Techniques for growing lavender

Lavender is a kind of flower with a mild scent that is loved by young people. Many people still think that this flower is difficult to grow and care for, but in the right conditions lavender can grow quickly. You can easily plant yourself a gorgeous lavender pot from seeds to decorate your home.

Lavender (scientific name Lavandula angustifolia) is a type of plant belonging to Lamiaceae family, English name is lavender .Lavender originating from the Mediterranean region, is an annual shrub that usually has a characteristic purple color and a strong aroma. Since the Middle Ages, it has been used as a flavoring and herbal ingredient.In addition lavender essential oil also works to kill insects, damage, tranquilizers, antibacterial substances.

The immense purple and passionate aroma of lavender has become legendary. It appears very much in poetry, cinema, and literature. Lavender symbolizes passionate and faithful love.

Today lavender is grown in many places and is a common sight. However, in our country it is still very rare and to have a bunch of lavender is still a dream. Because the climate of our country is not suitable, it must be taken care of very carefully, and strictly follow the technique.

The vast purple of lavender fields

Techniques for growing lavender from seeds

Planting time

Lavender is a sun-tolerant and drought-resistant plant, not very moist . The climate is too moist or too hot in our country, the lavender is hard to grow well, requires careful care. Temperate countries often start sowing in the spring. In cold areas, sow in April - June, or in greenhouses in winter. Because our country is not too cold, in addition to north sowing in autumn, winter, Dalat, Sapa is sown all year round but avoid much rain. The south is very difficult to sow on the 11th - 12th occasion. The germination time of lavender is very long from 1-3 weeks, sometimes 1 month. Appropriate temperature 18 - 24 degrees Celsius, moderate light.

Planting techniques and flowers care

Due to a long period of sleep, the seed before planting should be soaked for 12 hours, and then soaked in gibberellin two hours before sowing. Ground leveling soil before planting, irrigation until water permeation, sowing seeds, and then covered with a good soil layer, 0.2cm thick, covered with grass or plastic film to keep the soil moist. Maintain a temperature of 15 to 25 ° C. If you do not have gibberellin, it can take up to a month to germinate. Less than 15 ° C can take 1 to 3 months of germination. The seedling stage must pay attention to watering but not too much, when lavender germinate 5-10cm, then plant it.

Lavender in pots

- Soil: suitable for sandy soil that is slightly alkaline or neutral. Note that drainage must be good, so make a high ground before planting.

- Watering: lavender does not like roots often keep water. Watering in the morning to avoid the sun, avoid breaking the leaf stamping easily causing damage and reproduction of pests and diseases.

- Light: is a light-loving tree, so it requires a lot of sunlight and an appropriate humidity environment. Should have at least 50% of the sun's light obscured in the summer, increase ventilation to reduce the most ambient temperature of our country.

- Temperature: the best growth temperature 15 to 25 ° C and from 5 ~ 30 ℃ can grow. Temperature limit: 35 ℃ higher than 38 ~ 40 ℃ top of the stem and leaves are yellow.

The characteristic purple color of lavender (source: internet)

- Fertilizing: Lavender is subject to harsh conditions, less need for nutrition. However to be effective. Fertilizing will be bone meal on the ground every three months. Seedlings fertilize (20-20 - 20), mature plants fertilize flowers (20-30 - 20).

- Pruning: after harvest or after 1 year, we prune lavender to allow plants to grow well in the next batch. Cold areas completely trimmed in winter, while in Vietnam, cut when flowers die.

Tips for having a beautiful lavender pot

1. If you put a flower pot near the window, when the plant flowers, you turn around every day so that the light can reach all sides equally, the flower pot will grow evenly and beautifully.
2. Repotting once a year, the back pot is about 3cm larger than the previous one.Add soil for new pots.
3. After flowering and starting to die, cut off the flower stalk to stimulate the tillering tree and allow the flowers to continue.
4. You can use lavender to extract essential oils, or as ingredients for many dishes.

Some varieties of lavender

Lavender has about 39 genera (also known as varieties), most of them are drought-tolerant and heat-resistant, do not like wet environments.

The typical climate of our country is humid monsoon tropical climate, so lavender flowers are cultivated from very little germinated imported seeds, need to have careful care techniques.

However, in the past few years, the gardeners, the Da Lat Biological Research Institute have propagated the lavender varieties originating from England and France, suitable for the climate of the North of our country.

1. English Lavender (nomenclature: Lavendula Angustifolia)

This is the most popular lavender variety with narrow, short, curved stems, oval flowers.

Flowers have a sweet scent, often used as cosmetics as well as different flavors, have a gentle effect of relieving stress, relaxation, mental balance, and cure headaches, fatigue.

In addition, dried flowers can be used in recipes and decorative materials. The famous species in this genus are: Lodden Blue, Royal Velvet, Melissa, Sachet, Sharon Roberts, Mitcham Gray.

2. Lavadins (nomenclature: Lavendula Intermediate)

This is the Lavender genus bred between English Lavender and Spike Lavender. Lavadins is famous for its beautiful flowers, fresh colors and long-lasting scents, which are often used in handicrafts and herbs.

Lavadins is used to produce many essential oils by the amount of oil more than English Lavender. Lavadins is grown most in France.

It is worth noting that, the flower seeds of this variety do not germinate, so Lavadins is grown mainly by cuttings. Typical species of the genus such as: Dutch Mill, Fred Boutin, Provence, Seal, White Spike, Grosso, Hidcote Giant.

3. Spanish Lavender (nomenclature: Lavendula Stoechas)

This flower has a tall stem, strange purple flowers, pine cones, straight petals. This genus is native to the Mediterranean and North Africa, is the most suitable option for humid climates.

Spanish Lavender is not suitable for cuisine but is a great choice to decorate your home or garden. The two most famous species of this genus are Otto Quast, Dark Eyes.

You are the one who loves flowers! So why don't you plant lavender yourself at home to get this legendary, beautiful and strange flower? Or try to apply the above experience to have really special bouquets of flowers for your loved ones, wish you success.