How to Grow Lavender? Detailed Explanation of Cultivation Methods and Techniques
Lavender, also known as lingxiangcao or fragrant herb, is a small shrub of the Lamiaceae family, Lavandula genus. Its appearance is graceful and elegant, making it suitable for planting in gardens or growing in pots for ornamental purposes. In addition, lavender has medicinal value; it can be used to make fragrances and extract essential oils, and is widely used across various industries. Every year, global demand for it is enormous, with significant economic benefits, and many people want to grow it but do not know how. Let us take a look at its cultivation methods below.
1. Seed Sowing Preparation
Lavender has several propagation methods, but for large-scale planting, seed sowing is generally used, with sowing time from March to June. Before sowing, the seeds should first undergo germination treatment. First, select seeds that are uniform in size, plump, and glossy on the surface, place them in warm water at about 40 degrees for 5-10 minutes, and after the water cools, continue soaking for 24 hours. After soaking, remove and air-dry them before sowing. When sowing, prepare a seedbed and mix a seedling substrate. The size of the seedbed depends on the scale of planting. The soil must be loose, because lavender seeds are small and have weak ability to push through soil; if the soil is too hard, seedling emergence will fail.
2. Sowing and Raising Seedlings
Evenly scatter the seeds on the seedbed, taking care to control the number of seeds. After sowing, spread a layer of fine soil 3-5 mm thick and water lightly so that the soil has a certain moisture. Do not water too much, to avoid the soil becoming too moist and breeding bacteria that damage the seeds. Under normal light conditions, control the temperature at around 22 degrees, and germination will occur in about 2-4 weeks. After germination, the seedlings need sufficient light duration; generally, maintain more than 8 hours of scattered light exposure per day. Seedlings are relatively fragile and susceptible to pests and diseases, so spray a very low concentration of carbendazim solution at intervals for prevention and control. When the seedlings grow to have 4-6 leaves, they can be transplanted.
3. Land Preparation and Fertilization
Before transplanting, choose a plot with flat terrain, sufficient sunlight, and good drainage. Clean the field thoroughly, remove weeds and residual plants, and then deep-plow the soil. During plowing, some fertilizer can be applied. Lavender has little demand for fertility, so pay attention to the application amount when fertilizing, to avoid excessive fertility causing leggy growth. Fertilizer should mainly be nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Mix the fertilizer and soil evenly, then harrow finely and level, and then form ridges. Drainage ditches should be made between ridges to facilitate irrigation and drainage.
4. Transplanting
Before transplanting, first place the lavender in an outdoor semi-shaded, semi-sunny environment so it can adapt to outdoor conditions. When transplanting, use tools to remove the seedlings with soil. Then dig holes on the ridge surface for transplanting. When digging holes, loosen the soil in the holes, spread the root system out, and then cover with soil. The transplanting depth should be consistent with the seedling lifting depth. When transplanting, plant at a reasonable density, controlling plant and row spacing at 20×30cm. After transplanting, water once to settle the roots, and preferably manage fertilizer and water well so that it grows robustly.
The above is an introduction to how to grow lavender. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.