Before you see lavender, you, of course, smell its heady scent that extends far beyond your flower bed. And although someone may say that the flowering of this culture is not as beautiful as, for example, the blooming of roses or lilies, there is a unique charm in lavender and a reminder of the steppe herbs that attracts many gardeners so much and they no doubt give the fragrant perennial square meters in their areas.
So graceful lavender. it perennial, which has thin pointed leaves and blooms in summer with spike-shaped inflorescences. Voluminous bushes of lavender always remain green - for 9-11 years of plant life. Lavender blooms for a very long time: it is worth cutting wilted inflorescences, as it immediately releases new ones.
Inflorescences can have various shades. Landscape designers very often plant lavender so that the flowerbed has a gradient color transition - from white to rich purple and pink.
The plant is very unpretentious in the care: it tolerates drought, almost does not get sick, does not need a garter - it will please you and will not require complex agricultural procedures. Just enough:
- regularly loosen the soil;
- remove weeds;
- to water;
- prune bushes after flowering;
- properly prepare for wintering.
Lavender loves warmth, therefore it develops well only in regions where summers are quite long and winters are not too harsh. Therefore in northern regions in open ground culture is not planted, but it can be grown at home in the usual flower pot. Or put her in tubs and in case of a cold snap, bring her from the garden to the terrace or balcony.
Lavender is a honey plant: its aroma is attractive to bees and various butterflies. But at the same time it repels harmful insects, therefore, damage to the bushes by them is extremely rare.
How is lavender used?
Most likely, you know: lavender - not only ornamental plant. First of all, it is an essential oil culture, extract ( essential oil) from which it is actively used in cosmetology, aromatherapy and medicine. Lavender oil treats joint pain, burns and skin diseases. Lavender oil is also recommended for people prone to headaches, and especially migraines.
Many massage specialists use aromatic lavender ether for a relaxing treatment.
Inflorescences themselves are also used as a spice: in small quantities are added to the first and second dishes, salads and sauces. The soothing property of lavender added to tea is widely known: from a cup fragrant drink stress and insomnia go away, peace of mind is restored.
Therefore, if you planted lavender bushes at your dacha, pick up its flowers, as soon as they bloom (during this period, the maximum of substances useful to humans is concentrated in them), dry them in the open air in the shade and put them in cloth bags. If you need to have a good rest and escape from worries - put such a bag under the pillow, and your dream will be like a baby.
Popular varieties and types of lavender
In total, biologists produce a little more than 30 varieties of lavender. They differ in color and shape of inflorescences, bush height, structure and color of leaves.
Consider the most popular types of this culture and how you can grow lavender in the country.
Lavender is real. You can hear about it also under the names "English", "narrow-leaved", "medicinal", "spikelet". That is what breeders have in mind when they talk about lavender. The shrub of English lavender is quite voluminous: both in height and in width reaches 1 m. The flower stalk height of this variety is about 80 cm. Lavender present in June-July blooms in small flowers collected in brushes.
The type of lavender officinalis different varieties, among which there are dwarf ones (for example, “Little Lottie” and “Nana Alba”), as well as plants with various shades of inflorescences:
- white - grade "Alba";
- blue - "Beechwood Blue";
- pink - “Rosea”;
- purple - "Gem" and "Hidcote".
Lavender broadleaf. This species has a very strong aroma, as well as the fact that 3 inflorescences appear immediately on one stem of the plant.
Lavender is Dutch. Also, the plant is called "hybrid lavender" or "Lavender". Hybrid lavender was developed by Dutch breeders based on English and broadleaf. Culture got high decorative qualities: long inflorescences, large flowers. The bushes themselves reach a width of 2 meters. This variety is considered late: the plant blooms only in July.
Dutch lavender is very popular in parks and gardens. southern europe. In central Russia, it lands less often because of its instability to lower temperatures.
If you still decide to choose this particular type of culture, pay attention to the stunningly beautiful varieties:
- lilac - grade "Grosso";
- pink - “Sawyers”;
- blue - “Arabian Night”;
- purple is Richard Gray.
Toothed Lavender. Very interesting decorative look: has silver carved leaves and large flowers. The bush itself is quite compact (only 30 cm high), charming with its bright flowers. In open ground, she feels good in the southern regions, and in the middle lane can be grown as a houseplant.
French lavender. This species is planted in open ground, because the bushes are quite high (up to 1.3 m) and voluminous. The leaves of this variety of lavender are large, and the flowers, on the contrary, are small, located in small inflorescences. Landscape designers often choose this type of lavender to decorate hedges or to create a flowering corridor along paths.
Lavender: planting and soil preparation
So that the culture will please you with flowering and feel great, before choosing a variety for planting, find out which breeders recommend it for your region. It’s better to immediately select a culture adapted to desired temperature and humidity than to treat the plant in the future.
Young bushes of lavender are often planted in the spring, when there are no more night frosts on the soil surface. However, if you live in the southern region, you can plant in the autumn (40-50 days before the onset of frost): the mild winters of the southern latitudes will not be able to harm the young plant.
The place to plant lavender must be chosen carefully: culture loves areas well lit by the sun. It is in the sun that lavender will bloom in full force, but once in the shade, the plant will bloom sparingly and for a short time.
It is necessary to take into account the level of soil moisture: if broadleaf lavender still somehow suffers excess moisture, then narrowleaf will immediately begin to hurt. A place is not suitable for lavender if:
- the plot is swampy;
- groundwater is too close to the surface.
When it is not possible to find a dry site, and I really want to plant lavender, gardeners build artificial earth mounds with a drainage layer and then plant bushes on an elevation.
Popular varieties narrow-leaved lavender, planting and care of which require greater vigilance from the gardener, sensitive to soil acidity and its structure. Therefore, before placing the plant in a permanent place, apply lime or wood ash to the soil - this will reduce the acidity level to the optimum.
Any lavender variety develops well in sandy loamy alkaline soil with an average fertility rate.
Outdoor planting of lavender
So, you bought a young seedling and chose for it best place Location on. It's time to start planting the plant:
- Place the plant in water and leave it for 60-90 minutes. So the roots will prepare for an early rooting.
- Do high beds (20-40 cm).
- Cut off the top of the bush - this will give the plant an incentive for the rapid development of new shoots.
- Remove the lower branches and leaves completely.
- Also remove the extra roots if the bush has too many.
- On average, the depth of the landing pit for lavender should be 30 cm.
- Leave at least 30 cm between the bushes (this is enough for compact varieties), a maximum of 1.2 m (for tall bushes). Experienced gardeners consider that the distance between the bushes should be equal to the height of an adult bush this grade. But if you are thinking how to grow lavender so that the bushes create a thick “carpet” - reduce this distance by half.
Breeding lavender
There are several ways to grow lavender: from seeds, cuttings, or layering. It all depends on whether you have a strong plant ready for division or if you only dream of planting lavender in your garden for the first time.
How to grow lavender from seeds
Planting lavender seeds is not an easy process. Resort to it if you have no opportunity to get young plant for landing.
Before planting, lavender seeds must necessarily be stratified - impact low temperatures. The procedure will help increase the immunity of the future plant, which will protect it during wintering or in the event of sudden changes in temperature.
Stratification can be carried out in two ways:
- Natural. To do this, the seeds are planted in open ground in the fall (approximately at the end of September). Then, having wintered, the plant will receive the necessary immunity. However, this method is only suitable for southern countries and regions. In the middle lane during autumn planting, the seeds will simply die, and you will not wait for seedlings in the spring.
- Artificial. Everything is very simple: mix the seeds with sand in a small container, wrap it in a bag and put it in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator (vegetable). Seeds should be kept in the refrigerator for at least 1.5 months.
It is necessary to carry out artificial stratification in the fall, so that in the middle of winter go to the landing in boxes or pots. Prepare the soil and plant seeds in it. For 7-10 days, cover the drawers with glass or film and place in dark place. Do not forget to water the seedlings (but do not flood).
When sprouts appear, you can transfer the box to a bright and warm place ( optimum temperature +15 - +22 о С). Here, young lavender will develop and grow stronger until spring. When warm weather sets in and the soil warms up, the plants can be transferred to permanent place in the garden.
However, one should not expect flowering this year. The whole season the culture will need to develop the root system and increase leaf mass.
How to plant lavender cuttings
Cutting is considered the easiest and effective way breeding lavender bushes of any kind. The procedure is no different from the cuttings of other cultures:
- with a sharp knife, cut off the annual woody shoot;
- cut it into cuttings;
- prepare the right soil;
- deepen the cuttings 2-3 cm into the ground;
- cover the seedlings with a film, creating a greenhouse;
- water the plants regularly.
Cuttings take root quickly. After that, it remains only to transplant lavender to the selected place in the garden, observing the planting scheme.
Propagation of a lavender bush by layering
This technique of rooting a plant branch will not cause difficulties even for the most inexperienced grower. In early summer, from an adult bush, the shoot bends to the ground (does not cut off), fits into the hole and is sprinkled with soil. Only the tip of the shoot remains on the surface. In order for the shoot to remain in the ground, it is either fixed with a wire or a load is placed on top.
The layering needs to be regularly watered and after a couple of months it will form its own root system. Then it can be carefully separated from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place.
Reproduction of lavender by dividing the bush
If you have bushes that have been growing in the garden for several years and give abundant young growth, then you can propagate the plant by simple division of the bush. For this:
- a strong bush is selected;
- in summer, upper shoots are cut off (so that the root system is strengthened);
- the plant is spudded so that there is earth between the shoots;
- all summer culture is in this state;
- in the fall, lavender is dug up and carefully divided into two parts, trying to minimize damage to the root system;
- divided plants are again planted in the ground.
How to care for lavender outdoors
In nature, lavender is found in the mountains, where there is often a large amount of rainfall. Therefore, the culture loves regular watering, although it can normally survive a temporary lack of moisture. The main thing here is to observe the measure - water the soil as soon as you notice its drying.
- excessive moisture will rot the roots of the crop;
- lack of moisture - to reduce the duration of flowering.
To extend the flowering of lavender in the garden - just cut off wilted inflorescences. And to accelerate the development of the plant in next year, you need to trim the bush with the approach of winter, while leaving the 5-6 most powerful young shoots. During the flowering season, shoots that are too long can be removed to preserve the decorative appearance of the bush.
Lavender responds very well to hilling, as well as loosening the soil and removing weeds. The fact is that lavender needs the supply of oxygen to the roots.
Experienced gardeners also recommend mulching the soil around the bushes, especially in spring and autumn period, - this will contribute to uniform evaporation of moisture and preservation of friability of the soil. As mulch, you can use foliage or special decorative substrates, which are sold in stores for gardeners. Most importantly, leave the base of the lavender bush open to avoid moisture accumulation and the beginning of rotting processes.
Insects rarely inflict lavender bushes. Perhaps the appearance of pennies, which larvae lays on the leaves of lavender, covering them with white foam. By themselves, the larvae are not harmful to the plant, but violate its decorative effect. To fix the problem, simply rinse the pennant larvae with leaves with a stream of water.
Lavender: Fertilizing
- For feeding lavender bushes at the beginning of flowering, mineral fertilizer complexes are used. To do this, dilute in 10 liters of water 2 tbsp. l fertilizers and watered lavender with the resulting solution.
- Nitrogen fertilizers will help the crop grow green mass. They also need to breed 2 tbsp. l on a bucket of water. However, be careful: such dressings can be done only in spring or early summer, and already starting from the second half of summer they are forbidden: lavender activates growth and cannot be properly prepared for wintering.
Lavender: preparing a plant for wintering
In the middle zone of lavender, winter shelter will be necessary. And although some gardeners claim that the culture is able to withstand minus temperatures on its own, it is better not to risk it.
After the autumn cutting of the bush, it should be covered with branches ( ideal option there will be branches coniferous trees) - under such a shelter sufficient ventilation and heat will remain. But you should not cover the lavender bushes with leaves: a lack of air circulation can provoke decay of the culture.
How to grow lavender indoors
If you want your apartment to be filled with a magical aroma, you can easily grow lavender (including from seeds) at home. Choose compact dwarf varieties for this.
We give a simple instruction, following which you will create problems without any problems comfortable conditions for the plant.
- Prepare small containers, the volume of which will not exceed 2 liters.
- Put drainage (gravel, pebbles or shards) at the bottom of the pots. Make sure that the drain holes do not overlap, otherwise the plant will rot due to accumulated moisture.
- Prepare a mixture of sand and peat with a small amount of crushed egg shells.
- Plant a young bush or seeds.
- Remember that in the room where lavender grows, the temperature should not fall below +15 o C.
- It is advisable to place the plant near the window so that it receives a sufficient amount sunshine. If this is not possible, you can use artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps.
- Lavender needs to be watered as the soil dries up. room temperature. It is also useful to spray the leaves.
- When the crop finishes flowering, remove the inflorescences.
- With the onset of winter, the plant needs to create conditions for peace: rarely water, put in a cool place.
How to grow lavender: video
It is impossible to pass by the site on which lavender grows. And the point is not even in the luxurious lilac bushes, but in the enchanting aroma that they spray around the neighborhood. And for a minute, frozen near this magic, you are already rushing home, in full steam. You soon need to find out: is the moody plant lavender, planting and care difficult, how does it get sick? After all, the fact that from now on it will be in your garden is a matter already resolved.
Description: varieties and varieties of lavender
Lavender - evergreen, enough unpretentious plantwidely used in cosmetology and medicine. The aroma of lavender has a calming effect and helps to reduce headaches. But not only healing properties appreciated in lavender. It is widely used in perfumery and cosmetology. Lavender and cooking did not pass by, because this plant has a specific spicy taste. And in everyday life, dried branches of lavender are used as a reliable remedy for moths.
There are many varieties of lavender. Which one to plant in your garden - choose according to your taste
More than 25 types of lavender are known, but most of all in the garden culture several varieties are popular.
Narrow-leaved lavender (English). Represents a bush no more than a meter in diameter. The leaves of this variety are medium-sized, narrow, gray-green. It blooms in June and July. The variety is unpretentious and tolerates low temperatures.
Broadleaf lavender (french). This lavender variety is considered the ancestor of decorative varieties. Differs from other varieties in broad color gamut inflorescences, as well as a very strong and not always pleasant aroma.
Hybrid lavender (Dutch). This variety is considered the largest. Its bushes can grow up to two meters. It is a natural hybrid of narrow-leaved and broad-leaved varieties. It blooms in July. Frost resistance is lower than that of narrow-leaved. Belongs to industrial grades.
Dutch lavender has the most beautiful flowers
Lavender Scalloped. One of the most heat-loving varieties. Prefers to grow more indoors than outdoors. She is the owner of soft silvery leaves and inflorescences of large flowers of all shades of purple.
Planting a plant
You can propagate lavender different ways: cuttings, dividing the bush, layering, seeds. Lavender seeds can store germination for many years, if you follow the rule: store them in airtight vessels.
Attention! Lavender seeds need to undergo pre-treatment - stratification. To do this, the seeds must be kept at +5 ° C for at least two months. Most often, for this purpose, the seeds are mixed in wet sand and placed in the refrigerator.
Lavender seeds can be sown immediately in open ground, but certain requirements must be observed.
Lavender seeds
Best time for sowing lavender in the open ground - October. Sown it to a depth of not more than 4 mm, the soil needs to be slightly compacted. If the weather is dry, the seeds can be watered. In winter, the area sown with lavender should be cast as snow as possible.
In the open ground, you can sow seeds in the spring. To do this, first, in March, you need to remove the seeds in the refrigerator for stratification, and in May to sow in open ground at a previously prepared place.
Tip. Choose a place for lavender in a dry and sunny area. This flower does not like waterlogging.
Lavender Care
Lavender should be watered only when the soil dries. Excessive moisture leads to root decay, but it is not recommended to dry the lavender.
In autumn and spring, shrubs need to be spudded, and a haircut of lavender significantly extends the life of the plant. A little pruning can be done immediately after the lavender fades, but a more significant shortening should be done only at the end of autumn, leaving up to 4-5 new green shoots.
Trim bushes - this will not only give them a more decorative look, but also benefit the plant
If your lavender will winter in the open ground, where the temperature drops below -25 degrees, take care of a warm shelter. To do this, it will be enough to cut the bushes before wintering and cover them with branches of conifers.
Attention! Covering lavender with leaves, as is usually done to protect plants from freezing, should not be, this can result in decay of the plant.
Fertilizing and fertilizing lavender
At the beginning of flowering, lavender can be fed with a solution of fertilizer "Agricola-Fantasia" (it is bred in the proportion of 2 tbsp. L. To 10 liters of water). The consumption of this solution is 3-4 liters per bush.
To make lavender bloom better - feed the plant with mineral fertilizers
Instead of "Agricola" also use a solution organic fertilizer "Rossa universal", dissolving 2 tbsp. tablespoons in 10 liters of water. And the third option of top dressing: 2 tbsp. l nitrofoski and half a liter of liquid mullein diluted in 10 liters of water. The consumption of the last two solutions is 10 l per bush.
Plant propagation
Lavender is propagated by division, cuttings or layering.
Division propagation perhaps when there are already lavender bushes on the site. In summer, lavender produces a lot of young shoots. It is something that can be rooted. To do this, you need to trim the plant and spud so that all the free space between the stems is densely filled with earth. And by autumn, the bush can be divided.
Lavender bush division
The most suitable way to propagate lavender grown in the home environment is propagation by cuttings. For this, lignified annual shoots should be divided into cuttings no more than 10 cm and rooted.
Lavender propagation by layering
The easiest way to breed, which is suitable even for beginner gardeners, is layering. With this method, in the spring, 2-3 shoots are carefully bent and laid in a groove 3-5 cm deep, fixed, sprinkled with earth and watered. These shoots need to be watered a little more abundantly so that the formation of lateral roots occurs. After a year, the processes are already completely independent, and you can drop them off the mother bush.
Diseases and Pests
Keep your plants healthy and remove insects
Of garden pests on lavender you can find a rainbow beetle eating leaves. You need to collect it from plants manually. But more often, lavender is prone to the dominance of pennies, which do not cause any damage to the plant, but pretty bad appearance, because they cover their larvae with a layer of white foam, outwardly very much like saliva. Caring for lavender that has been attacked by pennies is very simple. It is enough to wash off the foam with a stream of water.
Lavender: a combination with other plants
It is known that smells have a great impact on the human subconscious. Therefore, when growing flowers, it is important that the flower bed not only pleases the eye, but also captivates with its aroma. When planting plants, it is important to take care not only that the appearance of the flowers complement each other, but also that the floral aromas do not mix. This means that you will have to carefully consider the selection of flowers that you want to plant, otherwise you are unlikely to be able to rest or recharge your batteries in your garden.
Very good lavender looks next to contrasting plants in color
Lavender goes well with sage and catnip. She also looks amazing next to the yarrow and garden hydrangea, lyatris, or surrounded by cultivated herbs and perennials.
Lavender in landscaping
Lavender, the planting and care of which is so simple that any novice gardener can handle it, is ideal for decorating the territory. A significant advantage of lavender among other plants for landscape design gives a bright and intense color. different shades, from pale pink to bright lilac. This makes it possible to accentuate the elegance of any corner of your garden.
Lavender in landscaping
Tip. Use a decorative design to emphasize the originality of your flower garden.
There are several options for decorating the garden with these flowering shrubs.
- Perhaps the most famous and common way is to plant lavender along paths and sidewalks. This design of your site makes it possible to visually limit, as well as create a clear division of the garden into zones.
- The second option is to plant the bushes in such a way that lavender will grow in accordance with the order of the cells on the chessboard. But to perform this type of landing will only succeed on a completely horizontal surface.
- One more in an unusual way emphasize originality garden plot or flower garden is the formation of a "carpet" of these shrubs. If you decide to choose this option, you need to immediately determine the height of the lavender and regularly cut it at this level in one plane. Such a carpet will not be like a soft grass on which you can comfortably sit, but planting shrubs in this way will allow lavender to show its color brilliantly.
Often lavender is planted along paths and fences
Of course, lavender in landscape design is not as widespread as the planting of roses or all kinds of looms, but this is precisely what emphasizes the uniqueness and originality decoration your garden.
Growing lavender is perfect way highlight your garden or flower garden with color, shape, and complement it with an elegant fragrance that will not leave anyone indifferent who passes by.
How to plant lavender: video
Lavender in the garden: photos
Perennial decorative culture is perfect for growing in home gardening. Lavender is relatively unpretentious and well tolerates soil and climatic features in almost any region of our country.
Florists grow several types and the most unpretentious varieties of this decorative culture in the middle lane of our country, as well as in Ukraine and Belarus. Description of species will make it easy to determine the choice of decorative culture.
Narrow-leaved lavender of the varieties "Provence", "Manstead" and "Hidkot"
Narrow-leaved lavender (L.angustifolia) or angustifolia is the most suitable species that can be grown in almost any region of our country. Grade Manstead differs in compact and small bushes with a height of not more than 40 cm. The flowers are classic saturated lavender colorare great for decorating borders, paths or flower beds.
You can also grow a whole lavender field. Grade Hidcote - A flower widely used in the design of a low hedge. This English garden lavender looks very decorative. The most famous varieties Hidcote Blue with bright purple-blue flowers and Hidcote Giantforming bushes up to 60 cm high.
Gallery: lavender (25 photos)
Growing lavender in the garden (video)
Broadleaf lavender
Broadleaf Lavender (L.latifolia) - French variety, considered the ancestor of all decorative varieties. The plant forms flowers with long bracts, and is also characterized by different colors. Flowering occurs in May. The aroma is strong, but not too pleasant.
Broadleaf Lavender (L.latifolia)
Lavender Scalloped
Toothed lavender (L.dentata) is very thermophilic, therefore most often grown as a houseplant, which blooms large flowers blue staining. The foliage is silvery, soft.
Scalloped Lavender (L.dentata)
Lavender sixth
Lavender woolly (L.lanata) - a perennial plant with a height of aboveground parts up to one meter. The stem part is low, straight, branched. The foliage is covered with many dense hairs.. It blooms profusely and continuously. The decorative perennial is very afraid of rains, and is also able to quickly die with severe waterlogging of the soil. Best grown this view in spacious flower pots in areas with ample sunlight.
Lavender woolly (L.lanata)
Hybrid lavender
Hybrid lavender (Lavandula x intermedia) is very popular in our country and is a common hybrid of narrow-leaved and broad-leaved varieties. Such a flowering decorative culture perfect for decorating the local area.
It has narrow silvery leaves and long peduncles with large flowers, which, under their own weight, quickly lean towards the soil. It blooms somewhat later than the English one, around mid-summer, with white, dark purple and light purple flowers. The best varieties « Grosso "," Sawyers "," Arabian Night "and "Richard Gray."
Hybrid Lavender (Lavandula x Intermedia)
Lavender Stahad
Lavender Stahad (L.stoechas) - perennial shrub up to 30 cm high and not more than a meter wide. Grayish foliage, up to 40 mm long. Pinkish-violet flowers, open from March to June.
Lavender Stahad (L.stoechas)
Technology and beautiful ways to plant lavender in the open ground
For successful cultivation it is necessary to choose and prepare the place and soil correctly. Sowing a crop with seeds is possible only in rather warm regions. In most cases, growing from seeds is recommended to prefer reproduction with standard seedlings, which should be planted in well-lit areas.
Planting young bushes is best not in the fall, but in spring periodafter the threat of night frost has passed. Autumn landing can only be carried out in the southern regions, one and a half months before the onset of frost. The landing area should be with a very good lighting the sun.
It is best to plant perennial on artificial earthen embankments with a drainage layer
You can not do flower beds in wetlands and too close to the surface of the groundwater. It is best to plant perennial on artificial earthen embankments with a drainage layer. The depth of the planting hole should be approximately a quarter meter with a distance between plants of 30-120 cm.
The culture combines very well with plants such as sage and hydrangea and yarrow. Almost any perennials with similar care requirements will be excellent partners. You can create flower beds on the basis of several varieties with different colorings of flowers, making smooth transitions from saturated purple to pale pink.
How lavender propagates (video)
Proper care of the perennial is not difficult. It is important to regularly loosen the soil, remove weed vegetation, water and crop. Wintering is of no small importance. In most regions, culture hibernates under shelter.
Watering and feeding
The plant is not only decorative, but also drought-resistant, therefore it does not need additional frequent watering. In particularly arid periods and when fertilizing, you need to perform irrigation measures. Excess and stagnation of water for the culture is fatal. The first feeding is carried out with nitrogen-containing fertilizers at the beginning of the growing season, based on a couple of tablespoons per bucket of warm water. The second fertilizing with mineral fertilizers must be carried out during the flowering period. Good result gives mulching with compost.
In especially arid periods and when fertilizing, you need to perform irrigation measures
Loosening the soil and removing weeds
After irrigation, weed removal and shallow loosening of the soil are carried out. To minimize the need for frequent such events, it is advisable to mulch the soil with organic matter, which will maintain sufficient moisture and inhibit the growth of weeds.
Pruning lavender
Crop aerial part need to be correct and timely. Directly in the midst of mass flowering, the shoots are trimmed with a clean and sharp garden pruner, which will allow for the formation of attractively rounded bushes. In the spring, the apical part of the shoots is cut by about a couple of centimeters. Pruning also helps rejuvenate the shrubs. However, it must be remembered that trimming too much to lignified shoots is detrimental to the plant.
Preparing lavender for the winter
Before winter, you can transplant plants in flower pots, but in order not to transplant a decorative perennial, the organization of a reliable shelter is carried out. In warm climatic zones, the culture tolerates the winter period quite well. In regions with little snow or severe winters, warming is mandatory. It is required to trim the aerial part of the bushes and lay spruce branches on top.
Trim the aerial part of lavender correctly and in a timely manner
Features of growing lavender in the Leningrad region and Moscow region
In the suburbs and in the Leningrad region, as well as in the entire middle field of our country, there are some nuances of growing lavender. It is very difficult to care for “English”, “medicinal”, “spikelet” or narrow-leaved lavender in the middle lane, since weather and climatic conditions are very far from optimal.
Best of all, such varieties work out in the southern regions and in the Crimea. Great attention should be paid to the organization of the regime of irrigation measures and top dressing., as well as provide decorative perennial sufficient lighting. Using quality winter shelter in leningrad region and Moscow region is also a prerequisite for successful cultivation.
Reproduction and transplantation of lavender in the country
The decorative perennial is very easily and well propagated by bush division. To this end, you need to choose the strongest and absolutely healthy bushfrom which summer period cut off all the upper shoots. In autumn, you need to carefully dig out the lavender bush and carefully divide it into a couple of parts, with minimal damage to the root system. Delenki planted in a permanent place, watered and during the first week shaded by scorching sunlight.
Lavender is a perennial evergreen semi-shrub plant in the family Lamiaceae. Height is 60-90 cm. The root is woody. The lower shoots are well branched. The leaves are small: 1 cm wide and 2.5-6 cm long, arranged opposite. Lavender is notable for the spike-shaped inflorescences of white, pink, blue, lilac, lilac and purple. Blooms all summer, exuding pleasant aroma. By September, the fruits ripen - small nuts of brown color.
Lavender is from the Mediterranean. The plant is thermophilic. Lavender is able to winter in the open ground only in regions with a warm climate. In the gardens, it becomes a decoration alpine slides, rockeries, borders. In a cold climate, they are grown in flowerpots - at the first hint of cold, transfer to the room. Suitable for growing as a potted crop.
Lavender from seeds at home
Growing lavender from seeds is a longer process.
In a warm climate, seeds can be sown before winter - they will undergo a natural stratification and sprout in the spring. In the first year, the plant will increase its root mass, and flowering will come in the next season.
When to plant lavender seeds for seedlings
Still, it is preferable to plant lavender with seeds for seedlings: sow at the end of winter (February) in boxes or at the beginning of spring (March) for germination in a greenhouse on the street. Pre-Stratify Seeds: mix the seeds with sand, pour into a container, cover plastic wrap and keep in the vegetable section of the refrigerator a couple of months until sowing.
- The soil is necessary loose.
- Deepen the seeds by a few millimeters, observing a distance of 1.5-2.5 cm.
- Moisten the spray crop.
- Germinate at a temperature of 15-21 ° C. Maintain moderate soil moisture.
- Shoots will appear in 2-4 weeks.
- Young plants will need 8 hours of light day.
- With the advent of 2 real leaves, transplant into separate containers with a mixture of peat and perlite.
Growing plants along with an earthen lump. Fertilize the soil with granules of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Carry out the next transplant with a growth of about 7.5 cm. Start hardening the seedlings - take them out to fresh air for several hours.
Outdoor planting of lavender seedlings
Landing in open ground is carried out with the establishment of real heat without night frosts.
Seat selection
For good growth and flowering should choose right place. Perfect open area with bright sunlight. Take root in the shade, but lush flowering do not expect. The root system of lavender is painfully responsive to high humidity soils - avoid wetlands, with a close occurrence of groundwater, an elevated flowerbed should be built.
How to plant
- Dig over the site by adding compost. If the soil is acidic, be sure to add agricultural lime or ash.
- Make the holes deep according to the size of the root system.
- Handle lavender with the full preservation of an earthen coma.
- Keep an equal distance between the bushes maximum height bush (80-120 cm depending on type, grade).
- To look monolithic in the future, reduce this distance by two.
- Deepen the root neck by 5-7 cm. Pour plenty of water.
Propagation of lavender by cuttings and layering
Most popular vegetative propagation (cuttings, layering).
- Cuttings root quickly and easily. Do this in early spring or in the middle of summer.
- You can root green and lignified cuttings with at least 2 internodes.
- Cut the leaves from the bottom, treat with a root stimulator and plant the cuttings in loose soil, deepening a couple of centimeters, cover with a jar cut plastic bottle or film.
- Ventilate regularly and moisten the soil.
Proceed in the spring. Bend one of the lower shoots to the ground, fix at the place of contact with the soil and sprinkle with earth, the top should remain on the surface. Water it. After about 3 months of active growth, the new plant is ready for separation from the mother bush.
How to care for lavender in the garden
Watering and loosening the soil
Lavender as the topsoil dries up. Overmoistening leads to yellowing of shoots and decay of the root system. Lavender will not die from drought, but flowering will not be so luxurious.
To maintain an optimal level of humidity, mulch the soil around the bush with rotten foliage, compost, leave the base of the trunk uncovered.
It is important to regularly loosen the soil, remove weeds.
Top dressing
In the presence of mulch, top dressing can be omitted - compost and leaves will gradually decompose, nourishing the plant.
At the beginning of the growing season, feed with nitrogen fertilizers: dissolve 2 tablespoons of fertilizer in 1 bucket of water and pour along the perimeter of the bushes.
When flowering begins, complex mineral fertilizer. Also 2 tablespoons of fertilizer per 10 liters of water.
Pruning
Trimming is optional. After flowering, shorten the shoots by a couple of centimeters. Be careful in your actions: shortening the shoots to the level of the lignified part can lead to the death of the bush.
Wintering
Lavender bushes wintering in open ground are able to tolerate a drop in temperature to -25 ° C. Shelter should be built, but do not cover with leaves, otherwise the bushes will begin to rot. Better cover with spruce branches.
Diseases and Pests
The plant is rarely exposed to diseases and pests.
A gray rot may appear from excess moisture - remove damaged areas, treat with fungicide. Be sure to adjust the watering.
The aroma of the plant protects it from pests. Such a nuisance as pennies is possible - they lay their larvae, covering with a substance similar to foam. This does not cause harm, but spoils the decorative effect. Just rinse with a stream of water.
Types of lavender with photos and names
There are 45 species. They are classified into 2 groups:
Lavender English
It has narrow leaf plates, elongated spike-shaped inflorescences. Stable winter in the open ground.
Lavender french
Has wider leaves and shortened inflorescences. Most often grown as a pot culture. It withstands temperature drops to -15 ° C.
Consider in more detail the popular types:
Real or English lavender, spikelet, narrow-leaved Lavandula angustifolia ‘Elizabeth’ photo
The bush is 1 m high and wide. There are subspecies 30 cm high. The inflorescences are spike-shaped. The most common type.
Lavender broadleaf Lavandula latifolia
On one stem there are 3 inflorescences, it has the brightest flavor.
Lavender Dutch hybrid or lavender Lavandula intermedia
The result of crossing the two previous species. The bush can reach dimensions of 2 m (height and width). The inflorescences are curved.
Lavender petiole Lavandula pedunculata
Has an unusual flowering of bright purple color.
Lavender gear Lavandula dentate
It has soft leaves of green-silver color. It differs in larger colors.
The benefits of lavender
In addition to decorating gardens, lavender is used for medicinal, perfumery, culinary purposes.
Lavender water is part of many cosmetics.
Lavender oil has an antiseptic effect, it can lubricate burns. Lavender syrup is used in the treatment of migraine. Infusions are used to treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Brew lavender tea or take a bath with dried inflorescences - it soothes, helps cope with insomnia.
Lavender can cause allergic reactions.
In cooking, lavender is used as a spice for fish, meat, dry petals are added with sauces, salads, and pastries are decorated with flowers. Sugar with lavender aroma is popular in Europe.
Very useful lavender honey.
In the Caucasus, in the mountainous regions of Europe, in Russia and Crimea, it is found in abundance spicy plant - lavender. Due to its beauty and wonderful aroma, the plant is becoming increasingly popular among owners of private houses and summer cottages in central Russia. For growing lavender seedlings obtained from seeds are used.
Preparation for landing
Lavender is grown from seeds. Unlike many ornamental crops, for which it is recommended to buy material at the store, lavender seeds can be collected from your own plantings - daughter flowers will not yield to the beauty and aroma of the mother.
In regions of Russia, where the climate is cold, and seeds are usually not sown directly in open ground, but planted lavender seedlings. Sometimes they are sown in a closed greenhouse. In any case, you must first prepare the seeds
Stratification
Before sowing, seeds must undergo stratification, i.e. awaken. Already prepared material is on sale, but if it has been stored for too long, it will also need to be activated. Without the procedure, the seeds may not rise at all or may rise too late. In addition, stratification significantly increases the winter hardiness of the material.
Interesting fact
In seeds, the seeds of future lavender are in a state of physiological rest and are waiting for optimal conditions to begin growth. Since summer in the middle lane is too short for lavender, it is necessary to “wake up” the seeds in advance.
Stratification in filings:
- Take sawdust (they should be ten times more in volume than seeds), pour over boiling water, and then squeeze out excess moisture.
- Mix the seeds with sawdust and put everything in a sealed container (e.g. plastic bagglass or plastic jar) In containers with sawdust and seeds, there must be air.
- Leave the sawdust seeds for three days at room temperature. During this time, both materials are saturated with moisture, sawdust swell.
- After three days, rearrange the container in the refrigerator for 1-1.5 months. The optimum temperature will be from +3 to + 5 ° C. If it is higher, then the period of seed germination will increase.
- As soon as white growths appear on a quarter of the total number of seeds, the stratification procedure has come to an end and they need to be planted. It is impossible to allow sprouts to stretch out of the seeds, since when planted in the substrate they will be easily injured.
Advice! Mix the sawdust with the seeds periodically: this will improve germination and prevent mold.
To conduct stratification using soil in early January, moistened lavender seeds are scattered over the surface of the substrate in a container small size. Then cover everything with foil and put it in the refrigerator on the lower shelf, on the glazed loggia, in the cellar or basement for 30-45 days. The temperature there should be approximately + 4˚ C.
Lavender loves relatively loose and very fertile soil. The necessary soil is most often purchased in a store, but it will not be difficult to prepare it yourself.
This will require:
- 3 parts of garden land;
- 2 parts of humus;
- 1 part of coarse river sand.
Advice! Take garden soil from under the trees, as its most fertile layer is formed in these places.
If there is no garden or forest land, then ordinary soil will completely replace it. Sand is necessary to ensure lightness and permeability of the soil to oxygen.
Before planting seeds, it is recommended to disinfect the substrate. To do this, a couple of days before sowing, the soil is shed with a hot pale pink (1% percent) solution of potassium permanganate, steamed, heated in an oven (at a temperature of 110-130 ° C) or exposed to cold (for example, in freezer) Then the substrate needs to be loosened: sift so that there are no large lumps left. It is also advisable to disinfect dishes and tools, since most rot and viral diseases do not treat seedlings - they are easier to prevent.
Last preparatory stage - pour a layer of expanded clay or small clay shards to the bottom of the tank. Soil is placed on top.
Advice! In no case can vermiculite be used for the drainage layer, since it often contains asbestos, although manufacturers do not indicate this on the packaging.
Landing
Lavender is a heat-loving plant, so young bushes are afraid of frost, and they need to be planted in the ground after constant heat is established, best of all - at the end of June. So that by this time the seedlings have grown stronger, the seeds are planted at home in February. In the greenhouse, the material is protected from the cold, so it is permissible to sow a little later, in March.
Place the awakened seeds in the prepared substrate together with sawdust to a depth of three to five millimeters and leave at a temperature of + 20-25˚ C for germination. In order to strengthen the seedlings periodically sprayed with a solution of "Epina".
The container must always be in a plastic bag or under the lid, there is no need to open it for watering, because thanks to the accumulating condensate, natural moisture is provided. However, you need to carefully monitor that there is no mold, if this happens, the damaged areas need to be thrown out and the seedlings should be aired (the temperature in the room should be at least 20-25 degrees.
Advice! Try to protect the seeds as much as possible during germination from temperature extremes. It is also important to ensure optimal level humidity in the room (approximately 60-65%).
After about 15 days, tender sprouts will appear. From this time it is recommended to begin hardening, daily removing the greenhouse cover for 10-20 minutes and gradually lengthening this interval. Sprouts must prepare first for room conditions, then to relocation to the garden.
Seedling Care
As soon as the first sprouts appear, rearrange the container in a well-lit place. The window sill of the south-facing window is best suited. Plants must always receive a sufficient amount of light for ten hours. Providing the optimal amount of light will help after-lighting with a phytolamp. The most suitable temperature for seedlings is from +15 to + 22˚ C.
Advice! Seedlings are elongated, looks weak, leaves are pale - these are clear signs of a lack of lighting, it is necessary to extend daylight hours.
Root breath is crucial for lavender. To prevent excessive compaction of the soil, periodically carefully so as not to damage the roots and stems, loosen the soil with a sharpened match or a toothpick.
Pick
At the stage of two real leaves, lavender seedlings need to be relocated into large boxes or separate pots - this is necessary so that the roots and foliage of neighboring bushes do not interfere with each other's development.
A transplant should be done carefully, by the method of transshipment, so as not to damage the root system. Sprouts are instilled with a small object (ruler, smallest baby scoop, tablespoon) together with an earthen lump and transferred to the prepared hole. Between plants should remain at least five centimeters.
Watering
Since lavender is a guest from the tropics, she loves the abundance of water. The soil in the tank with seedlings should always be slightly moist. The plant must be watered once a day with settled water at room temperature. But if the room is cool (within 18-20˚ C), then you need to water less often: excess moisture will lead to mold or rot, and lavender will die.
Advice! Water the plants under the root very carefully, as the lavender seedlings are very tender. This is best done with a disposable small syringe or syringe.
Top dressing
Once every 7 days, it is recommended to feed lavender seedlings with complex fertilizers specially designed for this purpose (they are sold to specialized flower departments and shops). Adult bushes need fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers and exclusively during the flowering period.
Relocation to the garden
60 days after germination, you can start transplanting lavender into the open ground. The suitable time is May-June, however, due to unstable weather, it is preferable to transfer the seedlings to the garden at the end of the first summer month due to unstable weather. But before that, you need to correctly select the site. For lavender bloom to be early and plentiful, the bed should be well lit, but in a slight shade: direct sunlight will harm the plant. In full shade, lavender will also bloom, but much later.
No less important is the water level in the soil. Lavender will die like from excess amount moisture, and from its deficiency. For this reason, it is categorically not recommended to plant plants on wetlands, in troughs, and where groundwater lies close.
The soil composition should be light enough, permeable to moisture and air, with a slightly alkaline reaction. A few days before transplanting, it is necessary to refresh and disinfect the soil. If in the past season, the plantings were affected by the disease or pests, and the soil was not updated, it is necessary to remove upper layer and replace with fresh. Then the bed is spilled with a hot weak solution of potassium permanganate. After that - carefully loosens.
Advice! To ensure a slight alkalinity of the soil (if the pH is below 6.5-7.5), add a little wood ash or lime.
Further, holes or trenches are prepared. A drainage layer of expanded clay, clay shards or broken brick is laid at the bottom. Bushes are transferred to a new place of residence by transshipment so as not to damage the delicate roots.
Landing care
After planting in open ground, lavender will require careful care for several seasons. The plant develops rather slowly, needs to be removed weeds and moderate watering in dry weather. In late autumn, young plants must be covered with fallen leaves or spruce branches. This is necessary for insulation.
Advice! Composting will improve soil aeration, air will easily penetrate the roots. In addition, such a measure will saturate the earth with micro and macro elements.
In the first year of life, lavender looks inconspicuous, this is due to the build-up of the root system during this period. Plants gain green mass, bush and bloom only in the second or third year. To increase the bushiness, you need to pinch the tops of the bushes - the first procedure is carried out when 6 pairs of leaves appear on the plant. Give beautiful shape trimming the first year to a height of 15 cm will also help.
Experienced gardeners recognize: caring for lavender seedlings is a troublesome business. But if everything is done correctly, the result will not disappoint.
A few notes and tips to help cultivate luxurious flowers:
- Growing lavender from seeds is an expensive way to get plants, but one of the most reliable.
- Choose seed material for varieties designed for a climate close to the conditions in your garden.
- Lavender broadleaf is considered the most unpretentious in care. The narrow-leaved leaf is unstable to low freezing temperatures, sensitive to excess moisture in the soil, and often dies as a result of aging.
- Systematic airing has a beneficial effect on lavender, but it is afraid of drafts.
- The best time for transplanting plants is early spring or autumn.
With the right care, even the most fastidious varieties of lavender are sure to please the appearance of flowers with a delicious aroma. Growing a culture is not too difficult, it adapts well, the main thing is accuracy and patience.