The lavender plant (Lavandula) is a member of the Lamiaceae family. In nature, such flowers live in several parts of the world at once. They can be found on the Arabian Peninsula, northeastern Africa, southern European countries, as well as India and the Australian continent.
The name of lavender comes from the Latin "lava" - "to wash" and is associated with the fact that parts of the plant in ancient Rome were used as an antiseptic and additive for baths. Today lavender is grown not only because of the beauty of its small bushes. It is also prized for its high content of valuable essential oils. The flowers of the plant can be used as a base for tea, in addition, in some countries, ice cream and drinks are made from them, and they are also added to many dishes as one of the seasonings.
Since the plant is widely used in medicine and perfumery, lavender is grown on an industrial scale. And in the province of Provence (France), you can often find whole plantations of this flower.
Many researchers claim that the smell of lavender can help a person to relieve feelings of anxiety, irritability and dissatisfaction.
Description of lavender
Lavender is a herbaceous shrub with long, fibrous roots. They are able to go to a depth of 2 m. This property allows lavender to be used as a plant that successfully fights soil erosion.
The bushes form many shoots, the size of which reaches 60 cm. At the base, the stems become stiff. On them are located opposite sessile leaves, covered with a soft fluff. They have a silvery green color. This plant is considered evergreen, so its foliage can survive even under snow.
During the flowering period, inflorescences-spikelets appear on the bushes, formed by several whorls of blue or lilac flowers. They are located on the tops of bare shoots. Flowering begins in mid-summer. The scent of lavender flowers attracts bees: this plant belongs to the number of honey plants.
After flowering, seeds are tied, which can be used for reproduction. With proper storage, they remain viable for several years.
Despite its impressive root length, lavender can also be planted in pots. For decorative purposes, two main types of lavender out of 30 existing are most often grown: narrow-leaved and broad-leaved.
Brief rules for growing lavender
The table provides a quick guide to growing lavender outdoors.
| Landing | To obtain seedlings, seeds are sown around the beginning of March. Sowing immediately on the beds is carried out before winter. Planting of seedlings is carried out at the very end of spring. |
| The soil | A dry soil is required that conducts moisture and air well; loam or sandy soil that is not too acidic and not too alkaline is suitable. |
| Lighting level | A lot of bright light is needed. |
| Watering mode | Plentiful and regular watering is essential, especially during drought. |
| Top dressing | Twice during the growth period. In the spring, complex mineral additives containing nitrogen are added to the soil, and in the fall - compounds containing potassium and phosphorus. |
| Bloom | Flowering usually begins in mid-summer. |
| Hilling | Adult bushes require hilling, it is carried out twice - in spring and autumn. |
| Pruning | After flowering, all inflorescences are cut off from the bushes, and their shoots are shortened in the fall. After reaching the age of 10, the plantings are rejuvenated by cutting off all the branches at a level of 5 cm. |
| Reproduction | Seeds, cuttings and layering, and division. |
| Pests | Penny cicadas, aphids and rainbow beetles. |
| Diseases | In the case of frequent waterlogging - gray rot. |
Growing lavender from seeds
Sowing preparation
You can start sowing lavender at different times. In open ground, seeds are sown around October. There is also a seedling method of growing - in this case, the seedlings are transferred to the garden towards the end of May.
Seeds for such planting must be purchased in advance. This is due to the need for their preliminary processing. Sowing material purchased in the fall or in the first winter months is stratified for two months, keeping in the vegetable section of the refrigerator in a mixture with wet sand. After that, sowing is started only closer to the beginning of spring.
Growing seedlings
For sowing, the container should be filled with a substrate that includes humus and half of the coarse sand. The resulting soil must be sieved. This will make it easier for the small seeds to sprout. For disinfection, the soil is calcined at a temperature of about 120 degrees, or it is spilled with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate. Drainage must be laid at the bottom of the container. It is desirable that, in addition to this, the container also has drainage holes.
After stratification, the seeds are spread on the soil surface and sprinkled with a thin layer of sand not more than 3 mm. After that, the crops are sprayed with warm water and covered with glass or foil to obtain a greenhouse effect. The container with seeds is kept in a bright and warm corner, not forgetting to periodically remove the film for airing. Seedlings germinate best at a temperature of about 18 degrees.
Seedling care
After germination, the seedlings will need good lighting. For supplementary lighting, lamps should be used, otherwise the sprouts will quickly stretch out. The shelter should be removed, gradually accustoming the seedlings to other conditions. After completely removing the shelter, you can cut the plants into a larger container, keeping a distance of at least 5 cm between them.
Planting lavender outdoors
Lavender is transplanted into open ground towards the end of May. Usually in the garden, this plant plays the role of decorating alpine slides, framing paths or serving to create borders. The flower is often used in large group plantings. It will be interesting to look at both the usual and the staggered arrangement of the bushes.
Well-lit areas with fairly dry soil are best for planting lavender. An excess of moisture is perceived by the bushes painfully, so they should not be placed in areas with a high level of groundwater, as well as in lowlands where water accumulates. In the shade, the bushes will also be able to grow, but their flowering will be weak and short-lived.
The soil for planting seedlings should be loamy or sandy loam, with a good drainage layer. The reaction of the soil should be close to neutral. Crushed limestone is added to too acidic soil. Before planting, the selected place is thoroughly dug to a depth of 20 cm, and then fertilizers are added to the soil - peat or compost.
The distance between the holes depends on the size of the selected variety. Tall bushes are placed at an impressive distance of up to 1.2 m from each other. In other cases, you can retreat by about 80 cm. You can calculate the distance, equating it to the maximum height of the bushes. The only exception is lavender, planted as a border. In this case, the indentation can be halved. The growing region can also affect the distance when planting - in more northern areas, the bushes do not grow as much as in the south.
The sizes of the holes are calculated based on the volumes of the root system of the seedlings. Before planting, the roots of the seedlings are slightly pruned, then the bush is placed in the hole and covered with substrate. In this case, the root collar should be underground at a depth of 4-6 cm. After transplanting, the plants are well watered.
When using lavender in shared flower beds, it is important to remember its strong scent. When combined with other scented plants, their scents will mix, not always giving the desired result. Lavender bushes are usually used to decorate herb beds, in compositions with perennials, sage, yarrow or catnip. A combination with species with a contrasting shade of flowers will also be effective. A composition of lavender and roses is considered a classic.
Autumn sowing
In warm regions with mild winters, sowing lavender seeds outdoors can be done in mid-autumn. The land for sowing is dug up in advance and peat is applied to the selected bed. If the soil at this time is too wet, drainage is introduced into it - sand or medium-sized pebbles. The seeds should be buried approximately 3 mm, and then the surface of the bed should be compacted. Such crops will need watering only if the autumn is dry enough. After the snow falls, a snowdrift should be built in the place of the garden.
Caring for lavender in the garden
It is recommended to pick off the first flowers on transplanted lavender seedlings. This will allow the bushes to root better and get stronger in a new place. Although most often the first year or two, the bushes obtained from seeds may not bloom at all. All the forces of plants will be directed towards the formation of roots. During the first season, seedlings will develop rather slowly, so they must be especially carefully protected from weeds. During this period, litter is able to drown out plantings.
Lavender also needs regular pruning and periodic feeding. In this capacity, potash compositions are used. Nitrogen fertilizing and manure should not be used: they activate the growth of foliage of bushes to the detriment of the number of their inflorescences, and in the fall they can stimulate the growing process, weakening the winter hardiness of plantings. Such formulations can only be used at the beginning of growth. If the bushes are mulched with a good layer of compost, fertilizers do not need to be applied at all: they will be enough for the whole season.
Watering and loosening
Lavender appreciates moist soil; bushes need regular watering for healthy growth. On hot and dry planting days, it is recommended to water more often, but the soil should have time to dry out between waterings. After watering or precipitation, the areas between the holes should be loosened, simultaneously pulling out weeds. To reduce the need for watering and weeding, immediately after transplanting the seedlings, you can mulch the bed on which they are planted, leaving only the area near the trunk itself open. You can use peat for this.
In the fall and spring, old lavender bushes should be piled high enough. This procedure will help rejuvenate the bushes: the shoots covered with soil will give fresh growth.
Pruning
The life of the bushes is about 10 years, but with the help of pruning, their decorative effect and the total growth time can be extended.
Bushes are pruned annually, twice a season. After flowering, it is necessary to remove all wilted inflorescences, and in the fall, moderately shorten the branches to form a more compact form of bushes. Branches should not be cut off until lignified areas - at least 5 green shoots should remain on the bushes.The vertical extension of the stems often leads to the fact that the bushes begin to lie down from strong gusts of wind, losing their attractive appearance. Pruning can help avoid this and also make room for fresh growth.
When the bushes are at least 10 years old, you can radically rejuvenate the planting. At this time, all their shoots are cut at a height of 5 cm. Sometimes this way they stimulate the growth of younger bushes in case of their meager flowering.
Wintering
If in winter it can get colder outside to -25 degrees and below, lavender plantings must be carefully covered. But for shelter, you should not use fallen leaves: under such a carpet, the bushes can begin to rot. Peat should also not be used - under its layer the bushes can vanish. After pruning in the fall, the plants can be covered with a layer of spruce branches. In warmer areas with a relatively mild climate, narrow-leaved lavender may not be covered at all.
Growing lavender in the Moscow region
In Moscow and the Moscow region, it is better to plant narrow-leaved lavender. This type of flower is also called English or medicinal. In the middle lane, such plants are planted in the ground in the same period as in warmer areas. Seeds can be sown in the garden from the second half of May, when all frosts have completely passed. Seedlings are transferred to flower beds in June. At the same time, it is not recommended to carry out podzimny sowing: the risk of seedlings freezing is too great.
Breeding methods for lavender
Lavender bushes can be obtained from more than just seeds. For reproduction, layering and cuttings of bushes, as well as their division, are used.
Propagation by cuttings
Cuttings are usually practiced by gardeners who already grow lavender, as well as those who have managed to obtain the appropriate planting material. Cuttings are also used to propagate potted specimens.
In the southern regions, material for cuttings is cut in the autumn, choosing a one-year-old woody shoot of an adult bush. In more northern regions, cuttings are recommended to be taken at the end of June, choosing green shoots. They are divided into segments about 10 cm long. The lower leaf blades are removed from the segments, and their lower cut is dipped in a growth stimulator. Finished cuttings are placed in loose, light and moist soil. You can plant them in pots, greenhouses, or just in the ground, choosing moderately lit places. When planting, they are buried in the substrate by about 2.5 cm.If the seedlings do not grow in a greenhouse, for reliability they are covered with transparent jars or bags. Greenhouse conditions are maintained until the plants take root. Saplings should be shaded from the sun. Usually, roots appear on them within a month.
If the seedlings are rooted in a container, they should be transferred to the ground immediately after they have completely taken root. It is advisable to do this before the end of August, so that the plants have time to get stronger in the beds and calmly survive the winter. To surely insure the plantings against freezing in the autumn, you can specially treat the bushes with fertilizers and strengthening stimulants, starting in mid-spring. This will allow you to start cutting by June, and transfer the seedlings to the ground in July. Sometimes late seedlings are left in pots or greenhouses for the winter, and are transferred to the beds only in the spring.
Dividing the bush
Lavender can be propagated by dividing the bush, but such a procedure requires special, sometimes lengthy preparation. An adult large specimen of the plant is chosen for division. In the fall, after its flowering, its shoots are cut off at a height of 10 cm from the ground level, and then they are spudded, filling the areas between the stems with earth. In the spring, the hilling process is repeated. During the summer period, such a bush will give many fresh shoots. In the fall, the plant is pulled out of the soil and divided into parts so that each has fully developed roots and stems. Delenki are seated in selected places.
Reproduction by layering
For propagation of lavender with the help of layering in the spring, several shoots are selected on a bush. These twigs are folded back and placed in shallow (up to 4 cm) grooves made next to the bush.Shoots are fixed in grooves, covered with earth and watered. Throughout the season, the moisture of the soil above the buried shoots must be monitored: the soil there should not dry out. The next spring, cuttings with their own roots are separated from the main bush and transplanted to a new place. It is recommended to sprinkle the cut areas with crushed coal.
Diseases and pests
Lavender growing on the site, subject to proper care, practically does not get sick and is not affected by pests, but sometimes even such a persistent flower can get sick. For example, plantings can be affected by gray rot, and also become the target of leafhoppers or rainbow beetles.
Gray rot develops due to the frequent stagnation of liquid in the soil. It can be caused by improper watering or too rainy summer. Severely affected plants cannot be cured; they must be dug up and burned. If the rot has just begun to develop, it is necessary to remove all the affected parts of the bush, and then try to correct the error that caused the disease.
Pests can be collected from the bushes by hand, simultaneously replacing the layer of mulch in the flower bed. Penny cicadas usually do not harm the bushes, but their foamy larvae can spoil the appearance of the plantings. This foam can be simply washed off.
Types and varieties of lavender with photos and names
In floriculture, two types of lavender are most often found - narrow-leaved and broad-leaved, although there are several more species suitable for growing in garden conditions.
French lavender (Lavandula stoechas)
Or broad-leaved lavender (Lavandula latifolia). Under natural conditions, the species lives in the southwestern part of Europe. It is distinguished by wider leaf blades and short, but lush inflorescences. Lavandula stoechas (latifolia) blooms earlier than others - already in the middle of spring. The first wave of flowering continues until mid-July, but towards the end of August, flowers appear again. They come in a wide variety of colors, including pink, white, lilac, purple, burgundy and even green. In addition to visual appeal, the flowers are distinguished by a particularly strong odor, sometimes with specific notes.
In comparison with narrow-leaved, such lavender is considered less frost-resistant - it does not tolerate frosts even down to -15 degrees. Because of this feature, it is usually grown in warm countries. In mid-latitudes, such a plant can be grown in pots or containers, bringing them indoors for the winter.
French lavender is considered one of the most decorative. It was on the basis of this species that many spectacular varieties were obtained. One of the most popular subspecies of such lavender is the "butterfly" or "papillon" - Lavandula stoechas pedunculata. Its fragrant flowers are distinguished by an unusual shape that really resembles real butterflies perched on inflorescences. Among the most popular varieties of the French species:
- Yellow Vale - the leaves are yellow-green, the inflorescences have a rich purple color, the bracts are colored crimson.
- Regal Splendor - inflorescences of a deep purple hue.
- Rocky Road Is one of the more recent varieties with large lilac-blue flowers. They appear closer to July.
- Tiara - large flowers are blue and complemented by cream-colored bracts.
- Helmsdale - inflorescences have a lilac-burgundy color.
Hybrid or Dutch lavender (Lavandula x intermedia)
This group includes decorative hybrids that were derived from English and other types of lavender. Lavandula x intermedia forms large bushes with narrow silvery leaves. Its flowers are oblong. Under their weight, the peduncles, which have an impressive length, are slightly bent. Flowering of this species begins by mid-summer.
In the spring, the bushes should be cut by about half. This is due to their large (up to 2 m) size. Hybrid lavender is often grown as a commercial plant. It contains a lot of camphor-rich essential oil.This property gives the plant a stronger and more distinctive scent.
The frost resistance of this species is considered average. It does not multiply by seeds: they are sterile. Among the best varieties:
- Alba - with snow-white flowers.
- Arabian Knight - with inflorescences of a rich blue or purple color.
- Grosso - large flowers of violet-lilac color.
- Richard Gray - small bushes with deep purple flowers.
- Sawyers - with delicate lilac flowers.
Toothed lavender (Lavandula dentata)
Mediterranean look. Lavandula dentata is so named due to the special shape of the soft leaf blades with denticles at the edges. The species is thermophilic. It forms neat bushes that bloom by July. The width of the bushes exceeds their height. The flowers are large and have a pleasant aroma. Their coloration includes various shades of lilac. One of the most common varieties is considered "Royal Crown" with bright purple spikelets. This type of flower is often grown indoors.
Narrow-leaved lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Either English lavender (Lavandula spicata) or medicinal lavender (Lavandula officinalis). This species is also known as "medicinal". In nature, Lavandula angustifolia (spicata, officinalis) lives in the southern regions of Europe. The bushes have silvery-green leaf blades and medium-sized flowers, most often bluish-lilac in color. The diameter of the bushes usually does not exceed 1 meter.
Of all the types of lavender, it is these plants that are considered the most frost-resistant. Its subspecies, dolphin lavender, also gained popularity. It forms miniature bushes no more than 30 cm high with elegant silvery leaves. The lavender of the Hydcote group is also widely known. It is usually used to form small green hedges. Among the known varieties of the narrow-leaved species:
- Alba - forms bushes up to half a meter in height, blooms white.
- Munstead - 40 cm bushes form bright blue flowers.
- Rosea - the size of the bushes is up to 40 cm, the flowers are mauve in color.
- Hydcot Giant - neat bushes up to 60 cm high.
- Hydcot Blue - the height of the bushes is about 40 cm, the inflorescences have a blue-violet color.
Properties and uses of lavender
Beneficial features
The essential oil contained in the aerial part of the bushes is rich in various trace elements. It contains linalool, geraniol, borneol, as well as coumarins, beneficial acids and tannins. Due to this composition, lavender oil is widely used in medicine. The plant is also used for the manufacture of cosmetics. In addition, the characteristic scent also makes lavender a valuable plant for perfumers.
As a remedy, lavender oil is used to heal burns or bruises, as well as in the treatment of skin diseases. The plant is also used to get rid of various gastrointestinal problems. For example, lavender tea can help relieve stomach cramps. Lavender will also be able to cope with flatulence and worms, as well as have a diuretic effect. In addition, lavender is used as part of remedies for rheumatism, fevers, toothache and cystitis, as well as bronchitis, whooping cough and a number of other diseases.
Lavender can have a positive effect on the blood vessels of the brain, regulate blood pressure, help in recovery from a stroke, and even with dizziness, migraines or drowsiness. The infusion of this plant strengthens the nervous system and helps to improve the psychological state of a person, relieving stress and reducing the impact of negative factors. Lavender is used to treat neurasthenia and irritability. The infusion is also useful for activating mental activity and speeding up recovery from tiring work.
Lavender nectar produces healing honey. Parts of the plant can be added to medicinal baths, and the dried flowers can be used as a fragrance or moth or mosquito repellent. To do this, you can put them in fabric sachets.
Collect lavender inflorescences a couple of weeks after the start of flowering. They are cut with scissors and dried in a shady corner. Do not use special dryers - in this case, most of the valuable oils evaporate from the plants. Store dried spikelets of flowers in linen bags in a dry, unlit place. Their shelf life is one year. Fragrant buds can also be used to create regular or dry bouquets.
Contraindications
Despite its impressive number of positive properties, the medicinal effect of lavender can also have side effects. For example, a flower can help fight amenorrhea, but this same property makes it unsuitable for pregnant women (especially in the early stages), as well as for women recovering from an abortion.
Lavender should not be combined with preparations containing iodine or iron. Too frequent use of flower oil can reverse its effect. In such situations, lavender may not cure, but, on the contrary, worsen depression or headache, as well as cause irritation of the stomach lining.
When using lavender-based products, it is important to remember that its strong essential oils are often the cause of allergies. Before any use of drugs with its content, you should consult your doctor.
