How to Grow Lavender: Planting Time, Methods and Precautions
When it comes to lavender, many people are sure to feel a sense of happiness; its purple petals make it seem romantic and beautiful. The reason lavender is so popular nowadays is indeed inseparable from its appearance. Lavender has high value; besides being ornamental, it can also be eaten and used for beauty, so many people now want to grow it.
How to Grow Lavender (Which Month to Plant)
Lavender can be cultivated by sowing seeds or by cuttings. Sowing can be done in spring (March to June) or autumn (September to November) each year, and germination takes about 15 days. If you buy a potted plant that is already grown from a flower shop, you can also propagate it yourself by cuttings; you can choose a terminal bud (about 5 cm to 10 cm), remove the leaves from the bottom 2 nodes, soak it in water for 2 hours, and then insert it into the soil, and it will root in about 2 to 3 weeks. The cutting medium can be 2/3 coarse sand mixed with 1/3 peat moss.
Lavender Planting Methods
1. Sowing method: generally, for slightly larger seeds (such as lavender and sage), you can spot-sow 2 to 3 seeds per container, and after germination keep one stronger seedling according to how the seedlings are growing; for very small seeds (such as marjoram), you can broadcast sow, dip your hand in some seeds, and gently scatter them on the soil, then thin the seedlings after germination. Keep 1 to 3 seedlings as appropriate.
2. Seed covering with soil: the thickness of the soil covering the seeds depends on the seed size, generally 2 to 3 times the seed diameter; for very small seeds the soil should be thinner, while lavender seeds are large so they can be covered with thicker soil; some seeds are strongly phototropic and do not need to be covered with soil (such as lemon balm and rosemary).
3. Watering: lavender does not like water remaining around its roots for long. After one thorough watering, you should give water again only when the soil is dry, aiming for the surface growing medium to be dry and the interior moist, with the leaves slightly wilted as the main indicator. Water in the morning, avoid sunlight, and do not splash water on the leaves or flowers, otherwise they rot easily and pests and diseases are encouraged. A continuously humid environment prevents the roots from getting enough air to breathe, leading to poor growth and even sudden death of the whole plant; this is often where lavender cultivation fails.
Precautions for Growing Lavender
1. For newly planted seedlings and perennial plants, remove the soil and expose the plants at the end of May of the following year, and water when the temperature rises, so as to water the key water for the seedlings to establish roots and for the old plants to turn green again. One week after watering, loosen the soil to conserve moisture and raise the temperature; for old plant fields, apply 19 kg urea, 15 kg superphosphate and 30 kg oil residue per 667 sq m, spread between the rows and turn over deeply by hand. This serves to fertilize, loosen the soil, conserve moisture and raise the temperature, which is good for lavender's spring regrowth.
2. For plots with newly planted seedlings, water well for root establishment, water 4 to 5 times a year, and cultivate and weed in time. Flower buds that appear on the seedlings before June 20 should be removed in time to promote the plant to produce more branches, laying the foundation for forming yield in autumn of that year and for high yield the following year; for old plant plots, keep the field free of weeds, water well for budding in early May, and water well for flowering in June.
Prevention and Control of Lavender Pests and Diseases
1. Lavender leaf spot: the control method is mainly spraying Bordeaux mixture at 1:200 for 2 to 3 preventive applications, or zineb at 500 to 800 times dilution. Red spider mite
2. Lavender red spider mite: its control methods mainly include timely treatment of dead branches and fallen leaves, and cleaning the environment to destroy the places where spider mites live; proper cultivation methods, reasonable crop rotation, and strengthened water and fertilizer management; protecting natural enemies and releasing natural enemies to control pests with pests. In addition, there are control methods: in the early stage of disease occurrence, evenly spray 0.26% matrine at 1000 times dilution; when it occurs over a large area, evenly spray 20% dicofol emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 to 2000 times dilution, or 1.8% abamectin emulsifiable concentrate at 3000 to 4000 times dilution, and the control effect is relatively good.
When planting lavender, you must understand its growth habits and then choose a suitable time for planting. In the later stage of planting, management should be strengthened, especially in terms of fertilizer, water and pests and diseases. Only by doing these things well can lavender grow healthily.