With its vibrant colours and intense aroma, lavender is among the many most evocative summer time crops. As a bonus, this herb is likely one of the greatest pure pest controls for natural gardening. If you wish to develop this elegant traditional, I’m excited to share my high 11 ideas I’ve realized about rising superb lavender in my humble city backyard in London.
Like all my gardening strategies, the following pointers observe my “Do as Nature Does” philosophy. This pretty herb is straightforward to please while you present comparable circumstances to its native Mediterranean dwelling. Luckily, that is fairly straightforward in most indoor or outside gardens.
Lavender Rising Suggestions
Save your self a while and hassle by studying from my victories and errors with this plant. You may also take a look at the video under for a video that will help you develop lavender from begin to end.
Select the Proper Selection

Earlier than planting, it’s essential to select a range that matches your needs and local weather. There are over 450 sorts of lavender, however all of them technically fall into certainly one of three classes:
- English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): These cultivars are extra tolerant of cool winters and humid climates like my dwelling in London. ‘Munstead’ and ‘Hidcote’ are the most well-liked.
- French lavender (Lavandin sp.): These hybrid crosses between English and Portuguese varieties have the strongest aroma and cleansing properties. These seedless or sterile varieties embody ‘Grosso,’ ‘Provenance,’ and ‘Phenomenal.’
- Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas): Additionally referred to as “rabbits ear” lavender, these drought-tolerant varieties are extra compact shrubs.
Here’s a cheat sheet I made that will help you select the correct selection:
In order for you the: | Select this selection |
Greatest aroma | ‘Phenomenal’ |
Greatest chilly tolerance | ‘Hidcote’ or ‘Munstead’ |
Strongest taste for cooking | Any English cultivar |
Greatest for sinuses (excessive camphor) | Any Lavandin hybrid |
Greatest pest management (excessive linalool) | ‘Grosso’ |
Greatest for cool, humid climates | Any English cultivar |
Most drought-tolerance | Spanish lavender like ‘Kew Purple’ |
Maximize Soil Drainage

Keep in mind that lavender is native to the dry, rocky atmosphere of the Mediterranean. Whereas English varieties can tolerate cooler, humid climates, they nonetheless want very well-drained soil.
You don’t need to plant this perennial herb in the identical soil combine as your raised beds. As a substitute, I want to create a lighter combine that features:
- Sand
- Gravel
- Perlite
- Peat moss
- Compost
When you have clay soil, add compost to loosen it up. Mediterranean herbs hate to have waterlogged roots.
Don’t Add Fertilizer

In contrast to most greens, I don’t give vitamins to my lavender. Extra vitamins can truly scale back the perfume and variety of blooms. Since we’re rising this plant for its superb scent, we don’t need to hurt the plant’s important oil manufacturing in any approach.
As a substitute of including fertilizer, I high up the crops with good natural compost yearly at the start of the season. Merely unfold a little bit of compost across the base of your crops. Surprisingly, these herbs don’t want many vitamins to thrive.
Plant In Full Solar

Lavender requires roughly 10 hours of vibrant, direct daylight day by day. Ideally, search for a south-facing space of your backyard that doesn’t get shaded by any bushes or constructions.
Mild is essential for these crops, as they won’t flower prolifically within the shade. Shaded crops could have spindly stems and wimpy blooms.
Begin From A Nursery Plant

I like to begin many crops from seed, however lavender is notoriously finicky and sluggish to determine. The seeds can take one to 2 months simply to germinate. A a lot simpler method to begin is by buying a longtime seedling from a nursery.
Nonetheless, you continue to must be affected person. Younger crops can take two to 3 years to totally set up their roots and placed on the largest flowering present.
Water Properly

Watering is likely one of the most vital facets of rising lavender. You don’t need to overwater your crops, or they’ll develop fungus across the root mass. Overwatering and root rot are the principle causes of plant loss of life. It’s higher to lean towards dryer soil than overly moist soil.
When your plant is first getting established, hold the soil moist however not soggy. As soon as it has been within the floor for a number of months, you possibly can in the reduction of to watering a couple of times every week or much less when summer time rains happen.
For potted lavender, you will want to water extra typically. Stick your finger within the soil and really feel whether it is dry. Give it a pleasant soaking, and let the water pour out from the pot’s drainage gap. It’s greatest to let it dry out in between waterings.
Don’t water your crops from the highest. As a substitute, water close to the bottom so that you don’t promote fungus forming on the leaves.
Multiply Your Crops By Cuttings

This is likely one of the most underrated lavender ideas. You’ll be able to create a bunch of recent crops without spending a dime! Cuttings are one of the simplest ways to enhance the quantity of lavender crops in your backyard. Luckily, this herb is straightforward to propagate.
Take these woody cuttings from spring to fall.
Lower these inexperienced, softened stems in late spring earlier than flowering.
Taking cuttings could be very straightforward:
- Select a stem with out blooms.
- Lower a chunk that’s 3-4 inches lengthy.
- Take the leaves off the underside 2 inches.
- Scrape off the pores and skin of 1 aspect of the stem.
- Place the underside 2 inches in a pot of soil combine.
- Maintain moist and wait 2-4 weeks (for softwood) for it to root.
- Hardwood cuttings can take as much as 6 weeks to root.
As soon as your cuttings kind roots, you need to have the ability to give the stem a light-weight tug. Wait a pair extra weeks, and plant them in a container or within the backyard alongside your mature herbs.
Plant Close to Greens For Companion Advantages

One of many coolest issues about lavender is its capacity to repel pests. The excessive ranges of a compound referred to as linalool assist to repel pests like mosquitoes and flies. Linalool can be present in basil and oregano.
Lavender additionally attracts helpful predator bugs that prey on pests like aphids to maintain your backyard pest-free. On the identical time, the flowers are phenomenal for drawing pollinators to your different crops. These bees and butterflies assist enhance the fruit set on crops like tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers. I wish to plant lavender across the borders of my backyard close to my raised beds.
Keep in mind To Harvest Early

When your lavender begins producing its stunning blooms, keep in mind to reap early on many ranges:
- Early spring
- Early bloom
- Early morning
Harvesting these aromatic purple flowers in early spring provides the plant sufficient time to supply one other flush of flowers in late summer time and fall. In delicate climates, some varieties could even bloom all 12 months spherical!
If you wish to benefit from the highest perfume and important oil content material, harvest flowers on the earliest level of their bloom cycle. This implies the tender, younger buds are tightly closed and barely beginning to open.
Nonetheless, you possibly can wait longer if you wish to harvest for bouquets. The absolutely opened flowers have the perfect coloration. Because the flowers age, their aroma and oil content material decreases, however their coloration could intensify.
Lastly, keep in mind to reap early within the morning. Historically, farmers and herbalists wait till the morning dew has dried, however the crops are nonetheless perky from the cool night time. Because the day goes on, lots of the aromatic oils begin to dissipate within the sizzling solar.
Harvest At A Junction To Encourage Extra Flowers

When you find yourself prepared to choose the attractive blooms, discover a flower you want and observe it down the stem to a node. A node is a junction the place a brand new leaf, flower, or stem has begun to kind.
Use small pruning snips or scissors to chop the stem simply above the leaves or new branches. Now that you just’ve eliminated a middle stem, the plant can redirect its energies to supply two aspect shoots that can produce new flowers.
Retailer Lavender Correctly

Lavender has essentially the most perfume and taste proper after it’s picked. I completely love hanging bundles of lavender to dry in my dwelling! It fills the house with a pleasant aroma and provides a nice accent. Should you don’t need to harvest and dry the flowers, you possibly can develop crops in small pots in your windowsill to take pleasure in the identical perfume.
To retailer lavender flowers, keep in mind to:
- Place bunches in a vase of water if you wish to hold them as a bouquet.
- For drying, bundle a bunch of flowers along with string or rubber bands.
- Hold them the wrong way up in a heat, dry space with good air circulation.
- Don’t dry lavender in direct daylight, or it could lose its coloration.
- Wait a few weeks to 1 month, relying in your local weather.
- Use a meals dehydrator for a faster, extra dependable drying course of.
Strive snapping a chunk of stem between your fingers to check in case your lavender is totally dry. When the flowers are absolutely dry, they’ll crisply snap in half. If the stem bends, it isn’t dry but. The lavender could develop mould and spoil if it isn’t absolutely dry. So at all times verify your flowers earlier than placing them in jars!
Closing Ideas
I hope these lavender rising ideas aid you develop this stunning herb in your backyard or windowsill. Keep in mind, lavender isn’t as troublesome as many individuals make it out to be. These crops will produce many aromatic purple blooms so long as they’ve sunshine, well-drained soil, and occasional watering. I like lavender’s capacity to maintain pests away and make the backyard scent scrumptious.
Keep in mind to “Do as Nature Does!” See you subsequent time!