Grow Lavender

Easy to grow and easy to appreciate, lavender is well worth growing as a flower and an aromatic herb.

Steps

 * 1)  Do the layering.
 * 2) * Layering requires one of the more supple side stems to be carefully bent to the ground. Where the stem is touching the ground, dig a one inch deep trench.
 * 3) *Remove all leaves except at the tip of the stem.
 * 4) *Lay the stem in the trench and mound two inches of soil over it. #*Anchor the stem with a weight, such as a brick placed on top of the mound.  The tip of the stem should be left exposed to grow.  Eventually, the buried portion will take root and can be used to start a new plant.
 * 5) Know how to propagate it.
 * 6) * The most common ways of propagation is by taking cuttings. You can take a cutting by snipping off a healthy three to four inch stem that is not blooming.
 * 7) * Pull off the lower two-thirds of the leaves.
 * 8) * Dip the cut tip in rooting hormone, and place it two inches deep in a pot with damp sand or perlite.
 * 9) Place in a sunny indoor spot and keep the rooting slightly damp. When you see new growth, roots have formed and it can be moved to a pot with potting mix and watering can be reduced.
 * 10) Plant outside a month or two later when it has enough roots to support the new plant.

Tips

 * To save lavender for potpourris, cut the stems when they are blooming and tie them in small bundles. Hang them upside down indoors to dry for several weeks.
 * A perennial, lavender grows from 1 to 3 feet tall, depending on the variety. It needs at least six hours of direct sun each day, more is better. Lavender plants grow in hardiness zones 5 through 10 and are planted about 15 inches apart.
 * Lavender can grow in fair or poor soils, slightly alkaline to neutral is best. The plant needs well-drained soil, wet soils are deadly.
 * It needs little or no fertilization, and except for new plants, should be watered less often than most flowers.  The plant can be pruned by one-third in early spring or late fall to keep its shape.
 * Some varieties of lavender can be grown from seeds (especially variety "Munster"), or pots of live plants can be purchased in the spring.  Favorite varieties include "Grosso", "Provence", "Royal Purple", "Gray Lady", and  "Hidcote".
 * Old flower heads should be cut off to encourage fresh growth. The blooms come in midsummer and range from lavender-hued gray to a vibrant royal purple. There are also species with blooms in other colors: white, pink, and a yellow-green. The flowers themselves are small, sometimes bud-like but open and full on others, and they grow up the spiky stems.
 * Foliage typically ranges from dusty green to silvery gray and a few species have bright chartreuse leaves. Not all types are readily available, but may need researching through mail order web sites or seed catalogs.
 * Lavender's older stems are woody, and the plant does not divide as easily as many perennials. If moving is necessary, lift the plant in spring just after new growth has started and replant immediately. The plant can be propagated by layering.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Plant Flowers
 * How to Grow an Herbal Tea Garden

Sources and Citations

 * Website: "Gardens for Beginners" www.geocities.com/mastergardener2k/lavender.html