How to care for lavender

Part of the mint family, lavender is considered one of the most popular aromatic herbs.  Known for its purplish color, there are also species that bloom in white, pink and yellow-green. Lavender's rich scent and vibrant color make it an excellent choice to accent your garden.

There are many types of lavender. The most popular by far is English lavender. And English lavender itself comes in more than 40 varieties!

Read on to learn about how to care for lavender.

Growing lavender

It is recommended to start growing lavender indoors.  Ideally, the growth process should start about eight weeks after the last frost.  Place the seedlings in a window that gets a lot of sun.  Before the lavender begins to bloom, plant it in your yard. 

If you want to grow your lavender directly from your garden, you should plant the seeds early in the season.  Space the seedlings about two feet apart for the best results.  Covering the seeds with a light layer of soil, and the growing process is on its way.

Soil for lavender

Although most soils will produce perfectly good lavender, you should remember that the soil should be well drained.  The soil cannot be soggy when growing lavender as lavender doesn’t take well to excessive watering.  Adding compost is a good way to prevent the soggy soil as well as even out the pH levels. 

It is best for the lavender to grow in soil that is between 6.5 to 7.5 pH levels.  A good way to check to see if your soil is out of balance is to look for visible yellowed growth.

Lighting

For those beginners who are first learning how to care for lavender, lighting is one of the most important things to keep in mind. Full sunlight is the best for lavender.  Late afternoon shade is acceptable only in hot areas.  As a general rule, the less shade that lavender plants get, the better off they are in the end.

Watering

Lavender doesn’t require much watering, if at all.  These plants are very drought resistant once they are established.  When it is dry, it is okay to water it.  Remember to water lavender plants only after it has dried out.  Keep your environment in mind.  It should help you determine how much water your lavender needs as well as how often it is required.  Fertilizer is only required about once or twice a season.

Pruning

Lavender plants should be pruned every year after they bloom.  The flower stems that are usually bright green should be cut back.  Also, a third of the gray lavender leaves should be cut as well.  Try to avoid pruning back too far so that no leaves are showing.  This may cause the plant to die.

Harvesting

Once the flower of the lavender plants fully bloom and the color is vivid, it is time to start harvesting.  It is best to cut the flower stems in the morning after the dew has dried.  Remember that the lavender cools itself by releasing its fragrant oils.  Because of this, exposure to heat will produce less oil, and therefore less fragrance.

Growing lavender is not only fun, but worth-while as well.  With the various uses of lavender, there are several reasons to grow this incredible plant.  During the process, you’ll even have a fragrant yard!  It’s one of the many bonuses of growing this popular plant.