Lavender cultivation

The term lavender comes from the verb “to wash”, the plant owes its name to its good smell : when used in soaps or to scent drawers, it is usually associated with a clean good idea. When it flowers in the garden it is an explosion of color and this very good aroma spreads in the air.

the lavender bush beautifies the environment but is not merely ornamental : It is a very useful plant and brings many benefits to the garden, attracting beneficial insects and lending itself to various uses, from cooking to fragrant decoration.

Therefore, the reasons for start a lavender crop they are many:

• ornamental plant . With its beautiful purple flowers it perfumes and beautifies the environment

.

• Attracts beneficial insects. With its flowering in the garden it attracts bees, precious insects for pollination.
• Medical properties . Lavender is also a medicinal plant with beneficial properties for well-being.
• Useful aroma in the kitchen . Although little used in recipes, the plant also has interesting culinary applications.
• Use of dried flowers . Its dried flowers can form garlands or be used to perfume clothes.

.

• lavender honey . For beekeepers, lavender is also excellent as a bee plant, from which highly prized honey is obtained.

Contents [Ocultar]

• Lavender officinalis plant

• Climate and soil favorable to lavender

• lavender propagation

  • Sowing lavender seeds

  • cutting spread

• plant lavender

• Crop maintenance

  • Irrigation

  • weed management

  • Delimit the culture bed

  • How and when to prune lavender

• Growing lavender in pots

• Collecting and drying lavender

• uses of lavender

the plant of officinal lavender

In gardening, lavender ( officinal lavender ) East widely used for its aesthetic qualities : its bushes are neatly arranged, usually less than 50 cm in height, and fill the space of the parterre dedicated to it with thick grayish-green vegetation with long, narrow leaves.

It is a perennial herbaceous plant which does not require much maintenance in particular, is satisfied with little water and does not fear drought.

the lavender flowers These are the classic purple tips, very decorative and appreciated for the aforementioned scent.

There are many varieties of lavender, there are no substantial differences in the cultivation of one or the other.

Climate and soil favorable to lavender

Weather . Lavender is very heat and drought resistant , can withstand dry summers, adapts well to sunny places and likes the wind. There are varieties that also have good resistance to cold and are therefore suitable for cultivation throughout Italy, both in the Mediterranean and northern regions.

Soil and fertilization . This plant seeks light soils without water stagnation lives as well in arid and rocky soils , mainly calcareous and slightly acidic. It is a very modest herbaceous plant in terms of nutrient demand, so fertilization at planting time can be avoided. However, being perennial, it is good practice to renew the organic matter with periodic and moderate inputs of organic fertilizer or mature manure.

lavender propagation

To start cultivating, we must obtain the lavender plants: we can do it from seed, with a cutting of an existing plant, or of course buying the plants ready in the nursery to transplant them.

Sowing lavender seeds

The propagation of lavender from seeds is not very simple: it is a culture that requires special conditions to germinate, it has seeds that have difficulty in germinating. For this reason, the advice is to avoid growing from seed and buy a ready-made plant or propagate it by cuttings.

With a little patience you can still choose between looking for lavender seeds or reproducing them yourself. . The best method is to put the seeds for two months in the refrigerator, to simulate a winter from the end of February it is possible to sow in the nursery, remembering that the germination times are long.

cutting spread

Decoupage is a technique that allows reproduce the plant from the branch of a parent plant it is better to do it in the spring (approximately in April).

Lavender takes root very easily in cuttings: the branch to be chosen must be at least 10 cm long and with at least three leaves (best 5), chosen from the laterals without flowers.

After cutting the twig, it is necessary to peel the leaves from its entire lower part and put it in a jar with mixed sand soil . It must be watered regularly, as good humidity is necessary for rooting. In a year, you will have a lavender plant ready to be transplanted.

placement of lavender

After having purchased or reproduced the lavender plant, it is time to plant it in the field, a very simple operation.

Sixth floor . There isn’t really a planting scheme for lavender, it depends on the type of flower bed you want to create. In any case, it must be taken into account that it is a growing plant and, therefore, it is advisable to keep a minimum half a meter between plants .

cultural care

Lavender is a very simple species to grow in the ground

.

Disk

Lavender is a plant that does not particularly fear drought. For this reason should only be wetted when the ground is very dry and in any case do not overdo it with irrigation. In most climates, lavender plants can remain in the garden or vegetable patch even without watering, making do with seasonal rains.

weed management

The lavender plant does not need mulch, being herbaceous easily colonizes the entire dedicated flower bed and its dense vegetation does not leave much room for weeds. For this reason, weed control in already formed lavender bushes is simple and requires very few interventions.

Delineate the floor

It may be useful to delimit the lavender bed with barriers (wooden planks, bricks or stones), so that the rest of the garden is protected from the expansion of lavender and you don’t have to uproot it periodically.

How and when to prune lavender

Lavender must be cut every year, pruning is the only really important growing operation if you want to keep this aromatic in the garden.

The purpose of pruning lavender is multiple:

• Keep the bush tidy.

• Keep the plant young and avoid lignification

.

• Stimulates flower production.

The best time to prune this officinal plant is the end of summer. , once flowering is complete. If necessary, the flower bed can also be pruned in early spring (late March) with a second cut.

When pruning this officinalis, the first operation performed is finish by cutting just below the flower in this way the bush is kept at a regular height. The stems are then thinned promote ventilation and eliminate at the base the parts of the plant that expand beyond its limits.

Growing lavender in pots

Lavender is a flower that can also be kept in a vase, provided it has a very sunny position .

The right pot for your grow can be any shape, but it should be large, especially in width. The soil to be used should be fairly basic and must be mixed with river sand.

During cultivation it is necessary water regularly but sparingly , with timely interventions when the soil begins to dry out, excess water can cause the death of the plant. In this sense, it is also very important that there is drainage at the bottom of the container expanded clay balls are fine, but gravel can also be good.

Pick lavender and dry

Collection. It is very easy to know when to pick lavender: since the flowers are used for this perfume, the right moment is when flower spikes begin to form what happens in the summer. To harvest them, the stems are cut, preferably with scissors and without tearing them. The long stem is convenient for making bouquets which can also be used to hang flowers to dry.

drying . Drying time is important keep the scent of flowers . Like many other medicinal herbs, lavender dries in a shady, windy place. where bouquets of lavender are traditionally hung under farmhouse porches.

uses of lavender

Lavender is generally used for perfume especially in the drawers clothes and linen: small bags can be made by putting the dried flowers in small canvas bags. This can be a great way to recycle bags of confetti that come with favors.

For medicinal, cosmetic and general uses for extracting perfume is obtained from the essential oil of lavender Due to the complexity and the need for a specific team, it is a process that is implemented by those who grow by profession. Lavender is said to have disinfectant and beneficial properties for the respiratory system, while in aromatherapy it is used against stress and to relax.

cooking with lavender

Although lavender is not often used as an aromatic herb, it has many culinary applications , it is mainly found in blends of dry Provençal aromas. The dried flowers can be used in desserts, cheese sauces, jams and risottos. The mixture of lavender and coarse salt makes a flavorful salt that goes well with meat. An interesting application is put lavender in the baking mix , to obtain fragrant breads or biscuits. You can also flavor vinegar and wine .