How to grow lavender at home

1. Choose the right soil

Lavender loves loose and light soil. For her, ready-made soil from the store for growing flower seedlings is suitable. When buying, pay attention to the pH of the soil - it shouldWill Lavender Grow in Acidic Soil? /Gardener Report be within 6.5–8.0. Usually this information is indicated on the packaging. For best results, you can add dry river sand (usually sold in garden centers) to the soil in a 1:1 ratio. This mixture will provide the roots of the plant with good access to oxygen.

2. Prepare a mini greenhouse

For sprouting, transparent food containers with a tight-fitting lid are suitable. The size of this container depends on how much lavender you want to plant. The best option is 500 ml for one variety. Fill the container with soil and compact it so that there are a couple of centimeters from the edge to the ground. After that, you need to spill the soil with boiling water. But do not overdo it - the ground should just be wet, and not like a swamp.

3. Sow the lavender

Let the "blank" cool for a couple of minutes and spread the seeds on a still warm surface. They need to be slightly pressed into the ground with your finger so that they remain visible. Close the container with a lid or cling film and place on a warm battery.

The first shoots may appear as early as the fourth day, but sometimes the process can take several weeks - it all depends on the quality of the seeds. Do not forget to look into the mini-greenhouse every day and do not be discouraged if not all the seeds will sprout. Even one sprout is already a good result.

When the seedlings just hatch, you need to remove the lid from the container and bring it to the light. The best option is round-the-clock illumination under phytolampbut not everyone has one. Therefore, you can put the seedlings on a sunny windowsill.

4. Follow the rules for watering

Lavender easily tolerates drought, but excess water for her destructiveHow to Plant, Grow, and Care for Lavender / Almanac. Water the sprouts at the root moderately so that the surface of the soil remains slightly moist. While they are very small and tender, it is convenient to do this with a syringe.

So that the soil is moistened evenly, before watering, you can carefully loosen the topsoil with a toothpick. At the same time, this procedure will help increase the access of oxygen to the roots of the sprouts.

5. Transplant your plants early

When the first true leaves appear on the lavender, carefully plant it in separate 200 ml cups.

Pre-make drainage holes in them and put a small layer of expanded clay or sand on the bottom so that excess liquid comes out and the roots do not rot.

As the plants grow, they need to be transplanted into larger pots. If the lavender is crowded, it will simply stop developing. Transplanting into a pot "for growth" canHow to Grow Lavender Anywhere - Even Indoors / Good Housekeeping spend every spring. The recommendations remain the same - holes at the bottom of the pot and a layer of drainage, and the soil is the same as for sowing seeds.

Be very careful not to damage the roots. Remove the lavender along with the earthy clod from the old pot, transfer to a new container, if necessary, fill the empty space around the edges with soil and water the plant.

6. Trim and feed your lavender

Lavender loves a haircut - from her bush becomesHow to prune lavender – and the best time of year to do it / Homes & Gardens only thicker. As soon as she has 5 pairs of leaves, you can pinch off the top of her head - this will stimulate the appearance of side shoots.

A month later, you can feed the lavender for the first time. Any complex mineral fertilizer for seedlings, which is diluted with water according to the instructions on the package, is suitable. This procedure costs7 Easy Steps to Growing Lavender in Pots / Hort Zone spend every week. Remember that you need to water the plants with fertilizer only on wet soil, otherwise there is a risk of simply burning the roots.

With proper care in the first year, lavender will actively grow leaves and turn into a beautiful bush. And already on the second, it will delight you with its fragrant flowering.