How to plant and care for lavender outdoors

When to plant lavender

In January-February you can sow lavender seeds at home or propagate it by cuttings in order to get strong seedlings by the end of May and move it to open ground. Or you can do it easier and buy ready-made bushes in pots. In this case, lavender can be planted on the site from May to October.

How to choose a lavender seedling

Before buying, it is important to determine the type of plant. There are three main varieties of lavender to grow in the garden. Narrow-leaved, or English, forms compact bushes with a diameter of no more than a meter with fragrant flowers of different colors - from rich purple to pale lilac. This species is frost-resistant, so it is planted in most regions.

But broad-leaved, French, lavender needs a warm southern climate. In the middle lane, even under cover, it may not overwinter. This species has taller bushes - up to 1.5 m. Flowers can be blue, purple, pink, white and resemble a pineapple in shape.

Scalloped lavender can be distinguished by its leaves, which come with carved edges or white edging. Bushes grow up to 1.5 m in diameter, and the inflorescences have a blue-violet hue.

How to prepare a flower bed for growing lavender

Find the sunniest spot in your garden. It is important that water does not stagnate in this area after the snow melts or rains - lavender does not like excess moisture. For 1 m² of flower beds, add 5 liters of compost, and if the soil is heavy, add 5 liters of sand. Carefully dig the soil onto the bayonet of a shovel, breaking up earthen clods.

How to plant lavender

Put on gloves, take a shovel and follow the simple instructions.

Make a hole

It should be about 10 cm deeper than the height of the seedling pot and 10-15 cm wider than its diameter. If you are planting several lavender bushes, keep a distance of 50 to 100 cm between them. At the bottom of the landing pit, you can put 5–10 cm of river sand or expanded clay so that moisture does not stagnate. Pour plenty of water over the dug hole and wait until it is completely absorbed.

plant lavender

Carefully remove the seedling from the pot, being careful not to damage the roots. Place it in the planting hole and fill all voids with soil, compacting it well. Water the seedling generously with water.

How to care for lavender

Just a few steps for abundant fragrant flowering.

Water the lavender

This plant does not need regular watering and tolerates drought calmly. Humidify the flower bed only when the hot weather lasts too long. In this case, lavender is watered about twice a week.

Feed your lavender

As soon as the plant begins to produce buds, you need to water it under the root with a mineral complex fertilizer with a uniform distribution of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium - for example, 18: 18: 18. It is diluted and used according to the instructions on the package. Top dressing with such a tool is carried out every 10-15 days until the end of flowering.

In the autumn, after the lavender has completely faded, fertilizers without nitrogen content will be needed so that the bush stops growing green mass and begins to prepare for wintering. At this time, you can feed the plants with potassium monophosphate at the rate of 1 teaspoon of the product per 10 liters of water. Pour 0.5-1 liter of nutrient solution under the root of one plant.

But in the spring, nitrogen will be very helpful. As soon as the snow melts, feed the lavender with urea: dissolve 2 tablespoons in 10 liters of water. The consumption rate for one bush is about 5 liters.

cut lavender

After flowering, you need to cut off all flower stalks at the very base. And in the spring, as soon as you free the bushes from shelter, you need to give them a haircut. With sharp scissors or secateurs, cut off all the shoots, leaving about 10-15 cm, giving the lavender a ball shape. This procedure will provoke the growth of side shoots, and in summer the lavender bushes will become lush and stuffed.

How to winterize lavender

Even if you're growing hardy narrow-leaved lavender, it's best to play it safe and cover it in the fall. Before the onset of frost, cover each plant with fresh spruce branches.

In the spring, when the snow melts, the threat of severe frosts passes, and the air temperature is consistently positive, the shelter must be removed.