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Growing Lavender
Lavender is an herb that is grown for its scent, foliage and flowers in the garden. Lavender also contains medicinal qualities that stimulate and improve health. Here’s how you can grow lavender in your own garden.
Planting Lavender
Lavender can be grown from seed, from cuttings or from purchased plants. The best time to plant them in the garden is in the late spring or early summer, when the weather is warm.
Lavender is a plant that prefers full sun and does not tolerate shade. It also requires good drainage. The best soil for lavender is loose, well drained soil that has had organic fertiliser added. Plant your seeds, cuttings, or young plants approximately a foot apart from each other. Once the plants are in the garden, add some mulch or compost, and water until the soil is just moist. Remember that lavender prefers a dry soil.
Maintaining Lavender
Lavender is very low maintenance and only requires watering once to twice a week. Fertilising should only be done occasionally.
Most lavender plants will only flower for around three years. Therefore, if you want a steady supply, add new plants to your lavender garden each year, as space allows. In the winter, you will need to protect the lavender from the wind and frost. A thick layer of mulch will help to protect the plants.
In spring, do not prune the lavender until new growth appears. However, regular pruning will keep the plants very compact and encourage lots of new flowers and growth.
Using the Lavender
Once the lavender is well established, you will want to use the plant. To take cuttings, do so when the plant is in full bloom, and cut at the base of the stem. Remove dead flowers and foliage as you do so. Cutting should be taken in the morning just after the dew has evaporated on the plant. This will maximise the amount of oil you can harvest. Drying the cuttings for use in potpourri, bath products, etc, simply tie the lavender in small bunches and hang upside down in a warm, dry place. Drying will take around ten days. Once completed, store the dried lavender in an airtight container to maintain the scent.
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