Lavender - how to grow this wonderful plant at home. Is it possible to grow lavender at home, and how to do it

This is because the ancient Romans often added lavender flowers to their baths for freshness and fragrance. And this is not surprising: lavender has a sophisticated, light, floral-herbal aroma that has been widely used in perfumery for many centuries. This plant is very unpretentious, and you can try to grow lavender yourself at home.

Lavender grows up to 80-90 cm, the aerial part looks like a regular spherical crown, which consists of many branches. The leaves are opposite, linear or lanceolate-linear, with curved edges. Small lavender flowers are located at the ends of the branches, where they form spike-shaped inflorescences, painted in all shades of purple: from pale lilac to rich, dark purple. Lavender blooms most often in spring.

At the base of the flower are oil glands that produce valuable essential oil. The aroma of lavender has a calming, analgesic, antispasmodic effect, improves mood, purifies the air in the room. Essential oil lavender is used for inhalation colds, treatment of wounds, bruises, burns. Lavender flowers cope well with insomnia, fatigue, and nervous disorders.

Lavender at home - not just fragrant ornamental plant, it is able to create a microclimate comfortable for a person in the room.

Types of lavender in a pot

Lavandula angustifolia, known as real lavender, English lavender, spikelet lavender, narrow-leaved lavender. In most cases, it is this type of plant that is meant when we are talking about lavender. In height and width this shrub reaches 1 m, with the exception of dwarf varieties that grow no higher than 30 cm. Flowering time - June - July.

Lavanludalatifolia, or Lavender spikelet, Lavender broadleaf. Distinctive features this type of plant is considered to have a stronger aroma, as well as wearing on the stem not one, like narrow-leaved lavender, but three inflorescences.

LavanludaintermediaEmeric (Dutch Lavender, or Hybrid Lavender, or Lavanden) is a natural hybrid of the two types of lavender described above. It is less cold resistant, which is why it is most popular in the gardens of southern and central Europe. Lavender Dutch is a large plant, reaching a height and width of up to 2 m, with large and long inflorescences and curved peduncles. The flowering time of this plant comes a little later than that of narrow-leaved lavender - in July.

Lavanludapedunculata, or stalked lavender, is an ornamental species of this plant with unusual flowers and a strong smell. The peduncles of the shrub are usually no more than 50 cm, and the flowers have a bright purple color. Lavender is common in Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Morocco, in Russia it is usually grown in pots.

Lavanludastoechas, known as Stahad lavender, can reach 30 to 100 cm in size. This species blooms earlier than all the others - March - June, and at the end of summer the second phase of flowering is possible.

Lavanludadentata, or serrated lavender, is a compact subshrub with large flowers and soft, rugged leaves. silver color. Due to the fact that this type of lavender is quite thermophilic, it is grown mainly indoors in pots.

Growing lavender in a seed pot

You can settle beautiful and fragrant bushes in your flower garden by growing them yourself from seeds.

It is better to buy seeds in a specialized store. It is recommended to choose varieties of narrow-leaved lavender that are most suitable for growing at home.

It is necessary to start dealing with seeds even in winter, or even in autumn. Because they have to go through a lengthy stratification procedure. This will harden the seeds and increase their germination. To do this, they need to be mixed with wet sand and kept in the vegetable section of the refrigerator for two months.

Around February or March, the seeds are sown in seedlings filled with earthen mixture. The soil for sowing can be prepared independently, taking for this:

• garden soil - 3 parts;
• humus - 2 parts
• river sand - 1 part.

The mixture must be reviewed and sieved, as it should not have large lumps. Otherwise, small lavender seeds may simply not sprout.

Seeds are sown in containers filled with soil and drainage and a little sand is sprinkled on top, which is then sprayed warm water. For the seeds to hatch together, seedling boxes covered with glass or polyethylene.

The result is a kind of greenhouse with optimal humidity and temperature for germination. Seedlings germinate at an air temperature of +18 to +22 degrees.

Planting lavender at home

How to grow lavender at home? To do this, there are several ways to breed this plant: sowing, dividing the bush, layering and cuttings.

It is worth noting that lavender loves direct sunlight and sandy soil. This plant does not require frequent watering and does not tolerate excess moisture. In addition, it is worth considering that if your personal plot heavy wet soil, it is better to plant the plant somewhere on a hill, and before planting, pay due attention to good drainage system. Lavender categorically cannot be planted near water bodies, otherwise the plant will die or will constantly get sick.

How to choose the right soil and pot for lavender

To get beautiful and healthy flower in the future, care for the plant should begin even before it is planted. Lavender has a very developed root system so you will need a fairly wide pot. It is better to give your preference to containers with a volume of one and a half to two liters and a diameter of 30-40 cm.

You will also need to provide good drainage for the pot. You can use the following components for this:

• small stones;
• walnut shell;
• gravel.

Please note that drain holes in a pot were not clogged with earth.

Lavender loves alkaline soil. In order to provide a suitable environment for this plant, choose a mixture of peat with sand and additives from fine eggshell.

Lavender transplant at home

Gathering all the ingredients

• Black plastic pot with drainage (inner pot) - 5 liters;
• Expanded clay (drainage) - 1 liter;
• Earth for Lavender (alkaline pH> 6 and rich in potassium) - 5 liters;
• Volcanic glass perlite (to improve soil properties for Lavender) - 1 liter;
• Growth stimulator Zircon (for watering after transplantation).

Preparing the land

• We take any suitable container (we took a lavender bucket) and mix 5 liters of earth with 1 liter of perlite.

cooking pot

• We make drainage, pour expanded clay on the bottom of the pot so that there is always air below, and the earth from above has never been in a standing input. This is a layer somewhere 2-4 cm from the bottom;
• We fall asleep a mixture of earth with perlite and prepare a hole, equal in size to a small pot, from which we will transplant lavender.

We transplant a bush

• Taking the lavender out small pot. It easily comes out if it is turned upside down and the ground is first spilled with water (we specially chose the weakest of the entire field);
• We plant a bush in our hole so that the surface of the earth of a small pot is not covered with new earth (we set it in height). Sprinkle with prepared soil with perlite.

Watering

• We dilute the growth stimulator Zircon - 10 ml per 5 liters of water room temperature and well spill the pot around the edges;
• After the water drains, we fill the formed pits with earth and tamp down a little.

Top dressing and watering for lavender in a pot

Lavender care consists of watering and fertilizing. For irrigation use settled water at room temperature. Keep the soil moderately moist. Watering is carried out daily, 1-2 times a day. Fertilizers also help grow the flower. Mineral complexes are used as dressings.
Fertilizers with a nitrogen content are applied before the flowering period. After that, the plant begins to prepare for winter. To grow a delicious lavender at home, the grower will have to spend some time propagating and caring for the plant. Follow these simple rules and indoor flower will be for a long time decorate with your decorative look your dwelling.

Pruning lavender in a pot at home

In the case of lavender growing in a pot, pruning consists in removing shoots that spoil appearance formed bush. We also trim the roots every few years. This procedure is carried out in early spring or in autumn. The roots should be shortened to 10 cm, and the stems cut off so that the bush retains its spherical shape.

Growing lavender in a pot

The easiest way to propagate lavender is with the help of stem (air) layering. To do this, one of the branches of the bush should be laid horizontally, covered with soil on top, and a load (for example, a brick) should be placed on top. After a few months in moist and cool conditions, lavender cuttings will take root and can be separated from mother plant and transplant. We wrote in detail about this method of plant propagation in a special article. You can propagate lavender by rooting woody cuttings or even whole branches that break off easily from the plant. So, I simply insert the lavender branches that broke off during the autumn cleaning of the garden into the ground, and next spring I already have a new lush lavender bush that will bloom that same summer.

Growing lavender from seeds is quite difficult, the seeds require a period of stratification (low temperatures). In addition, only species lavender can be propagated with confidence with seeds. In my garden, English lavender propagates by self-sowing. It happens like this: the seeds that fell off the plant in the fall, after lying in the cold for a couple of months (in winter, the temperature usually drops to -3 degrees for several nights), germinate, and by spring, somewhere in the flower garden, I find a tiny bush of lavender, 2- 3 cm. Such a bush of lavender can be transplanted into a pot, and after a few months - on permanent place. To stratify lavender seeds at home, put them in a small box with soil, moisten the ground, place the box in plastic bag and store it in the bottom of the refrigerator for a couple of months. When the lavender seeds germinate, the box can be taken out and placed in the light and heat.

Lavender is an unusual and rather rare guest in the gardens of the middle lane and Russia in general. Its homeland is the Mediterranean coast, the climate of which is somewhat different from the Russian one. A real decoration of the garden will be self-grown lavender from seeds - accustomed to the harsh Russian climate, the plant will delight the gardener lush bloom and exciting clean aroma for more than one year.

Lavender is common in the highlands of the Alps. There, as in most Russian regions, there are cold winters and dry summers. This is what gave reason to believe that this modest fragrant flower it may well take root not only in the Crimea and the Caucasus, but even in the Moscow region, Siberia and the Urals.

To grow lavender from seeds in your area, you should choose varieties that are resistant to frosty winters. These include plants belonging to the subgroup

• Munstread;
• Voznesenskaya 34;
• Lublinskaya Semko;
• royal blue;
• Felice (Felice);
• Crimean;
• Isis

If seed cultivation is practiced for these varieties, the fragrant flowers grow without shelter for many years, and they are not afraid of long winters. Moreover, sowing lavender seeds is considered the most productive method of plant propagation.

The best conditions for growing lavender

Next, you should pay attention to studying the question of how to plant lavender seeds and care for seedlings. Any discrepancy between the requirements of the plant for light, humidity and temperature can lead to the death of plants even before planting in the ground. To avoid such errors will help the exact observance of the rules described below.

Where to start - preparing seeds for sowing

In nature, lavender seeds pass special training humidity and temperature. They form and ripen in late August or early September, and then fall on the soil surface. Autumn rains "pull" them to a shallow depth, where they persist throughout the winter. Low temperatures contribute to the destruction of the dense shell of the seed and the awakening of vitality in it.

It is this principle that should be used when preparing lavender seeds for sowing. Among gardeners, it is called "stratification". You need to start preparing in the fall, immediately after collecting or buying the variety you like. To do this, the seeds are mixed with slightly moistened sand, poured into convenient containers with a tight lid and placed in the vegetable section of the refrigerator. The stratification of lavender seeds lasts at least 2 months.

During this time, the shell of the seeds will become thinner, and the tiny sprout of the future lavender will gain strength and harden inside another whole seed. This will serve to strengthen the natural immunity of the plant - it will easily endure short-term cooling after germination.

During stratification, the seed container must be periodically removed from the refrigerator and ventilated - open the lid, periodically moisten the sand.

Video "Lavender from seeds - the secrets of growing"

Sowing seeds - timing and methods

In order to get conditioned seedlings of lavender from seeds at home, it is important to sow them on time. If this is done too late, young plants will not have time to get stronger and freeze. If you sow early, the lavender will overgrow, and after planting on the beds it will “sick” for a long time, which can also lead to its freezing in the very first winter.

lavender seeds

In order not to make a mistake and choose the right time for sowing seeds, you need to check the calendar or remember when warm weather sets in in the region where lavender will be grown. Then 8-12 weeks are taken from this period - this is how much it takes for the germination of seeds and the formation of real leaves in lavender.

Example: if heat is established in early May, seeds should be sown in mid-February.

The container in which the seeds will germinate should be wide and shallow. Too deep bowls will accumulate moisture, which is detrimental to lavender. It is desirable to equip the bottom with drainage holes. The soil is selected loose, with a high content of sand and peat. Such soil retains enough moisture for seed germination, but does not retain water and does not sour.

The treated seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil, sprayed with water from a fine spray, and then sprinkled thin layer sifted soil. It is important not to compact the cover layer of the soil, since lavender can only be grown from seeds when there is light.

Before germination, the tray with seedlings should be kept in a bright place with a temperature of at least 21 degrees.

The soil from time to time needs to be moistened from a sprayer in the morning. In this case, you need to ensure that the soil does not get wet. Should only be slightly damp upper layer soil! The first seedlings appear relatively late, about 4 weeks after sowing.

Direct planting with seeds open ground in northern latitudes not produced. Seeds often do not germinate or die immediately after sprouts appear. Experienced flower growers recommend planting lavender before winter only in southern regions with mild winters.

Video "Lavender from seeds - growing seedlings"

seedling care

Young lavender seedlings from seeds should be in a warm and very bright place. The temperature should be at the level of 19-23 degrees. Natural or artificial light (special fitolamps should be used) should illuminate young seedlings for at least 8 hours daily. Under such conditions, the stem will not stretch, the plant will form stronger.

Before the appearance of true leaves, lavender seedlings should be kept in bright light at a temperature of 18-22 degrees. It should be watered carefully so as not to create favorable conditions for the development of fungi. Seedlings do not need shading, because in the absence of the sun, fungi and mold can appear. Lavender itself tolerates bright sunlight well.

When 2-3 true leaves appear, the seedlings should be transplanted into individual pots with a diameter of about 5-7 cm. The soil for plants should be composed of equal parts of sod and leaf soil, peat, and coarse sand. If necessary, you can add perlite granules, coconut fiber.

You need to transplant plants like this:

• Fill a new container with soil 2/3, make a recess in the middle.
• Carefully remove the lavender sprout from the tray with a clod of earth.
• Place the plant in a pot so that the roots take a vertical position. Bends should not be!
• Gently pour water over the roots so that they finally straighten.
• Cover the roots of the plant, part of the stem with earth. It is important to ensure that the central kidney remains on the surface.

The soil should be compacted carefully, without excessive pressure. Next, the plant is watered with a small amount of water, exposed to light, and the temperature is maintained at 15-20 degrees.

Growing seedlings of lavender require care in the form of periodic top dressing. It is advisable to periodically water it with a weak solution. mineral fertilizers for flowers. This should be done after watering. A good option is to fertilize the soil directly with slow-release granular fertilizers. However, you need to be extremely careful with them. With an overabundance nutrients lavender roots are at risk of severe burns.

Lavender seedlings should be watered after the clod of earth has dried!

Transfer to a permanent place

A place for planting lavender must be chosen in advance. It should be elevated, open to the sun and wind. In spring, autumn and during rain, water should not stand on the site - it is detrimental to lavender. It is recommended to grow the plant on slightly acidified soils, so it is worth fertilizing the bed with compost, peat, a small amount of lime (with high level Ph) or pine needles(at low acidity).

Advice! Before planting lavender seedlings under open sky it is worth two weeks in a row to take it out into the air for hardening.

The bed for planting should be as loose as possible. You can loosen it since the fall, and then repeat the digging in the spring. For each plant, you need to dig a separate hole. Its depth should be the same as the height of the seedling pot. The distance between them should be 26-35 cm.

Lavender must be removed from the pot with a clod of earth. So that it does not collapse, do not water the seedlings the day before. Seedlings are placed on the bed and covered with soil. Then the plant is watered from a watering can with a fine mesh so that the water does not wash away the soil.

Young plants should not be allowed to bloom. Peduncles with buds are recommended to be cut. Closer to autumn, cut off all the stems, leaving a third of their height. Only in the second year after planting, when the lavender finally gets stronger, can it be given complete freedom. Until autumn, you need to monitor the cleanliness of the beds, remove weeds, and water the plants during dry periods.

If the soil was filled with compost, the plants do not need top dressing for the first year.

With the onset of the first frost, the lavender is cut off and covered with spruce branches and oak leaves. Film and other airtight materials are not recommended, as the bushes can dry under them. In the spring, after the snow melts, the shelter is removed. It is important to remember that lavender sprouts later than other plants. If leaves do not appear on the surface of the earth after thawing, you just need to wait.

Fascinating and fragrant, lavender, which many gardeners consider overly difficult to grow, may well be the decoration of flower beds in middle lane. With due diligence, this flower will grow in one place for at least 15 years. Growing lavender from seed is no more difficult than other flowering crops. To do this, you just need to follow a few rules: plant it in a bright and dry place, do not feed it with fertilizers.

Lavender - decorative herbaceous plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. The birthplace of culture is the Mediterranean. On the shoots of lavender, inflorescences of snow-white, bluish, pinkish and purple hue. The flowers of the plant exude a pleasant unobtrusive aroma.

There are over 40 varieties of lavender. Some species are grown at home and in open ground, using landscape design. Growing lavender in a pot is easy, just follow a few steps. simple rules caring for her to admire the abundant flowering.

Growing lavender at home

According to 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 unpretentiousness in care, healing properties and pleasant aroma of this plant.

Growing a plant at home is carried out by seed or vegetatively. Before sowing, the seeds must be kept in the cold for a month. Next, 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. Add a small amount of crushed eggshells to the soil.

Seeds need to be planted to a depth of several centimeters. Crops should be covered with polyethylene and put 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 dive into a spacious box, and after a while, transplanted into separate containers. Flowering lavender grown from seeds does not begin until a few years after planting.

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

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

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

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

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 period. Daylight hoursmust be at least 10 hours.

Features of care

Lavender grown in an apartment must be properly cared for. The plant needs regular top dressing, watering, transplanting and pruning. In the first 2 months after planting, indoor lavender must be fed. liquid fertilizer once a week. Then the flower needs to be fertilized 1 time in 2-3 weeks. During the budding period, it is recommended to apply fertilizer with a nitrogen content, and during flowering - top dressing with phosphorus and potassium. feed the plant organic fertilizers highly undesirable.

Watering indoor lavender is necessary after the topsoil has dried. Water for irrigation must be settled and not cold. In spring and summer, it is recommended to moisten the soil at least 2 times a week. In autumn, the frequency of watering should be reduced to 1 time in 2 weeks, and in winter - up to 1 time per month. The liquid remaining in the pan must be drained. Lavender needs not only watering, but also moisturizing the leaves. A flower pot should be taken outside once a week and watered from a watering can.

To give the lavender bush a rounded shape, the shoots knocked out of the crown must be cut with garden shears. This formative pruning should be done every spring, before the plant begins to bloom. The second procedure should be carried out at the end summer period or at the beginning of autumn, after the plant has faded. In summer, at the beginning of the flowering period, it is recommended to carry out sanitary pruning. During the procedure, it is necessary to remove injured, dried shoots.

It is recommended to transplant spring period annually. It is necessary to choose a container that will be slightly larger than the previous one. The lavender should be carefully removed from the old pot along with the earthy clod and transferred to a new container. When transplanting from the root system, you need to carefully clean off the old soil.

Lavender is very beautiful unpretentious plant which can decorate country cottage area and become a highlight home interior. In addition, today lavender is grown on an industrial scale, because it is considered an invaluable product of cosmetology, folk and traditional medicine. It is noteworthy that lavender can be easily grown in almost any climate zone. Read about how to cultivate lavender at home in today's article.

Lavender is a fairly simple plant, but at the same time, it has incredible abilities. To begin with, it is worth mentioning that this representative of the flora has a very delicate, refined aroma, which can remove headache and relieve 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 undertake the cultivation of lavender, as the people believe that this plant is very picky. We can say with confidence that this is a myth, because given the climate of the countries of the post-Soviet space, this plant is easy and extra hassle can be grown on household territory and even in flower pot. The main thing is to take into account some features of the plant when cultivating lavender and choose the appropriate type.

For growing in a summer cottage, 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 flowers of a bluish-pink color.

Growing lavender at home: popular types for home cultivation

As already mentioned at home, it is recommended to grow narrow-leaved lavender. This plant is a bushy type with a diameter of about one meter. In height, narrow-leaved lavender usually also reaches one meter. The leaves are small, narrow, gray-green in color. Narrow-leaved lavender blooms from June to July with small bluish-pink flowers. The variety is not picky, frost resistance is high.

In addition, it is not uncommon for summer residents who cultivate lavender to choose such plant varieties:

Planting lavender at home

How to grow lavender at home? To do this, there are several ways to breed this plant: sowing, dividing the bush, layering and cuttings.

It is worth noting that lavender loves direct sunlight and sandy soil. This plant does not require frequent watering and does not tolerate an excess of moisture. In addition, it is worth considering that if your garden plot has heavy, moist soil, then it is better to plant the plant somewhere on a hill, and before planting, pay due attention to a good drainage system. Lavender categorically cannot be planted near water bodies, otherwise the plant will die or will constantly get sick.

Lavender from seeds at home

Planting lavender begins with preparing the seeds for further growth. To do this, a month before planting the seeds in the ground, you need to stratify. It is produced like this.

1. Prepare a wooden box.
2. Pour the seeds with sand or sawdust.
3. Send the mass to the box.
4. Lightly moisten the contents of the box.
5. Leave the seeds in this form for 30 days at a temperature of +5 degrees Celsius.

As a rule, for temperature stability, a box of seeds is sent for 30 days in a refrigerator.

At the end of the stratification period, the seed box is transferred to a warm, dry, lit place until the first sprouts appear. Landing on a permanent habitat is usually carried out in May.

Propagation of a lavender bush by dividing into layers at home

Dividing into layers is perhaps the easiest way to propagate lavender. Usually gardeners use it when planting bushes.

1. Dig a small groove 3-5 centimeters deep near the lavender bush.
2. Bend a few lower branches into a groove, secure and sprinkle with earth (it should be wet).
3. Next spring, carefully cut the branch and dig it up.
4. Plant cuttings in the right place.

Reproduction of lavender by dividing the bush

Dividing a lavender bush will require preparation and adherence to several rules.

1. In autumn, cut the lavender bush by 7-10 centimeters and sprinkle with earth.
2. In the spring, sprinkle the bush again with soil.
3. Divide the bush next fall.

Reproduction of lavender by cuttings at home

For cuttings, separate annual stiff shoots are used.

1. Escape cut into cuttings 7-10 centimeters.
2. Root cuttings at a distance of about 1 meter.

Growing lavender at home

How to grow lavender at home? Many lovers of the cultivation of flora will raise this issue to ridicule, because it is believed that this is impossible. As the long-term practice of gardeners proves, it is more than realistic to grow lavender at home in a pot.

It is worth noting that growing lavender at home in a pot is a little more difficult than the cultures we are used to. At home, lavender needs constant temperature control and careful care.

1. The container for planting lavender should be at least 2 liters in volume and about 30 centimeters in diameter.
2. For the normal growth of lavender, the pot must have good system drainage. To do this, pebbles, nutshells, fine gravel or shards are laid out on the bottom before planting the plant.
3. During the formation of drainage, care must be taken to ensure that the holes in the bottom of the container remain open.
4. Lavender needs an alkaline environment, so the soil must be appropriate.
5. From time to time, home-grown lavender needs to be fertilized with special substrates that can be easily purchased at gardening stores.

It is worth noting that lavender grown at home in a pot blooms for a short period of time. In addition, as soon as the root encounters an obstacle, the plant stops growing. Then the lavender must be transplanted into a larger pot.

Lavender home: how to care

When cultivating lavender at home, you need to follow a few rules for caring for it.

1. Water the plant only with settled water at room temperature.
2. Watering should be done daily at the same time in the morning or evening, making sure that the soil in the pot is always slightly damp.
3. During the first two months after sowing, the seeds must be fertilized with liquid fertilizers.
4. Lavender grows best on a windowsill with south side, then the plant receives a sufficient amount of light energy.
5. If the room is dark, then additional light should be directed to lavender in the form of fluorescent lamps.
6. At the end of the season, the shrub needs to be cut and dry leaves removed.
7. AT winter time Lavender is best kept in a cool place, avoiding radiators and other sources of heat.

Growing lavender at home. Video

Few think about growing lavender at home due to the "self-breeding" of this crop. When lavender seeds ripen, they fall on the surface of the earth on their own, stratify themselves and multiply. Although if you want the plants to grow in right place, you will still have to work hard. In the absence of such a need, you can simply forget about any worries regarding cultivation.

It is a completely different matter if these beautiful flowers are grown indoors - in this case, not only strength, but also certain knowledge will be required. For example, Southerner lavender grows well from seeds at home, but efforts still need to be made.

Lavender Yuzhanka is a perennial shrub with a fairly large (up to two meters in length) and fibrous root. Shoots are numerous, can reach up to 60 centimeters in height. Inflorescences can have a wide variety of shades - from lilac to blue-violet - and are collected in large spikes.

On a note! Lavender is known primarily for its diuretic effect, moreover, it has a calming effect on palpitations and neurasthenia.

The culture grows in sunny and protected from the wind places, mainly on light soil, blooms in July-August.

When growing Southern lavender, you must observe certain conditions Let's take a look at them.

If you take into account all these agrotechnical requirements, then without any problems you can grow a crop at home.

Stage one. Stratification

Usually lavender is propagated by cuttings, but if desired, this can also be done with the help of seeds. The second method - although it is slow and not effective in all cases - is good because it is much cheaper than purchasing planted bushes or cuttings, and subject to a number of requirements, it gives the same beautiful plants.

Lavender angustifolia Yuzhanka - seeds

Set for growing plants "Lavender"

What is the main difficulty in growing from seeds? And it lies precisely in stratification. To be more precise, this is not even a difficulty, but the need for additional time to prepare the planting material.

On a note! Stratification refers to the imitation of the impact on seeds of natural winter conditions which makes it easier for the grains to germinate. The procedure increases germination and accelerates germination.

Seed stratification - timing

Lavender seeds are characterized by the fact that they may not germinate at all without first being certain time in the cold. The stratification process is not difficult: take a not very deep container, pour sand into it, and lay the seeds on top. Then sprinkle the seeds with a little more sand and place in the refrigerator (basement) about a month and a half before the expected sowing date. In this case, it is necessary that the temperature during storage be approximately 5 degrees. Actually, this completes the stratification procedure, we proceed to further actions.

Stratification tanks Stratification tanks

Perforation

We take seeds. Preferably soak them in water

Stage two. We prepare everything you need

Immediately before sowing, you need to prepare a container. It should be deep and wide. If you use a pot, then its diameter should be at least 30 centimeters. The fact is that the lavender root eventually grows to a decent size, and if the pot is small, then at one “perfect” moment it will simply stop growing.

Another important point is soil preparation. Lavender Yuzhanka, as noted earlier, when grown, needs only loose soil. You can use a store-bought substrate or, alternatively, mix peat with sand yourself (1: 1 ratio). If you wish, you can further increase fertility by adding eggshells or perlite.

Stage three. Sowing seeds

When sowing, adhere to the following algorithm of actions.

Table. Sowing lavender seeds Yuzhanka

Steps, no.	Short description	illustration
Step 1	Take the prepared container and fill it with soil. It can be not only a pot, but also, for example, a wide container that is not divided into cells, or a seedling tray.
Step 2	Lightly moisten the surface of the soil, then sow the seeds. If using a divided seedling container, then place one grain in each cell. If the container is not divided, then sow the seeds at a distance of 1.2-2.5 centimeters from each other.
Step 3	Sprinkle the seeds with a layer of soil about 0.3 centimeters thick. This is necessary for protection. In this case, the layer should not be too thick, because the seeds need sunlight to germinate.
Step 4	Place the seed container in a warm room (the temperature should be about 21 degrees).
Step 5	Lightly water the soil. Humidity should be medium (if you overdo it, a fungus will begin to develop that will destroy all the seeds). It is better to water in the morning so that the soil dries out by the evening.
Step 6	Wait a while, watering the soil regularly. Typically, lavender seeds germinate in two to four weeks.
Step 7	When the first shoots appear, make sure they get enough sunlight. In the absence of suitable place provide artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps (seedlings should be illuminated for at least eight hours a day).

Stage four. We perform the first pick

When a few true leaves appear on the sprouts, make the first transplant. The leaves must be "correct", that is, fully developed. At that moment, the roots will grow so much that in a not very deep container (for example, the same seedling tray) they will not be able to develop further.

Prepare containers bigger size and fill them with soil (not the one used for germination, but another - preferably consisting of perlite, peat and earth). If you use a tray, keep in mind that the distance between the plants in it should be about 5 centimeters.

On a note! Never use vermiculite. The fact is that it may contain asbestos, even if the manufacturer does not indicate this on the label.

Add some granular fertilizer containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus to the soil. Then make a hole of the desired size in the soil of the new container. Carefully remove the lavender from the old container along with the soil, place it in the hole and compact the surface around (the plant must be well fixed).

The next transplant will be required when the plants reach a minimum height of 7.6 centimeters (this can take from one to three months), but until then, gradually “accustom” the lavender to natural conditions- take containers out Fresh air for several hours every day. After a week, lavender should adapt to new conditions.

Lavender - planting and care

Features of transplanting into open soil

If you plan to transplant plants outdoors, then start by choosing a suitable location. The site should be lit, because in shaded places the soil is damp, which, again, can develop a fungus.

Loosen the area by mixing the soil with compost. Check the pH level: if it is below 6.5-7.5, then add agricultural lime.

Carefully transplant the plants at a distance of 30-60 centimeters from each other. To do this, dig holes with a depth corresponding to the depth of the containers in which the bushes are located. Remove the plants and transplant to a new location.

Rules for the care of lavender Southerner

In order for lavender to develop well at home, it needs constant care and due attention.

1. Water the plants daily morning time using exclusively distilled water. When watering, try to get both on the green mass and on the soil. In summer, the soil should always be slightly moist, while in winter it is desirable to minimize watering.

   

   

2. Southern Lavender needs an annual transplant. New containers, of course, must be larger than the old ones.
3. Containers should be located in a well-lit area. If there is a lack of lighting (for example, in winter), additionally equip artificial lighting, as mentioned above.
4. When the flowering period is over (approximately in the second half of summer), cut off the lavender - remove the dry stems entirely, and cut the bushes themselves a little.

   

5. In winter, the air temperature should be between 15 and 20 degrees, which will allow the plants to develop and provide healthy inflorescences. However, this only applies to the growing season, because the rest of the time, lavender should be kept cool.
6. Within 35-40 days after sowing, apply liquid flower food (about twice a month). By the way, when growing by cuttings, such fertilizer does not need to be applied.
7. In some cases, plants are deficient in moisture due to nearby heating radiators. The problem in this case can be solved either by spraying the bushes, or by using a humidifier.

In principle, these are all tips for growing the described crop and caring for it. If you grow these plants at home, they will delight beautiful flowering and unsurpassed aroma not only in summer, but also in winter. Of course, there is a lot of trouble, but the result is really worth it.

Video - Growing lavender with seeds