How to grow potted lavender and what to watch out for: water in moderation

Growing Techniques Jan 1, 1970 0 views

Lavender is now widely grown by people. Lavender can be grown not only in fields but also in pots at home. Lavender has a very wide range of uses and is deeply loved by people. So how do you grow potted lavender? Lavender's growing method is different from other flowers.

1. How to grow potted lavender: water in moderation and give plenty of sun

Lavender is a very beautiful flower. With advances in potting techniques, lavender can also be grown at home. Many people don't know how to grow potted lavender. When growing lavender, you need to pay attention to its watering amount and light. Lavender is a plant that loves sunlight. Watering should also be in moderation, otherwise the whole plant can easily die. Below we will explain in detail how to grow lavender and what to watch out for.

2. How to grow lavender and what to watch out for

1. Soil

For potted lavender soil, be sure to use sandy soil with good drainage. Ordinary garden soil will do; add some sand or small gravel. The bottom of the flowerpot should be treated for drainage and lined with something. Lavender likes slightly alkaline soil, so when planting you can appropriately add a small spoonful of slaked lime. Be careful not to water too much and not to let water accumulate in the pot; being too wet will cause root rot.

2. Light

How do you grow potted lavender? What needs the most attention is its light! Lavender is a full-sun plant and needs plenty of sunlight and a moderately humid environment. An environment that can provide full sun is best; it can also grow in half sun, but it will bloom more sparsely. In summer, at least 50% of the sunlight should be blocked, and ventilation should be increased to lower the ambient temperature. In this way, although growth will weaken, it will not die. In winter, lavender can grow well on flat ground and should be cultivated under full sun.

3. Watering

Lavender does not require much water. In summer, it is best to place it outdoors; receiving eight hours of sunlight a day is best, but water must be replenished in time. After one thorough watering, 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 indicator. Water in the morning, avoid sunlight, and do not splash water on the leaves or flowers, otherwise they will easily rot and pests and diseases will breed. Note: soil that is too wet will cause the whole plant to die.

4. Temperature

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

5. Pruning

Prune once every spring, cutting off about the upper one third of the length, but do not cut into the woody, thicker parts at the base. Of course, pruning in autumn is better than pruning in spring. If you see green buds already growing from the base, be careful not to cut them off. Now that we've covered how to grow lavender, let's look at what to watch out for when growing lavender.

3. What to watch out for when growing lavender

1. Lavender likes a dry environment and is not tolerant of moisture. When grown at home, never water it frequently. Water must not accumulate in the pot soil or on the ground, and ventilation should be maintained. After potting, water once thoroughly. After it survives, the principle for watering is “see dry, see wet”. When watering, be careful not to pour water directly onto the leaves, and do not let mud splash onto the branches and leaves, so as to avoid disease. You can also spread a layer of small stones on the surface of the pot soil, which is both attractive and disease-preventing. If using tap water, it is best to first let the tap water sit in sunlight for two days before use.

2. Lavender is a long-day plant. Light plays an extremely important role in its development and the formation of aromatic oils. Excessive shading will cause leggy growth and make it prone to disease, but during extreme heat it is best to do some shading to avoid direct sunlight.

3. Lavender does not have high fertilizer requirements. In its fast-growing spring (March-May), a nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizer can be applied monthly as a top dressing, mixed into a solution for watering, with a concentration of 1%. Too much nitrogen fertilizer easily causes leggy growth. Do you know how to grow lavender now? The above is a complete answer on how to grow lavender and what to watch out for. We hope it can help everyone.

How to plant potted lavender at home: growing methods and precautions for potted lavender on a balcony

Lavender is a plant that combines ornamental value, edible use, and beauty care. In recent years it has become popular in our country and is deeply loved by consumers. Many people like to buy some to grow at home, but they are not very clear about its specific growing methods.

How to plant potted lavender at home

1. Choosing a container for sowing lavender. For sowing lavender at home, you can use a relatively short small flowerpot, or use other containers instead. For example, a yogurt cup; use an awl to poke a few small holes in the bottom of the cup. A disposable plastic cup also works, but because it is transparent, it is best to cover the outside with black paper or put it inside a paper cup (if the plant's roots are exposed to sunlight, growth will be affected, and the soil will easily grow green moss).

2. Lavender's soil requirements. Lavender seeds are relatively small, and the germination rate is low, so the soil generally used for sowing needs to be loose, breathable, highly water-retentive, and thoroughly sterilized. A mixed soil of vermiculite, peat, sphagnum moss, perlite, osmund fiber, etc. can be used. If conditions allow, you can also mix it yourself.

3. Lavender does not like water to remain around its roots often. After one thorough watering, 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 indicator.

Lavender's sunlight requirements.

Growing methods for potted lavender on a balcony

1. Soil: Lavender is suitable for slightly alkaline or neutral sandy soil. You can use a mix of 1/3 perlite, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 peat moss. 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 to remain around its roots often. After one thorough watering, water again only when the soil is dry. Water in the morning, avoid sunlight, and do not splash water on the leaves or flowers, otherwise they will easily rot and pests and diseases will breed.

3. Light: Lavender needs plenty of sunlight and a moderately humid environment. In summer, at least 50% of the sunlight should be blocked and ventilation increased to lower the ambient temperature. In winter, lavender can grow 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 suitable growing temperature is 15-25°C, and it can grow at 5-30°C. If it stays above 38-40°C for a long time, the top stems and leaves turn yellow and dry. In northern winters, when it stays below 0°C for a long time, it begins dormancy.

5. Fertilizing: For fertilizing lavender, bone meal can be placed in the pot soil as a base fertilizer (use once every three months). For small seedlings, Hyponex No. 2 can be applied. After the plant matures, apply a fertilizer higher in phosphorus, such as Hyponex No. 3.

6. Shaping: After lavender blooms, cut it off at the first node below the flower, and by the way prune the plant into a hemispherical shape. At ordinary times, cut off dry and withered branches at any time. To control plant height or obtain a better plant shape, prune heavily as appropriate in late summer and early autumn to promote new branches.

Precautions for growing potted lavender on a balcony

Lavender cannot endure heat and humidity. If waterlogged for a long time, the roots rot and it dies. When planting outdoors, be careful not to let rain fall directly on the plant. After May, it needs to be moved to a place where sunlight cannot shine directly, and ventilation should be increased to lower the ambient temperature and keep it cool, so it can safely pass the hot summer. Pay attention to sunlight, water, temperature, and patience.

Lavender propagation methods

1. Seed propagation: Lavender seeds are small, so it is best to raise seedlings and then transplant. The sowing period is generally chosen in spring. In warm regions, it can be done from March to June or September to November each year. In cold regions, it is best to sow from April to June; in a greenhouse it can also be sown in winter. Germination takes about 14-21 days. Suitable germination temperature: 18-24°C.

2. Cutting propagation: Cuttings are generally taken in spring and autumn. Softwood cuttings in summer are also possible. The cutting medium can be 2/3 coarse sand mixed with 1/3 peat moss. Select healthy, vigorous, superior plants, choose the terminal buds of one-year-old semi-lignified branches with short node spacing, thick and strong, and not yet heading, and cut the cuttings at 8-10 cm from the tip.

The method for growing potted lavender is relatively easy. First choose a good container, then prepare the soil ratio, and finally start growing. During cultivation, water and fertilizer management must be strengthened at all times. Lavender should not be exposed to direct sunlight in summer, so shading treatment is necessary.

How to grow potted lavender: lavender propagation methods

Lavender is also called lingxiangcao, xiangcao, huangxiangcao, etc. It is a small shrub plant of the genus Lavandula in the Lamiaceae family. Its leaf shapes and flower colors are elegant and graceful, and its blue-purple inflorescences are slender and beautiful. It is often used as a new perennial cold-tolerant flower in courtyards, suitable for clump planting or row planting along flower borders, and can also be grown in pots for ornamental display. Now let's take a look at how to grow potted lavender!

Lavender's growth habits

Lavender has strong adaptability. Adult plants tolerate both low and high temperatures. During the harvest season they can tolerate high temperatures of around 40°C, and seedlings can tolerate low temperatures of -10°C. It is a plant that likes dryness and does not need much water. It needs more water during the greening stage and bud stage, less water during the flowering stage, and an appropriate amount of water during the seed-setting stage. It is a long-day plant and requires sufficient sunlight during growth and development, requiring more than 2000 hours of sunshine throughout the year. Its root system is well developed, and it likes deep, loose, well-aerated, fertile soil rich in silicon and calcium.

Lavender propagation methods

1. Sowing: The sowing period for lavender is generally chosen in spring. In warm regions, it can be done from March to June or September to November each year. In cold regions, it is best to sow from April to June. In a greenhouse it can also be sown in winter. Germination takes about 14-21 days, and the suitable germination temperature is 18-24°C. After germination, appropriate light is needed; weak light easily causes leggy growth.

2. Cuttings: Lavender cuttings are generally taken in spring and autumn. Softwood cuttings in summer are also possible. The cutting 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 rooting will be poor and affect future growth.

3. Division: Lavender division propagation can be carried out in spring and autumn. Use 3-4 year old plants. In spring from March to April, divide mature plants by their old roots, with each division carrying bud eyes.

How to grow potted lavender?

1. Soil: Lavender is suitable for slightly alkaline or neutral sandy soil. Special attention must be paid to choosing a well-drained medium. You can use a mix of 1/3 perlite, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 peat moss. 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 to remain around its roots often. After one thorough watering, 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 indicator. Water in the morning, avoid sunlight, and do not splash water on the leaves or flowers, otherwise they will easily rot and pests and diseases will breed. A continuously wet environment will leave the roots without enough air to breathe, causing poor growth and even sudden death of the whole plant.

3. Light: Lavender is a full-sun plant and needs plenty of sunlight and a moderately humid environment. An environment that can provide full sun is better; it can also grow in half sun, but it will bloom more sparsely. In summer, at least 50% of the sunlight should be blocked, and ventilation should be increased to lower the ambient temperature. In this way, although growth will weaken, it will not die. In winter, lavender can grow 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 suitable growing temperature is 15-25°C, and it can grow at 5-30°C. The limiting temperature is above 35°C; if it stays above 38-40°C for a long time, the top stems and leaves turn yellow and dry. In northern winters, when it stays below 0°C for a long time, it begins dormancy. During dormancy, mature seedlings can withstand low temperatures of -20 to -25°C.

5. Fertilizing: For fertilizing lavender, bone meal can be placed in the pot soil as a base fertilizer (use once every three months). For small 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 light fertilizer. Lavender should not be fertilized too much, otherwise the fragrance will become weaker.

6. Pruning: After lavender finishes blooming, it must be pruned. The plant can be pruned to 2/3 of its original size; the plant shape will be more compact and this is beneficial to growth. Pruning should be done in cool seasons such as spring and autumn. Generally prune in spring; pruning in autumn will affect cold tolerance. When pruning, be careful not to cut into the lignified parts, so as to avoid weakening and death of the plant.

7. Pests and diseases: For lavender leaf spot, spray Bordeaux mixture at 1:200 for 2-3 preventive treatments, or zineb at 500-800 times dilution. For root rot and Fusarium wilt, use 50% carbendazim at 500 times dilution or 50% thiophanate-methyl at 400 times dilution to drench the roots or spray the leaves. For red spider mites, use 1.8% abamectin diluted 600-1000 times, or dicofol, etc., sprayed on the leaves. For leafhoppers and flea beetles, use 50% phoxim EC, 50% fenitrothion EC, 12% miechongguan EC, and other pyrethroid pesticides for control.