed. At this time, the aroma is strongest, and the color of the flowers is especially bright. This is usually the end of June.

The collection is carried out late in the morning, in dry weather. Better if the day is cool, then more essential oil will be retained. For collection, use pruning shears or scissors. The collected inflorescences are laid out on paper or tied in small bouquets and hung on a rope with the flowers down. The drying room must be protected from direct sunlight and well ventilated.

Lavender in landscape design

Lavender is an essential element of a Mediterranean-style garden. Alpine slides, rockeries, pharmaceutical gardens, tubs on the patio, pots on the balcony - this elegant plant will be appropriate everywhere. Often lavender bushes line the paths in gardens and parks, allowing you to plunge into the cloud of their scent while walking.

Rose and lavender

The classic is the combination of lavender with rose bushes. Joint plantings with plants with yellow flowers are very effective. An ideal companion for young lavender bushes is Escholzia with its large bright carrot flowers. In a spice garden, lavender will be appropriate next to rosemary, catnip, oregano and sage.

Video

In the numerous family of Yasnotkovs, there are a lot of plants that have amazing decorativeness, and an extraordinary aroma, and other useful properties. If the summer resident wants his site to be decorated with lavender, planting and care in the open field is a key moment on the path to success.

A perennial essential oil crop up to 60 cm high with spike-shaped blue or purple inflorescences has become a symbol of Provence. Lavender is grown in the Mediterranean, and in Russia it is planted in the Crimea and the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.

Can a thermophilic plant take root in the middle lane? How to tame the culture of a gardener in Siberia or the Urals?

Among the plants related to lavender, there are many that, as a result of growing on personal plots, have completely assimilated, becoming part of the native flora. And some of them are well-known wild plants. These are motherwort and oregano, thyme and mint, catnip and lofant.

For the southern heat-loving beauty, the climatic conditions of our country are far from always comfortable. Still, planting lavender in the ground is possible. The main thing is to choose the right place, time and follow the rules of care.

The timing of planting lavender in the ground

Of all the varieties of lavender, Lavandula angustifolia or narrow-leaved lavender is recognized as the most frost-resistant and unpretentious.

Under cover, it can survive frosts down to -35 ° C, which is quite comparable with winter temperatures not only in the central part of the country, but even in the Urals or Siberia.

Lavender is propagated by seeds and vegetatively using parts of an adult bush, rooted cuttings or cuttings.

In the first case, like many other decorative perennials:

• at home, medium-sized seeds are sown for seedlings in early spring;
• when stable heat comes, you can sow seeds in the beds;
• planting lavender in the ground in the fall is carried out to obtain plants for next year.

Vegetative reproduction helps to bring flowering closer. In this case, seedlings with their own root system fall into the soil in the second half of summer or autumn. Specific dates directly depend on climatic and weather conditions.

In the middle lane, planting and caring for lavender in open ground is subject to the rules common to all regions. The seeds should fall into the heated soil when the sprouts are not threatened by spring frosts. And before that, in order to accelerate germination, they are stratified in a refrigerator.

In the central part of Russia, such conditions for sowing develop by the second half of May. In the regions to the north and east, the soil warms up even later. Unfortunately our summer is short for lavender. Seedlings very often die without surviving the winter. Therefore, planting lavender in open ground in the Urals, for example, is preferable to seedlings obtained as a result of winter or early spring sowing, or seedlings obtained from an adult bush.

Planting lavender seedlings in the ground

At the end of February or in March, when the period of stratification ends, seeds are sown on the surface of a mixture of fertile garden soil and sand. It is useful to pre-sterilize the substrate and sort out large inclusions.

The crops are sprinkled with a thin layer of sand and placed in a home greenhouse. Germination takes place in the light at a temperature of 17–22 ° C. To maintain moisture, the soil is periodically sprayed with warm water, and to avoid the appearance of mold, the container is ventilated. The first shoots should be a signal that the plants need additional lighting. When the seedlings get stronger, they are dived, seated at a distance of 5 centimeters.

It is convenient to use peat pots before planting lavender in the ground. In them, the plants develop well, their roots are protected from decay and do not suffer during transfer to the garden.

At the end of May, it is time for planting in the ground and caring for lavender in the Moscow region. For plants, choose dry, ventilated and well-lit places, the soil on which has a pH level of no higher than 6.5-7.5. The site is dug on a bayonet, simultaneously bringing in peat, humus and, if necessary, dolomite flour, loosening the ground.

Seedlings are carefully transplanted, leaving at least 70-90 cm of free space between the plants, it will definitely come in handy for the growing bushes. During planting, the tillering point is slightly deepened, then the soil is compacted and thoroughly shed.

Autumn sowing of lavender is practiced only in the southern regions, where the seeds do not freeze, and immature sprouts can, without fear of spring cold, immediately grow. After planting the seeds in the ground, the beds are watered, and with the first frost they are abundantly covered with snow.

Planting lavender in the ground with cuttings, parts of a bush and layering

If there is an adult plant on the site, you can:

• divide it, getting seedlings with growth points and a root system;
• get cuttings that, after rooting, are easy to plant in the ground;
• create conditions for the formation of stem layering.

The lavender bush intended for dividing is carefully spud before wintering, and the shoots are cut off at a height of 10 centimeters. In spring, hilling is repeated, stimulating the formation of young shoots. A bush prepared in this way is dug up in the fall and divided into independent parts. They immediately plant lavender in the ground, in the fall the plant has time to acclimatize and prepare for winter.

In spring and summer, lavender shoots are used for cuttings. 8-10 cm pieces of stems are planted in wet sand, deepening by 2-3 cm. In the greenhouse over the summer, cuttings form roots. With further home care for lavender, planting it in open ground is carried out in May or early June.

To obtain layering, selected strong shoots in the spring are tilted to the ground and buried in, fixing with a metal hairpin at a depth of several centimeters.

During the summer, the cuttings are looked after by weeding the soil nearby and watering the root formation sites. In the fall, such seedlings are separated from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place in the garden.

Taking care of lavender after planting outdoors

Lavender is planted for its fragrant blue-purple flowers. But on young plants in the first year of life, all the buds are cut off without waiting for flowering. This will strengthen the open field planting of lavender and make it easier and more effective to care for them. Throughout the life of the bushes, they must be weeded and watered.

Lavender is a hardy crop, but it needs moisture to bloom. In hot weather, watering should be abundant and frequent.

Adult bushes form a dense dense cushion on the surface of the soil, so it is problematic to loosen the soil under them, but it is very important to keep the area around them clean. A layer of peat mulch will help to save moisture and airiness of the soil.

Spring-autumn hilling helps to maintain the density of the crown. It stimulates the formation of young shoots, gradually replacing aging branches. Pruning plants serves the same purpose. It is carried out after flowering and during it. For bushes aged 7-10 years, rejuvenating pruning is recommended, during which all shoots are shortened to 5 cm in length.

To fertilize lavender, mixtures with a predominance of potassium are used, which stimulates the formation of buds. Nitrogen is applied in moderation in the spring.

Southern crops, including lavender in Russian conditions, are at risk of freezing. To prevent this from happening, the bushes before frost are covered with spruce branches, non-woven material or other breathable types of protection that allow air to pass through, and then sprinkled with abundant snow.

Video about amazing lavender

Lavender

- a beautiful plant that conquers with its graceful, delicate aroma. She has gained wide popularity among gardeners for a very long time. Fluffy bushes of lavender, dazzling with bright inflorescences-spikelets - a great plant for borders,

alpine slides

and

rockeries

. 

And you can learn about the beneficial properties of lavender from the article

"Lavender: beauty and benefit!"

.

Of course, to get a luxurious flower bed, you have to try. Lavender care is required on a regular basis. The complex of measures must include:

• loosening the soil;
• elimination of weeds;
• watering;
• pruning;
• fertilization;
• preparation for winter.

Lavender is a thermophilic plant. Therefore, to grow this

perennial

in the open field it is not possible in any climatic zone. In cold climates, the bushes should be planted in

flowerpots

and at the first hint of a cold snap, quickly transfer them to a warm place. Any variety of lavender can be grown as a pot plant.

Landing place

The key to successful

growing lavender - the right choice of landing site. Most of all, the plant will like open areas, well lit by the sun's rays. The bushes will take root in the shade, but it will not be possible to achieve abundant and long flowering.

Plant roots are sensitive to high soil moisture levels. Therefore, you should refrain from planting lavender in wetlands and areas where they lie too high

groundwater

... If there is no other option, you can try to build a hill and plant bushes on it. Excess moisture near the roots can be easily eliminated with a drainage layer.

Any variety of lavender can be grown as a pot plant.

Lavender is also demanding about the level of acidity and soil structure. Therefore, if in doubt, it is better to play it safe - before boarding, deposit in

soil

a little woody

ash

or lime. These are effective soil deoxidizers.And to ensure the porous structure of the soil, it is enough to regularly apply to the garden

compost

... It will not only loosen the soil, but also supplement it with nutrients.

Features of planting lavender

Planting lavender - a responsible process. Adult bushes do not tolerate transplanting well, if you have to do it, then carefully and only with a voluminous lump of earth. It is better to immediately determine where the bushes grown from seeds, cuttings or cuttings will be located.

The distance between adjacent specimens should be approximately equal to their maximum height. Then the bushes will be lush. And to get slender green

hedges

we reduce this parameter by half. This way you can achieve the maximum solidity of the plantation block.

Lavender curbs are great Lavender cuttings take root pretty quickly. The planting algorithm is simple: deepen a couple of centimeters into a loose soil mixture, cover with a film and regularly moisten the soil. Gently dig out the rooted cuttings and transplant to the chosen place.

Layers are rooted branches of a plant. To obtain planting material, bend one of the lower shoots to the side in the spring. Fix the place of contact with the ground level and cover with soil. When a lump of roots forms, carefully cut off the cut with a sharp knife. Sprinkle the place of the cut with crushed coal to protect it from decay processes. That's it - the layering is ready for planting.

You can choose lavender seedlings of various varieties in our catalog, where various online stores present their products. Choose lavender seedlings

Sowing lavender seeds

Lavender is difficult to propagate by seed. But if it is not possible to purchase an adult plant or twigs, you can also try sowing seeds.

Lavender can be propagated by seed. A very important step is stratification. Lavender seeds need to be kept at low temperatures for some time. Here you can go in two ways: plant them at the end of autumn immediately in the ground or carry out artificial stratification. The first method is only suitable for warm climates. With significant frosts, seeds may die. Therefore, it is better to opt for the second option.

For artificial stratification, the seeds must be mixed with a small amount of sand, poured into a container, wrapped in polyethylene and refrigerated. Keep them there for at least a month and a half. Better - longer. In this case, seedlings will appear faster. Then you can sow seeds in boxes (at the end of winter) or in

greenhouses

outside (late spring).

When sowing with seeds, it will take a whole year to expect flowering. In the first seasons, seedlings will only develop, increasing the root system. And only after a year, and maybe even after two, they will delight the gardener with cute spikelets-inflorescences.

You can choose lavender seeds in our catalog, where products from various online stores are presented. Select lavender seeds

Lavender grown from seed will only flower for 2-3 years.

Soil processing near bushes

Lavender does not like dense soils. Its roots really need good air circulation. In addition, of course, you need to get rid of pest weeds next to lavender. Therefore, loosening and weeding should become a regular procedure.

You can do it easier - organize a good mulching layer on the lavender garden. As

mulch

you can use the decayed

foliage

or decorative multi-colored substrates. But in any case, near the base of the trunk, the soil should remain uncovered. This will keep the plant from rotting.

Water the lavender very carefully. Abundant irrigation can lead to root rot and yellowing of the aerial part of the plant. Drought is also bad for the plant - the lavender will not die, but the flowering will not be as luxurious as we would like. The ideal watering regime is as the soil dries up.

Pruning lavender bushes

This stage of lavender care cannot be called mandatory. But only by pruning can you achieve the formation of beautiful lush bushes. Therefore, you should not give up a useful procedure.

Pruning lavender The first pruning should be done immediately after the inflorescence spikelets wilt. You need to shorten the shoots literally by a couple of centimeters. At the end of the warm season, more drastic pruning is carried out. But here, too, you should not show excessive enthusiasm. If you shorten all the branches to the level of the lignified part, the bush may die.

Fertilization

Great as a fertilizer for lavender

mineral

complexes that are sold in all garden and flower shops. They should be applied during the beginning of flowering. Concentration - 2 tbsp. spoons in a bucket of water. With the resulting solution, you need to shed soil around the perimeter of the bushes.

Responsible for the development of green mass

nitrogen fertilizers

(2 tablespoons per bucket). Therefore, they are indispensable at the beginning of the growing season (growth). But in the second half of the summer, it is forbidden to use them. Under the influence of nitrogen, the growing season is significantly extended. As a result, the plant does not have time to prepare for wintering.

The use of fertilizers can be completely abandoned if there is a thick layer of compost mulch under the bushes. Decomposing under the influence of external factors, it will supply the plant with nutrients throughout the season.

Preparing for winter

For lavender bushes that have to spend the winter outdoors, you can organize a reliable

shelter

... True, in warm climatic zones, you can do without this - according to experts, lavender will survive the winter well, even if the temperature drops to -25 ° C. If frosts are expected to be stronger than this mark, insulation is necessary. In addition, it will not be superfluous to play it safe in cases when the winter may turn out to be little snow.

At the end of the season, lavender bushes are pruned. Branches are laid on top of the garden bed (best of all from conifers). But the usual insulation in the form of a layer of foliage is not suitable. Lavender can rot under it.

In general, caring for lavender is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Using compost mulch will eliminate weeding, loosening and top dressing. Therefore, the gardener will only have to cut the bushes in a timely manner so that they grow strong and bloom profusely.

The topical question "How to preserve lavender in winter" was asked by a reader of our site. You can read the tips and take part in the discussion.

Types of lavender

Many people associate lavender bushes with a constant purple color. In fact, shades of different varieties conquer with variety. There are specimens with blue, white, pink and even greenish colors. And this is just the basic palette. And the shades of inflorescences-spikelets are even more. But color is not the only difference between different lavender varieties.

According to the generally accepted classification, there are two broad groups:

english and

french .

English lavender - the owner of narrow leaves and elongated spikelets-inflorescences. It is worth noting that it is this type that has received the most widespread use. Such varieties winter quietly in the middle lane, without needing to be dug up in late autumn.

 

French lavender - a more capricious plant. Outwardly, it is similar to the previous species, but its leaves are wider, and the inflorescences are shorter. Traditionally used as a pot culture. After all, even minor frosts down to -15 ° C can instantly destroy the plant.

French lavenderAll articles about lavender on our website