A WAY TO GROW LAVENDER FROM SEED
You can grow Lavender indoors from Seeds now, and then move to pots outdoors in the Spring. A pot that can accommodate the root ball with a couple of inches to spare would be a good choice. Too large a pot will only encourage excessive dampness. Insure that the container has plenty of drainage. I use small rocks at bottom of pot. Root rot is one of the few problems experienced by lavender plants. Use a loose, soil less mix for planting and remember that container grown lavender will require more water than garden grown plants. Water when the soil, not the plant, appears dry and water at the base of the plant to limit dampness on the foliage.
In the garden, lavender makes an excellent Companion plant for almost anything from roses to cabbage. It is one of those aromatic Herbs that Deer and Rabbits avoid, making it a great choice as a decoy in your Hosta or daylily beds.
A major reason lavender is so prized is that the flowers keep their fragrance when dried. For best drying results, harvest the flowers as the buds first begin to open. Hang in small bunches upside down in a warm spot with good air circulation.
Lavender flowers are also edible, and can be used raw in salads, added to soups and stews, used as a seasoning, baked into cookies and brewed into tea.
HERE IS HOW TO START YOUR SEEDS
Your Seeds Need To Be Cold Stratified To Start With. Seeds should be placed in a sealable plastic bag filled with moist soil. Use a commercial soil specially formulated for starting seeds. Place the plastic bag with the soil and seeds inside the refrigerator and allow it to sit for three weeks. Fill A Container With Seed Starting Mix. The seed starting mix should be a light potting mix that drains well. A plastic Seedling tray would be best to use.
Sprinkle Seeds On Top The Soil. If in plastic seeding tray, plant one seed per slot. Cover the Seeds With 1/8 inch (1/3 cm) Potting Mix. A light coating of potting mix protects the seeds, but will let the Seeds have access to sunlight in order to germinate.
Keep the seeds in a warm spot. A heat tray often works best, but another work location may also work as long as the temperature remains around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius). Lightly water the seeds. Keep the growing medium moist, but not damp, and water the seeds in the morning so that the soil can dry some before evening hits. Soil that is too damp and cool will invite fungus to grow, and fungus will destroy your seeds.
Lavender Seeds Can Take 2 - 4 Weeks To Sprout. After the seeds sprout, you should move the container to a location that receives plenty of direct sunlight. If no such location is available, place a fluorescent grow light about the sprouts and allow them to sit in the artificial light for eight hours a day.
Can Move To Small Pots After Lavender Gets Several Sets Of Leaves.
Wait until the leaves are "true leaves," or fully matured. At that point, the root system will have grown too large to continue sitting in the shallow trays.
Wait until the leaves are "true leaves," or fully matured. At that point, the root system will have grown too large to continue sitting in the shallow trays.
Putting In Pots.
The first transplant should be in pots at least 2 inches in diameter. You can use a potting mix. After plants are 3 inches or taller, you can move to larger pots, or can move out to the Garden if it is Springtime.
The first transplant should be in pots at least 2 inches in diameter. You can use a potting mix. After plants are 3 inches or taller, you can move to larger pots, or can move out to the Garden if it is Springtime.
Enjoy!!
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