How to Grow Lavender

Lavender is one of the prettiest and most aromatic of all herbs. The leaves and flowers have a long history of use as an antiseptic and a sedative. There are many varieties available from mail order or on-line sources.

For best performance, plant lavender in full sun in well-drained soil with a Ph of 6.4 to 8.3. Lavender plants need the best drainage you can give them. Even with the right Ph, lavenders can rot and die suddenly from sitting in damp soil. That is why full sun and good drainage is essential. In places with high rainfall amounts, make a mound in which to plant your lavender. When adding soil amendments to improve the soil texture, such as manure, don't add anything that helps the soil hold water. If using gravel to create drainage, use round rock gravel because angular gravel compacts over time. Plant lavender plants at least 36 inches apart. Good air circulation is very important.

Lavender rarely needs fertilization. In fact, adding fertilizer can create too much tender top growth at the expense of flower production. If your soil is particularly sandy and barren, amend with a small amount of well-composted manure and add a 15-15-15 fertilizer once or twice during the growing season as recommended on the label .

Prune lavender back to a nice mound after it blooms. Don't cut all the way back to the wood as that damages the ability of the plant to form an attractive mounding shape. Pruning anytime before the bloom period will affect the number of blooms produced.

When purchasing lavender plants, try several different varieties. When you find one that does well, propagate from cuttings or by burying a limb that is still attached to the plant in the soil next to the plant. When it forms roots, cut away from the mother plant and place in another location.

Harvest for drying when the bottom half of the flowers on the stems are open. Hanging bunches in a dark dry area preserves the color. Wrap a rubber band around the bottom of the stems instead of a string before hanging so it will contract and hold the stems in place as the stems dry.