Lavender: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow lavender under cover?
Check the lavender name and seed instructions before protected sowing. Spring often suits, but germination varies with species, cultivar and batch. Moist chilling can improve some lots. Follow the supplier rather than imposing this treatment or one warm temperature on every lavender.
Prepare clean drained pots or trays with free draining seed compost. Moisten before scattering seeds thinly. Leave them on the surface or cover very lightly according to the packet. Press gently for contact and water finely. Label with name and date.
Place in light at the recommended temperature, without uncontrolled radiator heat or overheating behind glass. Maintain even moisture without saturation and ventilate any cover. Emergence may be slow and uneven. Keep records of the batch rather than expecting a quick transformation into a flowering clump.
Transplant when seedlings can be handled and have recognisable leaves. Preserve the roots and let the seedlings develop in their pots. Gradually acclimatise outdoors before planting in conditions suited to the type's hardiness. Seedlings from cultivars may differ from their parent; cuttings preserve its characteristics more faithfully. Check the young plants' development before choosing their permanent garden position.
How do you sow lavender outdoors?
How do you plant lavender?
When does lavender flower?
How do you prune lavender?
How to care for this plant
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Weed
If weeds compete with your young plant, hand-pull them without disturbing its roots. If you use mulch, choose a thin mineral layer to keep low shoots off wet soil and leave the crown clear. Avoid thick, damp organic mulch against the base; this is not a feeding step.
