Real Lavender Plant Growing and Care Guide

Growing and caring for a real lavender plant is a delightful experience. Lavender plants prefer well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade.

To ensure your lavender plant gets the right amount of sunlight, choose a spot that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.

Lavender plants can thrive in a variety of soil types, but they will not tolerate wet feet. This means the soil should drain quickly to prevent root rot.

Water your lavender plant sparingly, as overwatering is a common mistake that can be detrimental to the plant's health.

Growing and caring for lavender is a breeze, especially when you follow these simple tips. Plant lavender in the spring, once all chances of frost have passed, in an area with plenty of sunlight and sandy, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.7 to 7.3.

Space lavender plants 12 to 18 inches apart to give them room to breathe and grow. You can also add a few inches of compost or other rich organic matter to your native soil to give young plants an excellent start to the growing season.

Consider reading: Fig Plant Growing

Lavender is a drought-tolerant plant, so you'll only need to water it when the top 2 inches of soil are dry. Regular feeding with water-soluble plant food will promote vibrant blooms and keep your lavender looking its best.

Here's a quick rundown of the ideal growing conditions for lavender:

By following these simple tips, you'll be on your way to growing beautiful, fragrant lavender in no time.

Lavender prefers well-drained, slightly alkaline soil with a pH between 6.7 and 7.3.

Plant lavender in an area with full sun and good air circulation, spacing plants 12 to 18 inches apart.

To improve drainage, you can add builder's sand to the soil before planting or use a raised bed filled with premium raised bed soil.

Lavender will not tolerate excessive soil moisture or humidity, so it's essential to ensure good drainage.

Here are some specific soil and planting tips:

Lavender can thrive in dry conditions, but it's still essential to water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry.

By following these guidelines, you'll be well on your way to growing healthy and fragrant lavender plants.

Harvest lavender stems at any time by cutting them from the plant, but be mindful of leaving at least one-third of the stems intact to maintain a full appearance.

To preserve the flowers' perfume, it's best to harvest them just before they're entirely open, which will allow the scent to last for months.

Avoid clipping more than every third stem to keep the plant looking full and healthy.

To dry lavender flowers, gather a bunch of stems and hang them upside-down in a dark, well-ventilated place, which will help preserve the colour and prevent molding.

For your interest: Square Stems

Lavender varieties are a delight to grow and enjoy. There are many types of lavender plants to choose from, each with its unique characteristics.

Some popular semi-dwarf cultivars include Bowles Early, Hidcote Variety, Loddon Blue, Martha Roderick, Jean Davis, Twickle Purple, and Pink Perfume.

The Hidcote variety, for example, is a L. angustifolia variety that grows to be around 40-50 cm tall, with silver-gray foliage and deep violet-blue inflorescences.

Jean Davis is another popular choice, known for its pale pink flowers and exceptionally fruity taste.

Pink Perfume, on the other hand, grows to be around 60 cm tall and 45 cm wide.

If you're looking for something a bit different, you might consider trying a hybrid lavender, also known as a lavandin. These plants are bred for their unique characteristics and are often more disease-resistant than traditional lavender varieties.

Hybrids between L. angustifolia and L. latifolia, for example, are called Lavandula × intermedia and bloom later than ordinary English lavenders.

Here are some popular semi-dwarf cultivars:

Lavender is a versatile plant with a multitude of uses. The flowers and leaves are applied in herbal medicine.

You can use lavender essential oil, which is commercially produced from the plant, for massage therapy or aromatherapy when diluted with a carrier oil. It's also commonly used in perfumes, cosmetics, and topical applications.

The flowers are also used as a culinary herb, often as part of the North American version of the French herb blend called herbes de Provence. This blend is a staple in many French-inspired recipes.

Here's an interesting read: Plant Flowers

Lavandula angustifolia is included in the Tasmanian Fire Service's list of low flammability plants, making it suitable for growing within a building protection zone.

Here are some other creative ways to use lavender:

In ancient Greece, lavender was known as νάρδος: nárdos, Latinized as nardus, after the Syrian city of Naarda.

The Romans highly valued lavender, selling flowers for 100 denarii per pound, which was a significant amount of money, equivalent to a month's wages for a farm laborer.

Lavender's late Latin name is lavandārius, derived from lavanda, meaning things to be washed, and the verb lavo, meaning to wash.

Growing real lavender plants can be a delightful experience, especially when you know the right conditions to provide them. Hidcote English Lavender grows best in areas with summers in the 80's, rather than the 90's.

To plant lavender, wait until spring has arrived and all chances of frost have passed. This is the ideal time to get your lavender plants started. Plant them in an area with plenty of sunlight and sandy, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.7 to 7.3.

Hidcote English Lavender is slow growing, so be patient and give it the space it needs. Plant them 12 to 18 inches apart to allow for proper growth.

Young lavender plants will benefit from a rich start to the growing season. Mix in several inches of compost or other organic matter into your native soil to give them a boost.

Lavender is surprisingly drought-tolerant, so you'll only need to water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry. This makes it perfect for gardeners who tend to forget to water their plants.

To promote vibrant blooms, regularly feed your lavender plants with water-soluble plant food. This will encourage them to produce more beautiful flowers.

Here's a quick guide to the basic care of lavender plants:

Hidcote English Lavender grows better in summers with temperatures in the 80's rather than the 90's.

Plant lavender 12 to 18 inches apart in an open area with full sun and good air circulation. Make sure to choose strong, vigorous young lavender plants.

Lavender prefers well-drained, slightly alkaline soil with a pH between 6.7 and 7.3. Adding builder's sand to the soil before planting can increase drainage.

To improve drainage, plant lavender in a raised bed filled with premium raised bed soil or near the top of a slope. This will help prevent excessive soil moisture or humidity.

Prune lavender lightly to promote branching, especially in spring once the plants show new growth. Clipping faded blooms can encourage continued blooming throughout the warm season.

Feed lavender regularly with a premium plant food like Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Blooms Plant Nutrition. Follow the directions on the label for the best results.

Lavandula stoechas, L. pedunculata, and L. dentata were known in Roman times, and they were initially considered two separate groups or genera.

The classification of lavender has undergone significant changes over time, with Carl Linnaeus combining them into one genus in 1753.

Today, lavender is classified into three subgenera: Lavandula, Fabricia, and Sabaudia.

Here is a brief overview of each subgenus:

This refers to the plant's use in creating blue infusions for bathing. It's interesting to think about how people used to use lavender for its medicinal and relaxing properties.

The botanic name Lavandula, used by Linnaeus, is derived from European vernacular names for the plants. This highlights the importance of understanding the origins of a plant's name.

The names "English lavender", "French lavender", and "Spanish lavender" are often used, but they're not always accurate. "English lavender" typically refers to L. angustifolia, although some sources say it should be called "Old English lavender."

The name "French lavender" can refer to either L. stoechas or L. dentata, which shows how confusing the naming conventions can be.

Related reading: How to Grow English Lavender

Lavandula stoechas, L. pedunculata, and L. dentata were known in Roman times.

Carl Linnaeus combined the two separate groups or genera, Stoechas and Lavandula, into one in 1753. He recognized only five species in Species Plantarum at that time.

By 1790, L. pinnata and L. carnosa were recognized as separate species.

The first modern major classifications were proposed by Dorothy Chaytor in 1937 at Kew, which included six sections for 28 species.

The six sections proposed by Chaytor were Stoechas, Spica, Subnudae, Pterostoechas, Chaetostachys, and Dentatae.

There were four species within Stoechas (Lavandula stoechas, L. dentata, L. viridis, and L. pedunculata) and three within Spica (L. officinalis, L. latifolia, and L. lanata).

Lavandula has three subgenera: Lavandula, Fabricia, and Sabaudia.

The subgenus Lavandula is mainly composed of woody shrubs with entire leaves and contains the principal species grown as ornamental plants and for oils.

The subgenus Fabricia consists of shrubs and herbs and has a wide distribution from the Atlantic to India.

The subgenus Sabaudia constitutes two species in the southwest Arabian peninsula and Eritrea, which are rather distinct from the other species.

The current classification includes 39 species distributed across 8 sections in three subgenera.

Here are the three subgenera of Lavandula:

Lavender buds are the dried flowers of the lavender plant, and they're the part most commonly used in cooking. They're packed with flavor and aroma.

Around 100 individual phytochemicals have been identified in lavender oil, with major contents of linalyl acetate and linalool. These compounds vary in amount among different lavender species.

The potency of lavender buds increases with drying, so it's best to use them sparingly to avoid a soapy aftertaste. Chefs recommend reducing the dry amount by two-thirds when substituting for fresh lavender buds.

Lavender buds are the dried flowers used in most cooking applications, and their potency increases with drying, requiring more sparing use to avoid a soapy aftertaste.

Chefs recommend reducing the dry amount by two-thirds in recipes that call for fresh lavender buds.

Lavender oil contains around 100 individual phytochemicals, including linalyl acetate, which makes up 30-55% of the oil.

Linalool is another major component, present in amounts ranging from 20-35%. This is a significant percentage, highlighting the importance of linalool in lavender oil.

Tannins are also found in lavender oil, but in smaller amounts, typically between 5-10%. This is a notable fact, as tannins are known for their astringent properties.

Caryophyllene is present in lavender oil in an amount of around 8%. This is just one of the many phytochemicals that contribute to the unique composition of lavender oil.

The relative amounts of these compounds can vary significantly among different lavender species, which is an interesting observation.