By Julie Christensen
For C , lavender(Lavendula)has been prized for its beauty , medicative time value and redolent aroma . The ancient Romans used lavender in their baths . During the Medieval Ages , people dissipate the blooms through their homes in the hope of warding off disease . An sometime wife ’ story says that couples who circulate lavender in their bed linens never argue .
Whatever your reason for growing lavender herb , you ’ll retrieve it a satisfying and leisurely plant life to get . Lavender flowers are native to the Mediterranean region and thrives in hot , cheery climates . Spanish(L. stoechas)and French(L. dentata)lavender , in exceptional , ca n’t endure cold weather and are hardy only in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 9 . North of these zones , you may rise French or Spanish lavender as annuals .
In northerly garden , grow English lavender(L. augustifolia)and lavandin(L. x intermedia ) , which is an English lavender loanblend . Lavandin is a larger plant with blossom that grow on stems that rise above the works . It acquire more vegetable oil than English lavender , although the quality of the fossil oil is subscript to that bring forth by English lavender . Both type of lavender are sturdy in USDA zones 5 through 9 .
Growing and Caring for Lavender
flora lavender in outflow through late summer from nursery transplants or cuttings . Do n’t establish lavender from cum , which may not produce true . Lavender require well - drain grease to uprise well and prefers a soil pH between 6.4 and 8.2 . Amend the soil with compost , peat moss or small bark mulch to better drain and add lime if your land is acid . If your grease is heavy mud , rise lavender in raised bed or pots rather .
industrial plant lavender where it gets at least 6 to 8 hour of sunshine daily . Although institute lavender is drought tolerant , urine newly planted lavender at least once per week , or as needed , to keep the soil slimly moist . fledged lavender plant can tolerate drought , but they ’ll perform well if they get weekly moisture .
feed the plant with a balanced fertilizer at planting time – 2 tablespoon 10 - 10 - 10 fertilizer per flora . Established plants rarely need fertilizer and give way them nutrient will reduce the measure and quality of the oil . However , if growth is slow and you do n’t wish about the oil , fertilize them in the bound when new increase come forth with 2 tablespoonful balanced fertilizer .
Prune lavender back by one - third in the spring when unexampled growth emerges . Lavender tend to become woody and the interior of the plant life sometimes tumble and perish . This yearly pruning can keep them healthier longer . Prune the plants again after the first bloom to encourage more efflorescence . Even with this deliberate pruning , lavender flora are n’t long lived . supervene upon them every 7 to 10 years , as growth slows and the centers thin .
Because of its redolent scent and thick parting , lavender is almost completely resistant to uncouth garden pests , such as aphids , slug , cony and even deer . In humid climates , it sometimes suffers from fungal disease . To prevent these , flora lavender so air circulates freely and avoid using overhead sprinklers . The other most common job is root rot , make by soggy , heavy soils . The only cure is to ameliorate drainage and lighten the soil .
How to Harvest Lavender
To harvest lavender wands , cut the stems 3 to 6 inches above the foot of the works just before the buds clear . Harvested at this time , the flowers are more likely to remain entire . reap the plants ahead of time in the morning for the best immersion of oils . Gather the stems and wrap them with a rubber ring . Hang the lavender bunches upside down in a fond , ironic place , such as an attic or pour forth for two or three hebdomad , or until they ’re completely dry . At this breaker point , you could use them in lei or dry out flower arrangements .
If you need lavender for potpourri , you could edit out the stems after the plants have bloomed . Dry them by hanging them upside down and then encounter or shake the flowers off the prow and hive away them in container . blank and pink lavenders embrown slightly when they dry so they ’re not particularly pretty in prime arrangements , but they work well in pastiche .
Lavender Varieties
To ascertain more about lavender , jaw the following links :
The Allure of Lavenderfrom Fine horticulture
Lavenderfrom Cornell University Growing Guides
herb Hands Healing talk over Lavenderon YouTube .
ThisYouTube videoteaches you how to prune Lavender aright .
Julie Christensen learned about garden on her grandfather ’s farm and female parent ’s vegetable garden in southerly Idaho . Today , she lives and gardens on the high plains of Colorado . When she ’s not digging in the dirt , Julie pen about food , education , parenting and gardening .
