Caring for english lavender

How to Grow and Care for English Lavender

David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. He was in the nursery business for over a decade, working with a large variety of plants. David has been interviewed by numerous newspapers and national U.S. magazines, such as Woman's World and American Way.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 01/06/22

Reviewed by

Debra LaGattuta

Reviewed by Debra LaGattuta

Debra LaGattuta is a gardening expert with three decades of experience in perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. She is a Master Gardener and lead gardener in a Plant-A-Row, which is a program that offers thousands of pounds of organically-grown vegetables to local food banks. Debra is a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

The Spruce / Phoebe Cheong

In This Article

Care
Types
Pruning
Propagating
Overwintering
Common Diseases
Common Problems
Frequently Asked Questions

English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), with its aromatic leaves and sweetly fragrant flower spikes, is often considered an herb. But it is actually an herbaceous perennial with a semi-woody growth habit. It's often grown to dry its leaves and flowers to make sachets and potpourri, and for its oils used in sleep aromatherapy. It is also an attractive garden plant with vibrant purple flowers appearing in late spring to early summer.

Lavender is best started with small plants planted in the spring with a spacing of one to three feet apart. This plant typically grows to two to three feet tall, with narrow, gray-green leaves (a little over two inches long) on square stems. In warmer climates, the leaves might be evergreen. During the warm growing season, It has a moderately slow growth rate as its woody base gradually expands and new stem growth extends several inches . This aromatic plant repels deer, it is known to repel cats, but it is toxic to pets.

Common Name	English lavender, true lavender, common lavender
Botanical Name	Lavandula angustifolia
Family	Lamiaceae (mint)
Plant Type	Herbaceous flowering perennial
Mature Size	2-3 ft. tall, 2-4 ft. wide
Sun Exposure	Full sun
Soil Type	Sandy, gritty, dry to medium, well-drained
Soil pH	Neutral (6. 7 to 7.3)
Bloom Time	Midsummer
Flower Color	Dark or light purple is most common, but hybrid colors also available in lavender, violet-blue, white, and pink
Hardiness Zones	5-8 (USDA)
Native Area	Mediterranean
Toxicity	Toxic to animals

Watch Now: How to Prune Lavender Plants

English Lavender Care

English lavender provides good mid-summer color to the garden and is often used in perennial borders and rock gardens as well as in herb gardens and scent gardens. Its intermediate height makes it just about right for the middle row in a decorative border comprised of shorter annual flowers in the front and taller shrubs or trees in the back. It also works well when massed and is sometimes used as a low hedge.

The Spruce / Phoebe Cheong The Spruce / Adrienne Legault The Spruce / Phoebe Cheong

Light

Grow English lavender in full sun. Shady locations usually cause the plant to become leggy produce fewer blooms. In very hot climates, though, the plants respond well to some shade in the heat of the afternoon.

Soil

English lavender must be planted in a relatively sandy or gritty but very well-draining soil. Very humusy, damp soils frequently cause root rot. Strive for a soil similar to its native Mediterranean region, where the soil is dry and infertile. Adding organic material to the soil is not only unnecessary but might cause problems.

Water

Young plants should be watered once every other day for the first week. Once established, they are quite drought-tolerant and don't like too much water, which could inhibit their ability to bloom. Water mature plants about once per week or so based on your climate, increasing the frequency to about every four days after flower buds form to promote a healthy harvest.

Temperature and Humidity

These plants grow best in conditions that are warm but not oppressively hot. They prefer relatively dry climates and respond poorly to high humidity.

Fertilizer

Feeding is usually not necessary with English lavender. Fertilizing English lavender may inhibit its ability to flower.

Types of English Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' is a very popular and fragrant shorter variety (about 20 inches tall) with a mounded growth habit and dark purple flower spikes.
Lavandula x intermedia 'Hidcote Giant' is a larger version with long stems, achieving a height of 36 to 40 inches with very fragrant bright violet flower spikes.
L. angustifolia 'Munstead' is a slow-growing mounding variety 18 inches tall with rosy-purple flower spikes.
L. angustifolia 'Sarah' is a 12-inch-tall compact cultivar with medium purple flowers that are ideal for containers.
L. angustifolia 'Jean Davis' is a small, slow-growing variety with light-pink flowers that grows to about 18 inches tall.

Pruning

Remove faded flower stalks to promote continued bloom. You can prune to shape in spring after new stems and leaves appear. A light pruning again in late summer or early fall before the first frost encourages good air circulation, which guards against rot. So if you have the time, pruning twice a year can be beneficial for your plant. English lavender typically blooms only once per season, but some varieties might send up a second flush of blooms after pruning.

Once the plants are well established, in their second season and beyond, it's usually best to prune the new spring growth after the plants leaf out, cutting about one-third of the green stalks. Never cut into the old woody stems. Shearing the plants to about eight inches from the ground in early spring every three years or so helps to control the plants' size and promotes new growth.

You can also dry English lavender that you have pruned to make your own sachets and potpourris. To do this, harvest the flowers just as they open and then hang bunches upside down by the stems to dry in a cool dark room with plenty of ventilation.

Propagating English Lavender

Lavender is much easier to propagate through stem cuttings than by the challenge of growing plants from seed. Take these easy steps to propagate lavender plants:

Use a clean and sharp tool to cut six-inch-long shoots that do not have a flower or bud. Remove the lower leaves.
Dip the cut ends into rooting hormone.
Plant cuttings in a pot filled with potting soil or sand.
Keep the cuttings in a part-shade location and water frequently until they are well rooted (in about three weeks) for planting outdoors or in an indoor container.

Overwintering

English lavender might not survive through the winter if the soil is too wet or if temperatures dip well below zero degrees Fahrenheit without protective snow cover or mulch. At the cooler northern edge of its hardiness range, these plants should be protected over winter with a thick layer of mulch until spring. To combat issues with high humidity levels, mulch them with rock or gravel rather than organic mulch.

Common Plant Diseases

English lavender is not affected by many diseases. However, it is susceptible to leaf spot and root rot. Remove affected leaves succumbing to leaf spot. Plants with leaf spot might require better air circulation. To prevent root rot, do not overwater your plants; they do not do well in constantly moist soil.

Common Problems With English Lavender

English lavender is not a high maintenance plant, but there are a few environmental issues that can reduce or prevent flowering. If you notice your plants are producing more foliage than blooms in late June and early July, the following issues might be the cause:

Soil is too fertile
Plants are overfertilized
Plants receive Insufficient sunlight, too much shade
Soil pH is too low (acidic)
Plants are overwatered; soil does not drain well
Humidity levels are too high

FAQ

It's very easy to maintain if the plant is growing in the right conditions: medium to dry infertile soil in full sun. It dislikes fertile soil, humidity, soggy soil, and overly hot conditions.
It has a moderately slow growth rate. Prune new growth in the spring to maintain a rounded shape; do not prune its woody stems.
The French variety of lavender (Lavandula stoechas) prefers a warmer climate and is not as cold-hardy as its English cousin. It is also somewhat more sensitive and less durable than English lavender. Because nursery labeling is sometimes inaccurate, make sure you are buying true English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), especially if you live in the colder zones of its hardiness range.
English lavender is typically grown outdoors, but it can thrive when potted indoors if the plant is given a minimum of four to six hours of bright, direct sunlight each day. It also prefers low-humidity environments with consistent, moderate temperatures.

Article Sources

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

“Lavender.” ASPCA.
“Lavandula Angustifolia - Plant Finder.”
Lavandula angustifolia. Missouri Botanical Garden

English lavender – planting, pruning & care for this lordly garden nobility

English lavender is the quintessential lavender variety. Grown and cultivated for its fragrance, today Old English lavender is a much sought-after ornament for the garden.

Essential English lavender facts

Name – Lavandula angustifolia
Family – Lamiaceae
Type – herb sub-shrub

Height – 2½ to 4 feet (60-90 cm)
Exposure – full sun
Soil – ordinary, well-drained

Foliage – evergreen
Flowering – June to September (weather dependant)

The species name is angustifolia, a Latin word for “narrow leaf”. This demonstrates the specific trait that tells it apart from other lavenders: smooth, narrow leafage. Learn how to plant and care for English lavender and discover its many varieties.

Read also:

Lavender, a noble family among garden plants
Lavender health benefits
Confusing lavender names – English? French? Spanish?

How to plant English lavender

Planting English lavender in the ground

Choose a spot with a lot of light and excellent drainage.

Add organic material to the soil, but not so much that the soil stays soggy when watered.
Old English lavender responds poorly to humidity.
Avoid watering: mulching is a good way to lessen the level of humidity. Mulch could be either organic like wood chips or, better yet, inorganic like gravel.
Leave a space of 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) between each plant.

Although acid soils do not jeopardize its growth, it favors neutral to alkaline soil.

Exposure

Make sure you plant it in a part of the garden where it is exposed to the sun.

If in a very hot area, afternoon shade after a very hot and arid day is good for it.

If placed under the shade, it will grow tall but will produce less flowers.

Landscaping with English lavender

When left to grow wild, this lavender can grow as high as 1 or 2 yards (1 to 2 meters), but it is almost always trimmed into a nice, round mound.

Leaves have a silvery sheen and are from 1 to 2½ inches long, but only up to ¼th inch wide (2–6 centimeters long and 4–6 millimeters wide).

Flowers are produced on the topmost part of foot-long (30 cm) stalks. Each cluster is from ¾ to over 3 inches (2 to 8 cm) long!

Flowers bloom only once per year and last around 3-4 weeks. After this period of time, they turn to a gray-bronze hue as they slowly dry up.

Typical uses in landscaping

English lavender is in demand when it comes to landscaping perennial gardens, rock gardens or aroma gardens.

Both formal and wild, it serves well for edging along walkways, raised walls, or borders.

It goes great when planted as an individual standalone, and is stunning when planted en masse.

Its average height make it the perfect plant to put in between low, crawling plants and shrubs and trees.

English lavender propagation

Best way to propagate English lavender

Clearly, stem cuttings are the best way to propagate this plant. Just after pruning the shrub, plant woody trimmings in sandy soil mix. Many will sprout to become new plants!

Follow this guide to make cuttings from 6-inch long shoots (12 cm)
Cuttings ensures you reproduce the original plant

Other ways to multiply Old English lavender

Clump division and seeds are also effective.

With clump division, at most two or three plants can be obtained. Each will grow identical to the mother plant.

With seeds, many new plants will appear. Each will be slightly different due to cross pollination. They might even be hybrids like Lavandin.

Water the young plants thoroughly and regularly. Do so only rarely when they are older.

Proper care for English lavender

Watering English lavender

Apart from once or twice upon planting, there is no need to water English lavender.

Only in case of extreme drought should the plant be given a little water.
When growing Old English in a pot, water when the soil is dry deep down.
There is no need to add fertilizer, except in pots.

It tolerates drought and is thus famous for its ability to need minimal water for survival.

Pruning and trimming English lavender

Here is a video on how to prune English lavender. The technique is the same for all varieties of lavender.

After blooming, thin the shrub by trimming or pruning it to 8 inches (20 cm) above the ground during fall.

Old English lavender benefits

Uses and benefits of home-grown English lavender

On one hand, it is famous for its aroma or scent. You can smell a relaxing fragrance when the leaves and flowers are crushed or brushed into. For this, it is usually harvested, dried and conserved in sachets and potpourris.

On the other hand, the vibrant blue-purple flowers illuminate the garden. They sway along the summer breeze attracting buzzing bees and fluttering butterflies. With the many available cultivars, flower colors are also available in lavender, violet blue or white pink. Plant lots of them so you needn’t choose between using and admiring it!

Here are a few manners in which English lavender is used:

Flavor for cordials or liquor drinks
Flavoring for cooking (like dried meat sausages) and grilling herbs
Aromatherapy to easily sleep
Herbal medicine and herbal tea
Essential oil as a relaxant and for massage therapy
Lotions, soap, eye pillows
Against clothing moths (dried and put in sachets, potpourri, and English lavender wands)

How to harvest English lavender

It is good to harvest when flowers are just starting to open. Any later and the individual flowers would usually fall off the stalk upon drying.

Tie the stalks and make bunches that are easy to grasp.
Hang them in a dry and dark well-ventilated room.

Types & varieties of English lavender

Hundreds of varieties

There are nearly two hundred varieties and cultivars of English lavender.

On top of the type species, plain Lavandula angustifolia, the most famous (and easily found in garden stores) are the following:

L. angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ – a low-growing variety, about 20 inches (50cm) with a mounded growth habit. Also comes in pink with the ‘Hidcote Pink’ variety.
L. angustifolia ‘Hidcote Giant’ – a much larger version, achieving heights of 36 to 40 inches (90 to 100 cm)
L. angustifolia ‘Munstead’ – a short, 12-inch-tall (30cm) variety with flowers that are a deep violet color, strong fragrance
L. angustifolia ‘Sarah’ – grows 6 to 24 inches (15 to 60 cm) tall. Cultivar with violet flowers
L. angustifolia ‘Jean Davis’ – wonderful light-pink flowers, grows to 20 or 24 inches (50-60 cm)
L. angustifolia ‘Imperial Gem’ – summer blooming, narrow silver-green leaves
L. angustifolia ‘Loddon pink’ – tight shape and pale pink flowers
L. angustifolia ‘Twickle purple’ – long violet flowers, neatly staged
L. angustifolia ‘Arctic Snow’ – one of the white lavenders, wonderful white blooming
L. angustifolia ‘Rosea’ – wonderful, clear pink variety
L. angustifolia ‘Little Lady’ – (also called ‘Batlad’) light blue flowers in late summer
L. angustifolia ‘Melissa lilac’ – soft lilac color once opened, dark violet while still closed
L. angustifolia ‘Platinum blond’ – leaves are what stand out here, they have ivory-colored rims

Hybrids called “Lavandin”

Additionally, since English lavender is one of the most common lavenders, it is often cross-pollinated with other species to produce interesting offspring. These are generically called “Lavandin”.

Here are the two nice English lavender hybrids:

L. × intermedia ‘Nana Alba’ – also white-blooming, dwarf variety. Its larger parent, ‘Alba’, is also widespread.
L. × intermedia ‘Edelweiss’ – white blooming and nicely mounding shrub

Learn more about Old English Lavender

English lavender, with scientific name Lavandula angustifolia, is also called simply “common lavender” or “true lavender“.

This garden lavender is part of the mint family. It is considered an herb, but is in fact an herbaceous perennial. This means that exposed parts wither and die during cold winters. In spring and summer it regrows from the roots and other underground parts that survive.

It is so beautiful and fragrant that it is known as “the queen of herbs” for herb gardens.

Interestingly, English lavender is native to the Mediterranean (Spain, Italy, France and Croatia) and not at all to England. Simply, Englishmen were among the first to make widespread use of it in gardens as an ornamental plant. Today, however, many seek to compare English, French and Spanish lavender to see which fits them best.

As a testimony to its medicinal properties, it was called as Lavandula officinalis in the past. It still boasts many health benefits which are easily accessible to all.

Lavender health benefits for the home

Among its other interesting properties:

It has a low flammability and low risk of catching fire.
This means they are suitable for planting even in building fire protection buffer zones.
Countries and counties where risk of fire is high include it in their “good to plant near vulnerable areas” list. The Tasmanian fire authority is an example of this.

Pests and diseases on English lavender

Disease is the only challenge when caring for Lavandula angustifolia. Although its flowers feed butterflies like large white, you won’t see any caterpillars chewing on its leaves.

Root rot

Roots rotting is the most common problem with this plant.

it happens when soil is not well-drained
and/or not protected with mulch when temperatures drop below freezing.

Ensure excellent drainage upon planting and mulch with mineral mulch.

Mineral mulch like shale mulch or expanded clay pebbles will keep warmth in.
The mineral mulch won’t attract excess moisture, as plant-based mulches would.
Soil will remain alkaline, too.

Leaf spot

English lavender is one of the Septoria host plants.

All you need to know about Septoria leaf spot.
This is very rare, though.

Pest resistance

Rabbits and deer avoid English lavender. The strong-tasting compounds in leaves and flowers make it their last choice for a snack.

English lavender: planting and care, photo

English (narrow-leaved) lavender is a herbaceous flowering shrub. Gardeners appreciate it for its fluffy purple ears and aroma. Also, the flowers of the plant are often used in the manufacture of sachets and cosmetics. By the way, lavender blooms in spring, but retains a beautiful appearance until autumn.

Description of lavender

English lavender belongs to the family of herbaceous plants. The bush reaches a height of 30–60 cm, and a width of 1 m. The length of its taproot, fibrous root is 2 m. There are many shoots on the plant, the flowers on them are narrow, light or dark purple. Lavender is unpretentious in care and can withstand frost.

Source: Depositphotos

Lavender blooms from mid-June to late July

Initially, there was only one plant variety. The color of the buds stood out so much from others that it was given a personal name - "lavender".

Gardeners in Russia prefer English lavender to French lavender. This is due to the fact that English lavender is more winter-hardy and suffers less from temperature changes in the middle zone. In addition, the aroma of French lavender is inferior to English (narrow-leaved).

French lavender or broadleaf lavender with incredible butterfly-shaped petals

Read about French lavender here.

English lavender varieties

Hidcote pink . The plant has pink flowers and grows up to 50 cm.

Hidcote . The flowers of the shrub are purple, and the stems are silver. A dense cushion of inflorescences is formed from numerous stems. The plant reaches a height of 50 cm.

Munstead . Lavender flowers, succulent and green stems. The plant reaches a height of half a meter.

Nana alba . The variety is unusual in that its flowers are white. Lavender is small - only 30 cm in height.

Rosea . The shrub has pink flowers and green leaves. Plant height no more than 50 cm.

Vera . The second unusual variety is its pale blue flowers. In addition, the shrub can reach a height of 1 m.

Southerner . The flowers of the plant of this variety are dark purple, the leaves are green-blue and very narrow.

Any variety of lavender is grown on alpine lawns, common flower beds and individual plots. They can also be grown outdoors or in pots.

Planting English lavender

In the open field, the plant propagates easily on its own. To grow lavender at home, you can use a mixture of sand and peat. Or buy a ready-made substrate from a gardening store. It is better to plant grown seedlings in open ground.

3 cultivation methods are used:

Propagation by seeds

Initially the seeds must be stratified. Put them on a damp cloth or napkin and refrigerate for two months. The temperature should not exceed +5 °C. During stratification, it is necessary to periodically ventilate the seeds so that they do not become moldy. And remember - the seeds should always be wet. After that, you need to prepare a container for grown seedlings.

First create soil: mix humus and river sand. And to remove lumps from the resulting soil, bake it in the oven at 120 ° C. The container for seedlings should be spacious so that the roots have enough room to develop. At the bottom of this container, put small pebbles. Scatter English lavender seeds on the surface of the substrate and cover with a layer of sand. Lastly, you need to create a greenhouse effect - spray the planting with water and cover with a film.

Source: Depositphotos

It is noteworthy that all parts of lavender have a pleasant smell.

The plant loves warmth and is not afraid of direct sunlight. You can plant a plant in open ground already at the end of spring. Before planting, dig the soil to a depth of 20 cm. When the lavender stops blooming, prune back a little. First you need to create conditions for the cuttings so that they have roots. Place the cut cuttings with internodes in damp sand and water them regularly for two weeks, but with a small amount of water. Then plant in open ground.

Propagation by layering

This method is best for propagating lavender in spring. Select a lignified lavender branch and cut a little in the middle. Do this with a sharp knife so as not to cause further harm to the plant. Place this branch in the ground so that the incised place is under the surface of the soil, sprinkle with earth on top. After two weeks, check whether the layering has given roots or not. If you have given enough roots, then carefully separate the seedling from the main plant and plant it in the selected area.

Conditions for lavender

The most important thing in planting lavender is choosing a place. The plant prefers open and well-lit places. At the same time, it is able to endure partial shade, but then do not expect abundant and long flowering.

It is also worth considering that the roots of the plant do not react well to wet soil. Therefore, wetlands and places with high groundwater are not suitable for lavender. If you do not have the opportunity, create a hill and plant the plant already on it. Do not forget about the drainage layer - it will save the planting from water.

In addition, lavender reacts sharply to the structure of the soil and its acidity - it needs loose earth with a neutral level of acidity. To be safe, you can add wood ash and lime to the soil before planting to reduce acidity; and make regular compost to loosen the soil.

Sowing seeds in the ground

Sowing lavender before winter is carried out around October. Seeds do not need deepening, but very much in soil mulching. The first shoots will appear in May-June.

If you want to sow seeds in the spring, the month of May is the right time. But first, make sure the night frost is behind you.

Lavender Care

Pruning is not as important to lavender as it is to you. With it, you will form beautiful bushes. Spend the first pruning when spikelets-inflorescences wither. You need to shorten the shoots literally by 2-3 cm. The second pruning should be started at the end of summer - the beginning of autumn, but already more drastic. At the same time, be careful - if you overdo it, the bush will die. When pruning for the winter, the lignified parts of the lavender are not touched: they are prone to cracking when damaged and grow poorly. For grassy shoots, about 3 cm is left. This length reduces the risk of damage from strong winds or snow.

Plants older than 8 years old, which have lost their decorative appearance, sometimes carry out an extreme haircut - almost all of the above-ground part is removed. In spring, lavender either sprouts or dies. The missing bushes are removed, and those that could survive continue to delight with their flowers.

As a fertilizer, lavender responds well to mineral supplements. Apply them at the beginning of flowering. Concentration - 2 tbsp. l. for 1 bucket of water. Pour the bushes around the perimeter with the resulting liquid.

Collection of raw materials

The aerial part of the plant must be collected during its mass flowering - when 50% of the flowers bloom. During this period, the aroma and color of lavender is the most intense. Inflorescences should be cut to a length of 10-12 cm and hung to dry in a warm, well-ventilated and shaded place. To make lavender oil, flower shoots are cut during the day, immediately after mass flowering. After a week, the concentration of the beneficial substance gradually decreases.

Lavender fields delight the eye with their color and unforgettable aroma

Useful properties of lavender

removal of anxiety and irritability, normalization of the nervous system;
reduced levels of stress hormones;
sleep normalization;
lowering blood pressure;
improve blood circulation;
stimulation of digestive processes;
elimination of edema and inflammation;
disinfection;
neutralization of toothache;
relieve muscle tension;
skin hydration.

The flowers of the plant are of the highest value. They need to be collected along with shoots and leaves.

Uses

Add lavender oil to therapeutic baths and aroma lamps to improve sleep. For bruises and burns, include it in the composition of therapeutic compresses.

Ways to use lavender in cosmetics:

rinse hair with infusion to get rid of dandruff;
add oil to masks for hair growth;
treat inflammation and acne locally on the skin;
wipe your face with a mixture of lavender and base oil to heal acne marks, normalize the sebaceous glands.

In high doses, the oil causes dizziness and drowsiness, so take the medicine only in the indicated dosage. And first check the remedy for allergic reactions. It is necessary to completely abandon lavender-based products during pregnancy or taking drugs with iron and iodine.

Strong lavender scent repels mosquitoes, bed bugs and moths. Arrange dry shoots in cupboards to protect against insects

Take lavender tea at an increased level of stress to prevent depression and neurosis. The drink promotes the digestive process and will help to cope with insomnia if you drink it before bed. If you have a cold, add some honey to it.

Lavender infusion is effective against migraines, headaches, indigestion and spasms. In addition, the drug has a diuretic and choleretic effect. During the day, drink 1 glass of infusion in several doses.

In cooking, a dry plant is used as a spice for fish and meat dishes. It goes well with sage and thyme.

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photos and advice from experienced gardeners

If you want peace, tranquility and kind warmth to reign in your home, and your soul to always be light and joyful, plant lavender in your garden.

This beautiful flowering ornamental shrub occupies the first place in the medicinal fragrance gardens, which are so widespread in Western Europe and East Asia.

Its unusual smell pacifies, soothes and evokes the most positive emotions even in very irritable people.

Lavender flowers are used in folk and traditional medicine to treat a number of diseases (read more about this below).

Lavender is cultivated today by many amateur gardeners. This beautiful plant takes root well in a new place and requires the most minimal care.

In this article we will tell you in detail about lavender and how it is planted and cared for.

FEATURES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

Biological portrait . Lavender is a perennial evergreen multi-stemmed subshrub belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Plant height does not exceed 60 cm.

The lower branches are lignified and strongly branched. They form multiple young shoots with strong silvery pubescence. Thin villi are also covered with oblong narrow leaves with curled edges, 4–6 cm long.

The root of lavender is taproot, rather deep into the soil, and fibrous on top.

Bluish-violet flowers are collected in spike-shaped inflorescences. It is they who emit a very strong and surprisingly delicate bitter-wormwood aroma. In some types of lavender, the flowers may be white or creamy yellow.

Most species are thermophilic and will not grow in our climate. Only English lavender is highly frost-resistant (up to -30 degrees). In the garden in one place, lavender bushes can grow up to 40 years if they are pruned correctly.

USEFUL PROPERTIES OF LAVENDER

Lavender has unique healing properties.

The presence of a large amount of antioxidants in the flowers and leaves of the plant helps to reduce stress hormones in the human body. Therefore, decoctions and teas from lavender can be used to treat insomnia, increased irritability, overwork, neuroses and vegetative-vascular dystonia.

You can simply inhale the aroma of flowers or lavender oil, and this will immediately bring a pleasant calm and relaxation.

The high content of various organic compounds and antioxidants helps to lower and stabilize blood pressure. Extracts from lavender improve blood supply, primarily to the brain and prevent the occurrence of heart attacks and strokes.

The presence of natural antibiotics in plant tissues allows the use of lavender decoction for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases (gastritis, ulcers, indigestion, intestinal inflammation, etc.).

Lavender oil perfectly heals festering wounds and treats various skin diseases.

Lavender is widely used in cosmetics for the manufacture of creams, lotions, perfumes and colognes.

Lavender baths not only calm the nervous system, but also rejuvenate the skin.

TYPES AND VARIETIES OF LAVENDER

There are several dozen types of lavender. The most common are narrow-leaved, serrated, broad-leaved, multi-notched .

But in our climate, only the most popular frost-resistant variety of angustifolia lavender, lavender, can be grown English .

It thrives both outdoors and indoors when grown in a pot.

English lavender is a short shrub (35 - 60 cm high) with many branched stems (one bush can form up to 400 vertical stems).

English lavender stems and leaves covered with silvery hairs.

According to experts, the best variety of English lavender is Munstead .

Its leaves are bright green with a silver down. The inflorescences are very large. They rise above the stem and look like bright blue candles with a purple tint. The aroma of flowers is very strong, and at the same time subtle and delicate.

English Lavender Munstead starts in the first ten days of June and continues until the end of August. It is this variety, as the most decorative, that landscape designers most often use in their compositions.

LAVENDER: PLANTING AND CARE

We have told you about the biological characteristics and types of lavender. Now let's look at how to properly plant and care for lavender in the open field and at home.

PLANTING LAVENDER IN OUTDOOR GROUND

Site selection. Lavender is a light-loving plant, so you need to choose an open, well-lit area for it.

Lavender does not tolerate close groundwater, so it should be planted in beds or flowerbeds 40 - 50 cm high.

Soils. Lavender loves loose, light, fertile, well-drained soils with a neutral reaction environment.

It will not grow on heavy clay and acid soil.

Acid soil must first be neutralized with dolomite flour, bringing it in for digging (at the rate of 5 kg per 6 sq. m of plot).

Acidic earth, usually heavy, clayey. Therefore, two weeks after deoxidation, it is necessary to improve its structure by adding for re-digging (based on 1 sq. M): two buckets of compost and sand, a bucket of leafy soil and half a bucket of wood ash.

Landing dates. The best time for planting lavender seedlings in open ground is spring (early May). In autumn, seedlings can be planted from mid-September to early October.

Planting lavender. Form beds for planting lavender. Dig planting holes with a depth and diameter of 15 cm at a distance of 60 - 70 cm from each other. Row spacing at least 80 cm (remember that lavender bushes grow quickly).

Prepare potting soil with compost, sand and leafy soil. In each hole, add 1.5 tbsp. spoons of superphosphate, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of potassium sulfate and a glass of wood ash.

Plant the plants and cover them with the prepared planting mix.

Water the lavender seedlings with warm water (half a watering can under each) and mulch the bed with straw or freshly cut grass. The mulch layer will retain moisture in the soil and discourage weed growth.

GROWING LAVENDER FROM SEEDS

Growing lavender outdoors . Lavender seeds have almost one hundred percent germination. Therefore, it can also be grown from seed.

It is best to use the seedling method. To do this, in early March, soak the seeds and sow them in plastic glasses or peat pots with a diameter of 15 cm, two seeds each. This will help you avoid the picking required when growing in boxes.

Pour well with lukewarm water and place the seed containers on the tray. Cover with a film on top and put in a warm room with an air temperature of + 22 ... + 25 degrees.

After 16 - 18 days, seedlings will emerge. Then put the pallet on the window, after removing the film. Install fluorescent lamps above the crops in order to illuminate the seedlings in the morning and evening hours. Young plants need 16 hours of daylight for normal growth.

Water twice a week so that all the soil in the glass is moist, but the water does not stand on the surface of the soil, otherwise the roots of the plants will begin to rot without oxygen.

Feed with some kind of ready-made fertilizer for growing seedlings of flowers (at the dosages indicated on the package).

Two weeks before planting lavender seedlings in the open ground, start hardening it on the balcony during the daytime.

Plant seedlings in open ground as described above.

Winter sowing. Lavender seeds germinate very well even after winter sowing. It is carried out when the air temperature drops to +1 ... +3 degrees.

Make furrows 10 - 12 cm deep in the bed and sow dry seeds there at a distance of 10 cm from each other. Before sowing, pour dry river sand into the bottom of the grooves with a layer of 4 cm, and spread the dry seeds on it.

Top them with nutrient mixture prepared in the same way as for planting seedlings.

Never water! Otherwise, the seeds will hatch and will surely die in winter.

When the temperature drops below -8…-10 degrees, cover the beds with sowing with spruce branches.

Growing lavender at home . With this cultivation, first stratify by mixing lavender seeds with sand and placing them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 1.5 months. After that, sow them in the same way as for growing seedlings.

Only use pots for planting in which lavender will grow at home.

LAVENDER CARE

Lavender watering. Fast growing lavender plants need plenty of moisture to grow well and bloom profusely.

In addition, remember that this plant has a very strong root system, so when watering, you need to wet the entire root layer. Water the lavender abundantly, but do not allow waterlogging when puddles form on the surface of the soil.

Water 2 times a week at the rate of 2 - 3 watering cans per plant. In the heat, increase the frequency of watering.

Loosening and mulching. After each watering, lavender bushes should be planted high so that they form adventitious roots faster and the plant grows well.

Loosen all the soil under the lavender bushes well to give access to oxygen to the root system.

After hilling the ground under the bushes, mulch with hay or freshly cut grass so that water from the soil evaporates more slowly.

The mulch will also keep weeds from growing.

Lavender nutrition. In spring, lavender needs a good nitrogen supply so that young shoots develop faster and bloom earlier.

Therefore, immediately after the snow melts, feed the plants with a solution of urea (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water per plant).

Feed lavender with 1:10 slurry before flowering in June.

In September, after the end of flowering, feed the lavender bushes with some ready-made mineral complex for the autumn fertilization of ornamental shrubs. At the same time, strictly adhere to the dosage indicated on the package.

Lavender pruning in spring . Annually in the spring (at the end of April), carry out sanitary pruning of the bushes, removing all frozen, weak, diseased and old shoots.

In addition, shorten all long branches that extend beyond the general outline of the bush. This is especially important for lavender hedges, otherwise the hedge will look very messy.

Wintering. English lavender has high frost resistance (up to -30 degrees). However, young plantings are more sensitive to winter frosts. Therefore, in the first 3 years they are covered with spruce branches, tightly laying it on the plantings.

In areas with little snowy winters, cover old lavender plantings without fail. Pre-shorten the branches of the bushes by 7 - 10 cm (depending on the height of the bush).

In severe frosts, we recommend laying some agrofibre on top of the spruce branches, fastening it well along the edges so that the shelter is not blown away by the wind.

PESTS AND DISEASES

The strong scent of lavender generally repels pests.

However, with a strong thickening of plantings and the presence of a large number of weeds between them, aphid or slobbering penis.

To avoid this, weed well under the bushes and make sure that ants do not settle near the lavender plantings. After all, it is they who drag aphids onto cultivated plants.

If pests still appear on lavender bushes, spray them with Fufanon solution (strictly adhering to the dosages indicated on the package).

For the prevention of fungal diseases, in the spring, on a green cone, and before flowering, spray lavender bushes with a 3% Bordeaux mixture.

ADVICE FROM EXPERIENCED GARDENERS

Lavender does not tolerate transplanting well, so choose a permanent place in your garden for it right away. If such a need arose, dig bushes with a large clod of earth in order to preserve the overgrown root system of the plant as much as possible.

The distance between the lavender bushes in the flower bed should be equal to the height of an adult bush. When creating a lavender hedge, cut it in half.

Do not plant lavender plants in the shade.