Lavender's Growth Journey Echoes the Beauty of Love

Floral Fragrance

 Lavender TV Original Soundtrack

Xu Shaoyang 

00:00/04:28

Lavender is a flower that symbolizes love. Its flower spikes are slender and elegant, and when the flowering season arrives, it produces those small purple flowers that, seen from afar, form a sea of blossoms. It also has a unique fragrance and is often used to make perfume, or dried to make dried flowers for indoor decoration. Whether in color or scent, it is simply irresistible. Since that is the case, why not grow a pot of this plant at home!

I. Key Points for Propagating Lavender:

1. Sowing

Lavender is generally sown in spring. In warm regions, it can be done from March to June or September to November each year; in cold regions, sowing is best from April to June; in a greenhouse it can also be sown in winter. Germination takes about 14-21 days, with an optimum germination temperature of 18-24°C. After germination, adequate light is needed; weak light easily leads to leggy growth.

2. Cuttings

Lavender cuttings are generally taken in spring and autumn; softwood cuttings in summer are also possible. The rooting medium can be 2/3 coarse sand mixed with 1/3 peat moss. Under conditions of good drainage, maintained moisture, and a bed temperature of 20-24°C, roots form in about 40 days. Do not use terminal buds that have already produced inflorescences for cuttings, because flowering branches have already aged and will root poorly, affecting future growth.

3. Division

Lavender division can be done in both spring and autumn. Use 3-4 year old plants, and in spring from March to April, divide the old roots of mature plants, ensuring each division has a bud eye.

II. Cultivation Techniques for Lavender:

1. Soil

Suitable for slightly alkaline or neutral sandy soil. Particular attention must be paid to choosing a well-drained medium; you can use 1/3 perlite, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 peat moss mixed together. If cultivating in open ground, pay attention to soil drainage; you can pile the soil up into raised beds before planting.

2. Watering

Lavender does not like water standing around its roots for long periods. After one thorough watering, wait until the soil dries before watering again, aiming for the surface growing medium to be dry while the interior stays moist, and for the leaves to be slightly wilted. Water in the morning, avoiding sunlight, and do not splash water on the leaves or flowers, otherwise they easily rot and breed pests and diseases. A continuously wet environment prevents the roots from getting enough air to breathe, leading to poor growth or even sudden death of the whole plant; this is often where lavender cultivation fails.

3. Light

Lavender is a full-sun plant and needs plenty of sunlight and a moderately humid environment. A full-sun environment is best; partial sun will also allow growth, but flowering will be sparser. In summer, at least 50% of sunlight should be shaded out, and ventilation increased to lower the ambient temperature; although growth will weaken this way, the plant will not die. In winter, lavender grows well on flat ground and should be cultivated under full sun.

4. Temperature

Lavender is semi-heat-tolerant, prefers coolness, and likes warm winters and cool summers. The optimum growing temperature is 15-25°C, and it can grow at 5-30°C. Limiting temperature: above 35°C, and if long-term above 38-40°C, the upper stems and leaves turn yellow and dry. In northern winters, when temperatures stay below 0°C for long periods, it begins dormancy; during dormancy, mature plants can withstand low temperatures of -20 to -25°C.

5. Fertilizing

For fertilizing, bone meal can be placed in the potting soil as a base fertilizer (use once every three months). For seedlings, Hyponex No. 2 (20-20-20) can be applied; after the plant matures, apply a fertilizer higher in phosphorus, such as Hyponex No. 3 (10-30-20). Apply diluted fertilizer. Lavender should not be over-fertilized, otherwise the fragrance will become weaker.

6. Pruning

Lavender flowers have the richest essential oil content, and when using them, the flowers or inflorescences are the main part. To make harvesting easier, in the early cultivation stage some small inflorescences may as well be trimmed flat entirely with large scissors; the newly grown inflorescences will then be uniform in height, which helps with harvesting all at once. Some varieties can reach 90 cm in height; this method is also used to keep the plant low and promote more branching and flowering, increasing the harvest. After flowering, pruning must be carried out; the plant can be pruned back to 2/3 of its original size, which makes the plant form more compact and benefits growth. Prune during cool seasons such as spring and autumn; generally prune in spring, as pruning in autumn will affect cold hardiness. When pruning, be careful not to cut into the woody parts, so as to avoid weakening or killing the plant.

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