Lavender bloom. Planting and caring for lavender in a pot at home. Sunny open space

Lavender is a very famous perennial evergreen conquering with its elegance, beauty, delicate aroma. In addition to the beautiful appearance, lavender is used in various industries industry and at home. Many countries have been suppliers of lavender for a long time, its cultivation takes place on an industrial scale. In the French province of Provence, lavender is a visiting card, 80% of this plant used in the world is grown there.

Lavender essential oil has long been used in the treatment of many diseases. And lavender tea is an ancient cure for headaches. The use of lavender oil is very wide. Due to its numerous beneficial properties, the plant is used in the treatment of various ailments.

Due to the fact that the perennial is a heat-loving plant, unable to survive the cold season in the middle lane, breeders have adapted many varieties for the Russian climate. Now lavender can be grown in places with cold winters, thanks to which it has become an adornment of many gardens.

Lavender is a perennial spicy medicinal herbaceous plant, shrub, shrub of the Lamiaceae family.

In its natural environment, lavender grows on the coast mediterranean sea, in the Canary Islands, in southern Europe, in India and Arabia, in northeast Africa. On the territory of Russia, they are found on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Many species and varieties are adapted to areas with different climates.

The root system is powerful, pivotal, woody. Stems branched, spreading, erect, tetrahedral. The leaves are elongated, narrow, linear, oblong, with an entire or serrated edge, opposite, sessile, with curled edges.

In nature, lavender flowers are blue or purple in color, many varieties have more varied colors. Tall thin peduncles rise above the bush, at the end of which 6-10 flowers are collected in false whorls, and form spike-shaped inflorescences. The plant blooms in the second half of summer. After flowering, lavender seeds are formed - a dense, dry, oval-shaped seed of dark brown color.

The spicy tart smell of lavender makes this plant in demand in the perfumery and cosmetics industry. Lavender essential oil has good medicinal properties, it is used for various ailments. Many grow lavender in open field not only as a garden decoration or as a raw material on an industrial scale, but also as a medicinal herb.

When does lavender bloom?

To ensure abundant bright flowering, it is necessary to follow a number of rules for caring for the bush. Lavender shows its flower in early summer and until autumn. At the moment when lavender blooms, the bush is covered with bright flowers, becoming like an airy "fluffy" ball. In a group landing flowering plants create an amazing and spectacular look of an elegant “bedspread”, and gently - spicy aroma from flowers fills the space of the garden for a long time. Every year, from spring to autumn, the perennial is able to decorate the flower garden. Since ancient times, the magnificent characteristics of lavender have been appreciated.

Species and varieties

Lavender is a plant that needs no introduction. Many gardeners are happy to grow these beautiful bushes, which, in addition to a wonderful elegant aroma and delicate flowers, have medicinal properties.

The genus contains approximately 25 - 30 species, but only two of them are grown in culture: narrow-leaved and broad-leaved lavender. Many varieties of lavender were obtained precisely on their basis. So, the variety of lavender "butterfly" has the most pronounced aroma. Many species are found only in warm regions, such as, for example, multi-cut lavender, which is not grown in Russia. For central Russia, only an narrow-leaved species is suitable, since it is able to survive a harsh winter, other species are more thermophilic.

The wide use of the plant makes it truly unique.

jagged

Lavender jagged

The height of a perennial shrub is not more than 1 m, in width up to 1 - 1.5 m.

The leaves are elongated, up to 4 cm long, oblong. The variety got its name due to the characteristic serrated edge of the leaf.

Serrated lavender blooms from June with violet-blue flowers collected in a capitate inflorescence at the ends of the stem. A fairly thermophilic species, it will not survive the cold season without shelter, it can withstand temperatures down to -15 C. It prefers open sunny areas, with well-drained calcareous soil.

broad-leaved

french lavender

Another name is French lavender. Among flower growers is the most sought after species. An evergreen shrub up to 1 - 1.3 m high. The plant is very fragrant, but the aroma is not as refined as that of narrow-leaved lavender. Spike inflorescences loose, up to 10 cm long. The color of the flowers is very diverse, there are blue, white, blue, pink, lilac flowers. Broad-leaved lavender blooms earlier than other representatives of the genus: the flowering period is April - June, in early autumn a second wave of flowering may occur. Drought-resistant species, able to survive frosts down to -16 C, requires additional shelter for the winter.

French lavender is considered the ancestor of decorative varieties.

English

English lavender

The height and width of the bush is up to 1 m. The leaves are narrow, dense, lanceolate, small, gray-green in color, with slight pubescence. A more frost-resistant plant compared to the broad-leaved species. During flowering in July - August, English lavender is covered with small flowers of blue, blue, lilac, collected 6-10 pieces at the tops of the stems in spike-shaped inflorescences. The aroma is fragrant, very spicy and pleasant.

Multi-cut

Lavender multicut

It is a perennial herbaceous shrub native to the Mediterranean. It does not hibernate in central Russia; it is used in cultivation as an annual plant. Fern-like openwork leaves of gray-green color. Flowers on long peduncles 40 - 60 cm high, collected in spike-shaped inflorescences of blue- purple. The first flowers of multi-cut lavender forms 1.5 - 2 months after seed germination. The bush continues to bloom throughout the season until late autumn. Lavender multi-cut in the care is quite unpretentious.

angustifolia

lavender angustifolia

Another name is English true, lavender officinalis, spicate, real, lavender angustifolia. An evergreen and highly branched subshrub, grows up to 60 - 100 cm in height. Growing, forms a spherical crown up to 1 m wide. The leaves are opposite, sessile, narrow, large, linear, about 2-6 cm long and up to 6 mm wide, oblong, gray-green, the edges are entire wrapped. Lavender angustifolia blooms with fragrant fragrant flowers for a month, usually from July to September. It is quite cold-resistant species, withstands up to -20 C, however, in snowless winters it requires shelter.

The root system is taproot, woody, branched in the upper part. Flowers up to 1 cm long, collected in false whorls of 6-10 pieces. They form loose or dense, intermittent racemose inflorescences up to 4 - 8 cm in length, mostly blue and purple hues. Peduncles are tetrahedral, the upper internodes are long, up to 30 - 45 cm. In one place it can live up to 20 years. Prefers open sunny areas, elevated above the soil level, quietly coexist in urban environments.

plant care

By itself, the bush may well do without special care, although in this case the shape of the plant and its decorative effect will suffer. Florists distinguish several basic rules for the care and maintenance of bushes. If everything is done correctly, the plant will be voluminous, retain a spherical shape, and will delight with its bright flowering every year.

Lavender care consists in periodically loosening the soil around the stem to ensure constant air circulation in the root zone of the plant, getting rid of weeds. Watering as the soil dries. In hot, dry weather, watering is increased, since the lack of moisture reduces and shortens the flowering time. On the other hand, excessive watering forms moisture stagnation in the soil, thereby causing root rot and yellowing of the stem.

In order for blooming lavender to reveal its full potential, it is necessary to plant it in the most open sunny areas of the garden. In shady areas, the plant develops quite well, but the decorative properties of the plant may suffer, there will be no lush flowering.

To enrich the soil with additional nutrients the soil under the bush is covered with rotted foliage and compost. Care must be taken to keep the soil around the trunk open, otherwise rotting of the roots can be provoked.

When preparing lavender for winter, the bush is cut off in autumn, leaving 10 - 15 cm above ground level. For a cold period of time, the flower requires additional shelter, with severe frosts and in a snowy winter, the bush may die. Gardeners recommend planting lavender in large pots or containers, in autumn it is easier to transfer them to a warm room for the winter, and it is easier and more convenient to care for lavender in a pot.

Periodic pruning of the bush is necessary to give the plant the desired shape. Without pruning, the bushes will stretch out, be slightly branched and sparse in flowers.

Fertilization

To maintain growth and lush flowering, the bush needs a complex mineral fertilizer, which can be purchased at any gardening store. Fertilizers are diluted according to the instructions, injected into the soil before flowering begins. To enhance the growth and development of green mass, the plant needs nitrogen fertilizer, which is added at the beginning of the growth of the bush in the spring. Under the influence of nitrogen, development processes are stimulated, so they are applied only once. If you reapply in the summer, the growth of the bush will increase, it will not have time to prepare for the winter period of the year.

Many gardeners cover the soil under the bush with a thick layer of compost mulch instead of fertilizing. Thanks to this, the plant receives nutrients throughout the season.

pruning

Only correct pruning lavender is able to form a neat beautiful bush, otherwise the plant will stretch out, take on an ugly shape with a bare lower part and sparse gray leaves.

In April, when young shoots 15–20 cm high are planted in open ground, randomly arranged shoots are cut to stimulate the growth of the bush. After that, the bush is left alone for a year, and next spring, last year's dry inflorescences are cut from the bush.

If the bush is healthy and well-groomed, spring pruning up to 15 cm above the ground is allowed, which in turn will help the plant reproduce young shoots. This will affect the maintenance of the decorative appearance. It is not recommended to cut the bush below 10 - 15 cm, this can provoke the death of the plant.

The main rule for cutting proper care- Don't cut too much. It is better to remove to a minimum than to overdo it and ruin the bush. Trim lavender flower stalks better in spring, and not in the fall, as many do. Faded inflorescences help the bush survive winter period time.

Many make the mistake of pruning the bush immediately after flowering, as a result, new shoots form in the flower, which can suffer with the onset of cold weather.

Diseases and pests

The lavender plant is quite resistant to diseases and pest attacks. The appearance of pests and the manifestation of diseases occur due to improper care. Due to diseases, the bush is infected with gray rot. This fungal disease is expressed in the formation of gray on the stem - brown spots, the appearance of a gray fluffy coating. Rot leads to the death of leaves, flowers, fruits, and with a strong infection, the plant can die completely.

The affected areas of the plant are cut and burned as far as possible from the planting sites. Bush treated 1% Bordeaux mixture, in extreme cases, the use of a fungicide is allowed. The appearance of gray rot indicates a violation of the rules of care. First of all, it is necessary to revise the irrigation regime, most likely the soil is very waterlogged, there is stagnant water.

Of the pests, the penny attacks the plant, which spoils the decorative appearance of the bush, eating large holes in the leaf blades. The insect is harvested by hand, the affected leaves are removed from the bush. Pennitsa lays eggs on the stem, covering them with foam, which is easily washed off with water. The jagged appearance can be spoiled by the rainbow beetle that eats the leaves of the bush. The insect is manually harvested from the plant.

Planting and reproduction

Of all the types of lavender in central Russia, only narrow-leaved lavender can survive in open ground, and only if there is good shelter for the winter. Reproduction of lavender occurs in three ways: by seed and vegetatively, by cuttings, by dividing the bush and by layering. Stratification of lavender seeds is a mandatory process before planting. Growing lavender from seeds is a rather laborious process, as a result of which it is rarely used.

Lavender at home is often used for interior decoration, as drawings and images on dishes, furniture, textiles, and in flower arrangements.

In the southern regions, at home and in greenhouses, they grow variety of varieties lavender. Some varieties, such as multi-cut lavender, which is extremely thermophilic, can now be bred in any climate zone.

How to plant lavender?

When choosing young bushes ready for planting in specialized stores, you should choose varieties adapted to the local climatic zone. Experienced flower growers advise planting lavender on the site in early spring when the night frosts stopped. Planting is possible in the fall, but only for the southern regions and no later than 2 months before the onset of cold weather.

Immediately before planting, the bush is lowered for 1-1.5 hours into cold water.

Since the plant loves elevation, before planting lavender, it is necessary to make beds at a height of 20 - 40 cm above ground level, or on a hill.

To stimulate young bushes to grow and branch, their upper part is cut off before planting. Overgrown roots and lower leafy branches are removed. For seedlings, a hole is prepared with a depth of 20 - 30 cm. The distance between plants should be equal to the growth of an adult bush. To create denser plantings, the distance between seedlings is reduced.

Lavender seeds remain viable for many years, but with proper storage. After ripening, they are harvested and sealed in a dry sealed container. In mid-autumn, lavender seeds can be sown directly into open ground without prior stratification.

How to grow lavender in the country?

First of all, you need to choose a landing site: it must be open, protected from the wind. AT shady places to achieve bright saturated flowering will not work.

How to grow lavender in the country so that it does not freeze in winter and pleases with its presence for many years? For residents of the cold climate zone, flower growers are advised to plant bushes not in open ground, but in large flowerpots, which are brought into the room with the onset of cold weather.

When planting lavender in open ground, the irrigation regime should be observed: waterlogging of the soil is extremely dangerous, it will lead to the death of the plant.

How to grow lavender in the country so that it realizes its full potential? One of the main conditions for care is to apply top dressing in a timely manner, which will stimulate the bush to rapid growth green mass, abundant and long flowering.

To create a neat lawn, border, flower bed, flower garden edging, hedge and alpine slide, you should form the crown of the bush, otherwise it will take an indefinite shape.

When growing lavender seedlings, flowering should not be expected until next year.

Seeds for seedlings are planted in late February - early March in small containers with soil. Seeds are sown in shallow holes at a distance of 2 - 3 cm from each other. The container is covered with a transparent lid, they provide constant lighting, periodic watering, a temperature of +15 ... +21 C. Under these conditions, the seeds will germinate in 1.5 - 2 weeks. During this time, the containers must be ventilated daily. As soon as shoots appear, the airing time is increased. The grown sprouts are planted in separate pots or in flowerpots at a distance of 5 cm from each other.

Young shoots tolerate transplanting well. In May, such sprouts are planted in a permanent place in open ground.

How to grow lavender at home?

To grow lavender at home, you need to choose a container with holes in the bottom to remove excess moisture. A pot with a diameter of 25 - 30 cm and a volume of up to 2 liters is suitable. It will take about 3 to 5 years for the bush to grow to its full size. During this time, the bush is transplanted annually into larger pots.

The flower needs to be able to quickly and good drain excess water. To do this, a drainage layer is laid on the bottom of the container: you can use any suitable material, for example, expanded clay, pebbles, broken bricks, nutshells, shards. Care should be taken to ensure that the drainage does not block the drain holes.

Before trying to grow lavender at home, you should create a suitable environment for it. The soil should consist of a mixture of sand and peat; eggshell. Before planting lavender seeds in pots at home, they are stratified.

The main task when caring for lavender at home is to ensure proper periodic watering, the required level of air humidity, as much sunlight and heat as possible. Water young shoots daily in the morning or evening throughout the growing season. The water must be room temperature, settled. The soil should be slightly damp, with excessive watering, you can ruin the plant. The bush loves very much when, when watering, water falls on the green parts of the plant.

To stimulate growth during the first 2-3 months, weekly young bushes are fed with liquid fertilizer (2 grams per 1 liter of water). A good level of humidity can be maintained with an electric humidifier or by hand spraying cold water around the flower pot. Light-loving lavender requires a lot of light, so it is better for her to allocate a place on the windowsill on the south side. Young shoots should create conditions so that they are at least 10 hours a day under lighting, in extreme cases, you can use phytolamps. With the onset of spring, you should take the pot with the plant outdoors for a couple of hours a day, each time slightly increasing the “walk” time.

Since the flower hibernates indoors, the bush is pruned after the peduncles have dried. In winter, the flower needs rest. At this time, watering is reduced, and the pot itself is placed in a cooler place. If the container with the plant is on the windowsill, you should take care that the heat from the central heating battery does not dry out the soil. In the event that lavender did not rest in winter, but went into growth, with the advent of spring, the growths that have grown over the winter must be cut off.

How to plant lavender seeds?

Before sowing lavender seeds, they must be pre-treated - stratified. For proper stratification, the seeds are poured into a pot with wet sand, covered with a lid and put away in the cold, kept for 1.5 - 2 months at a temperature of +5 C. Lavender is planted twice a year - in early spring and mid-autumn.

In October harvested seeds lavenders are sown in the ground, sprinkled on top with a layer of earth up to 4 mm high. If the ground is dry, then the bed must be moistened. In winter, the landing site is covered with a large layer of snow, thereby natural stratification occurs. After the lavender seeds were planted in the ground before winter, the first shoots can be expected no earlier than May, in some cases even later, when the night frosts pass.

For spring planting, seeds previously aged in the cold are used. To grow lavender from seeds at home, prepare a container with peat loose drained soil, sow the seeds. If after 2 - 3 weeks shoots did not appear, the pot with seeds is removed for one month in the refrigerator for re-stratification. In May, as soon as the temperature does not fall below -5 ... -7 C at night, the seeds are sown in open ground at a distance of 1.5 - 2 cm from each other.

cuttings

Propagating bushes with cuttings is quite simple. For this, lignified annual shoots are suitable, which are divided by 10 cm, rooted in moist soil by 2–7 cm, covered with a transparent cap and watered regularly. The ambient temperature should be within +15…+20 С, it is necessary good lighting and fairly humid air. When warm weather sets in, lavender cuttings are opened, after which they take root and grow very quickly.

You can quickly propagate the bush with the help of layering. To do this, in the spring, 2-3 branches are pressed to the ground, deepened into holes up to 5 cm high, fixed with brackets and covered with soil. After a while, the branch will take root. A new bush is separated from the mother bush in the fall, after pruning.

The propagation method by dividing the bush is as follows. Before preparing for winter, the bush is cut, leaving 10 - 15 cm above ground level, carefully spud, densely filling the bushes with earth. In summer, the bush grows well, gives a lot of young growth, which takes root well. At the end of the season, the bush is dug up, divided, cut with a knife, then the delenki are seated in new places.

Preparing for winter

Some types of lavender are considered hardy. They are able to withstand temperatures up to -25 C. However, experienced gardeners, in any case, are advised to cover the bushes for the cold. Preparation of lavender for winter begins at the end of the season, after low pruning of bushes, on which tree branches are laid. The most suitable branches for this purpose coniferous trees. Do not fill the beds with fallen leaves, under them the bushes can begin to rot and rot.

Lavender in the interior

It is not necessary to have a garden to grow lavender. It will decorate and delight any home with its look and aroma. A bouquet of dry lavender will perfectly fit into any bedroom, providing a serene, restful sleep, and will also fill the room with a delicate aroma of summer. In the interior, lavender will bring a lively note, because in the apartment a pot of lavender looks like a small green island.

In many cultures, the lavender flower is attributed as a symbol of beauty, tenderness, love and sophistication. In addition to the bouquet flower pots, the interior is often decorated with fragrant linen bags with chopped fragrant grass inside. Such sachets exude a pleasant floral aroma, often used by housewives to flavor rooms and cabinets. Many decorate the room with a lavender wreath of dried flowers. Various accessories with the image of a lilac flower, whether they are pieces of furniture or textiles, look harmoniously in any interior.

Useful properties and application in traditional medicine

The composition of lavender includes essential oils, which contain tannins, linalol, coumarins, herniarin, amyl alcohol, citral, bisabolene, cedar, acetic, valeric, butyric, caproic acids. Lavender essential oil is obtained from flowers, since they contain the highest content, about 0.8 - 1.2%. The oil from the inflorescence has anticonvulsant, sedative, diuretic, antiseptic and bactericidal properties.

The use of lavender in traditional medicine has a wide range of uses. Flowers are used to treat diseases. of cardio-vascular system, nervous disorders, diseases of the digestive tract, diseases of the kidneys and the genitourinary system. Medicinal properties lavenders are undeniable and proven in centuries-old practice, there is no doubt about the beneficial effects on the human body.

In cosmetology, lavender oil is used for hair: its effect literally from the first application gives positive results. Lavender oil for the face is considered an unsurpassed and safe remedy for combating age-related skin changes, skin rashes, and allergy manifestations.

Application of lavender

In folk medicine, dried and freshly picked lavender is prescribed for internal and external use. With various infectious diseases, insomnia, various nervous disorders, diseases of the respiratory tract, disorders in the gastrointestinal tract, diseases of the female reproductive system and other ailments, an infusion and decoction of lavender are prescribed.

Lotions and essential oil prescribed for various skin diseases, insect and animal bites. Lavender is very useful for hair: it helps to restore brittle damaged hair, in combination with other methods it helps to cope with diseases of the scalp. Essential oil is used for massage, rubbing. While bathing, it is useful to add an infusion or a few drops of lavender essential oil to the water.

Plants are also used in everyday life: lavender relieves moths. For this purpose, dry twigs are laid out on the shelves of the cabinet or rag bags with crushed dry flowers are placed. The fragrant spicy aroma also repels insects such as mosquitoes and flies.

Beneficial features

Due to the calming and relaxing properties, lavender tea is recommended for sleep disorders, nervous exhaustion. Baths and massages using essential oils, as well as aromatherapy, help with headaches, have a mild, hypnotic effect, which allows you to reduce tension and relieve muscle pain syndromes.

Essential oil of lavender

Thanks to healing properties lavender essential oil application based on it has a wide range of uses. In appearance, the oil is almost transparent, with a barely noticeable yellow tint. Due to good compatibility with other essential oils, fragrant, fragrant compositions are created for wide use, both in everyday life and for medicinal purposes. Lavender oil for the face is most often used in cosmetology in the production of masks, creams, gels and other products. The use of lavender essential oil for hair can be a salvation for diseases of the scalp, dandruff, damaged hair structure, hair loss and brittleness.

Contraindications

Lavender essential oil is not an allergen, but this does not mean that precautions should be neglected. A sensitivity test must be carried out before use. It is not recommended to use essential oil during pregnancy, breastfeeding, hypotension, as it affects the hormonal background and arterial pressure. When taking iron and iodine-containing preparations, it is better to refuse essential oils. The smell of lavender is very fragrant and spicy. Not every person can safely endure such a strong aroma, some of the thick smell becomes ill. In this case, the use of essential oil should be discontinued.

Application in cooking

Lavender is truly a versatile plant. In addition to cosmetology, medicine and perfumery, in many countries it is used in cooking. It is added in the preparation of almost every dish - in meat, salads, sauces, desserts, drinks. In Russia in cooking this spicy herb not used so often, mostly drink tea with lavender. It gives the drink a pleasant spicy and fragrant aroma, in addition, this tea is very healthy.

Tea with lavender

Lavender tea is considered a universal remedy for maintaining health in the treatment of many ailments. Tea with lavender is drunk for headaches, nervous exhaustion, excitability. It helps to relax and get rid of insomnia. Many women report a reduction in nausea and pain during menstruation.

Classic lavender tea is made from two tablespoons of dried flowers and one cup of boiling water. It is necessary to infuse the drink for 10 - 15 minutes. Do not get carried away with such drinks, otherwise local allergic reactions may begin, as well as indigestion. The daily norm of such tea is no more than 2 - 3 cups per day.

Application in landscape design

Lavender in the garden has a spectacular, compact and neat appearance, looks good both in mono plantings and in compositions with other garden ornamental plants. In landscape design, lavender is used to create flower beds, rock gardens, rockeries, paths, and hedges. Angustifolia lavender is perfect for creating borders for flower beds and borders. A good background and frame for flower beds is multi-cut lavender. In one color composition, you can combine several varieties and types, which will give the garden an original and unusual look.

Lavender is one of the most famous aromatic plants. There is probably no person who, hearing this name, would not remember the lavender scent. Not everyone loves this smell, but few will be left indifferent by the sight of a blooming lavender field- a purple sea of ​​flowers swaying in the wind.

Lavender was popular in ancient Egypt, it was grown in the sacred garden of the city of Thebes. The ancient Romans used lavender flowers for bathing, washing hands, dishes, and laundry. Hence the name of the flower: in Latin lavare- wash.

AT Soviet time lavender was grown in the Crimea for oil production. Over the past 25 years, its plantings have greatly decreased, many essential oil farms have collapsed. But in 2016, lavender plantations were updated with 2 million new seedlings. This gives reason to hope for the revival of the industry.

For thousands of years people have used lavender as an aromatic, essential oil, melliferous, medicinal, disinfectant plant. But it is no less valuable as a decorative culture, which, with proper care, can be grown even in the Moscow region.

Lavender is a genus of evergreen semi-shrub from 30 to 100 cm high with narrow green or gray-green leaves and spike-shaped inflorescences. Flowers are most often lilac or lilac-blue in color. All parts of the plant contain essential oil, the highest concentration of which is in the flowers. In nature, lavender is found in the Canary Islands, Arabia, East and North Africa, India and southern Europe. At favorable conditions lavender bushes live up to 25 years.

The genus includes 47 species and 7 hybrids.

The best known member of the genus is lavender angustifolia, or real, or English (Lavandula angustifolia, L. officinalis) . Leaves from 2 to 6 cm long, narrow, with curled edges, gray-green due to pubescence. The flowers are bluish-purple. This is the only type of lavender that winters in open ground in central Russia. In culture, various varieties of this species are grown, differing in flower color, for example:

Munstead- lilac-blue,

A lba- white,

Rosea- pink,

Gem- dark purple.

Lavender jagged (Lavandula dentata) differs from other species in soft gray-green or silvery leaves with jagged edges and large purple flowers. It is widely grown as an ornamental and essential oil plant. The most popular variety of jagged lavender is Royal Crown, with purple flowers.

Lavender stahadskaya, or French (Lavandula stoechas) has narrow leaves 1-4 cm long and pinkish-purple flowers. Distributed in southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia.

For lavender broadleaf (Lavandula latifolia), characterized by lanceolate leaves 3-6 cm long and 5-8 mm wide, wider than most lavender species. Flowers are light blue. Its aroma differs from the smell of narrow-leaved lavender due to the presence of cineole, camphor and borneol in the composition. It is less refined, but the content of essential oil in plants of this species is higher. The most popular varieties:

Papillon- mauve flowers resembling butterflies,

Tiara- large blue flowers

Regal Splendour- dark purple flowers.

lavender petiolate (Lavandula pedunculata) contains essential oils, the composition of which is close to the oils of broad-leaved lavender. It has decorative value due to large inflorescences, consisting of scaly bracts and long purple flowers at the top.

Woolly lavender (Lavandula lanata) got its name from the thick layer of hairs on the leaves. Long spike-shaped inflorescences are purple in color.

Lavender multicut (Lavandula multifida) in appearance is very different from other varieties. The leaves are dissected, reminiscent of fern leaves, and bluish-purple inflorescences are arranged in threes together at the end of a long peduncle. It grows in northern Africa and southern Europe. In central Russia, it does not hibernate in open ground, it is grown as an annual or houseplant.

Lavender green (Lavandula viridis) has an unusual color, its leaves and flowers are greenish-yellow. A particularly drought-resistant species, it grows in Portugal and Madeira.

Lavender hybrid, or Dutch, or lavandin (Lavandula intermedia) is a natural sterile hybrid of English lavender with broadleaf. Differs in large inflorescences and narrow silvery leaves. It grows up to 2 m high. It is used for making essential oils. Most famous varieties:

Arabian night- dark violet,

Grosso- violet,

Seal- blue-lilac,

Olympia- dark violet.

Growing lavender

What wisdom do you need to know in order to grow lavender in open ground? Planting and care, pruning, site selection ... Let's consider everything in order.

Selecting a landing site

Wild lavender grows in mountainous and hilly areas, and prefers those areas where there is a large amount of rainfall. Industrial cultivation of lavender geographically coincides with viticulture zones: France, Italy, Moldova, Crimea, North Caucasus. The soils on which this shrub grows are infertile, slate or carbonate.

Important: lavender does not tolerate close occurrence ground water or stagnant water during heavy rainstorms or melting snow in the spring. Therefore, when landing, you need to choose a high place and provide good drainage.

To do this, add washed river sand or fine gravel to the soil. On heavy loam, lavender may not survive the winter.

Before planting, a bucket of rotted manure or compost, 35-50 g of superphosphate and 20-25 g of potassium salt per 1 m² of area are added. This plant loves alkaline soils, acidic soils must be limed until a pH of 6.5-7.5 is reached.

The place where lavender will grow should be as sunny and open as possible.

Care

The plant is undemanding to moisture, but does not tolerate prolonged droughts. On light sandy or peaty soils in dry summers, it needs regular watering; on loamy soils, there is usually enough rain. In hot summers, mulching the soil around the bushes will retain moisture and prevent the formation of a crust on the soil surface. If you leave the soil bare, then you need to loosen it periodically to ensure air access to the roots. But in heavy rains, it is better to rake the mulch from the bushes so that the plants do not rot.

In early summer, lavender can be fed with nitrogen fertilizers if the soil is very poor. In the second half of summer, excessive nitrogen can interfere with flowering, but potassium supplements will come in handy.

Wintering

In a temperate climate, only narrow-leaved lavender winters in the open gunt, other types of lavender cannot endure the harsh Russian winters. But for the successful wintering of this single species, certain conditions are needed:

• Bushes are loosely covered with spruce branches (coniferous tree branches), especially in areas open to the wind. It is better not to cover with foliage, the plants can rot.
• In harsh winters with little snow, snow is raked around the bushes to save them from freezing.
• In the spring, the snow is raked away, accelerating the warming up of the frozen soil and creating conditions for the inclusion of the roots in the work.
• Cut bushes to reduce the area of ​​evaporation, otherwise the plants may dry out in the bright spring sun, when the roots are not yet able to draw water from the frozen ground.

pruning

Some gardeners mistakenly believe that it is enough to remove only faded flower stalks from lavender. But then the plant will stretch out a lot, the branches will be bare from below and the bush will not look very decorative.

Important: lavender pruning is necessary. When pruning, the shoots are shortened by one third of the length.

In the south, this procedure is carried out in the fall, in the middle lane and Siberia it is better to postpone pruning until spring so that the plant is less affected in winter.

Bushes older than 10 years must be rejuvenated. They are cut almost to the root, leaving only 5 cm above the ground from the shoots. An old bush with a height of more than 1.5 m grew on my site. It is already over 20 years old, the previous owners launched it, the old branches were very bare and gradually died off. But after a strong pruning on lifeless-looking branches, new strong shoots began to grow as if from nothing. So even in the case of a neglected bush, do not be afraid to carry out anti-aging pruning, the appearance of the plant will only benefit from this.

growing at home

Lavender can be successfully grown not only in open ground, but also in room conditions. To do this, you must follow the following rules:

• From the end of October to February, organize additional lighting so that the daylight hours are at least 10 hours.
• The room must be ventilated, but the plant must not be exposed to cold air, it is dangerous to leave it under an open window in winter.
• The main danger for lavender growing in an apartment is dry hot air coming from batteries. central heating. Therefore, in winter, lavender pots should be taken out to a cool room, where the temperature will not exceed 15 degrees and not fall below 5 degrees. If this is not possible, it is recommended to install a humidifier in the room and spray the plants daily with water from a spray bottle.
• In summer, lavender pots are best taken out onto a balcony or loggia.

reproduction

Most often, lavender is propagated by green cuttings. For beginners, such methods as dividing the bush and propagating by layering are more suitable. But if there are no cuttings or bushes at hand, then it is quite possible to grow it fragrant plant from seeds.

Reproduction by seeds

In the southern regions, lavender seeds can be sown directly in open ground before winter. But in most of our country, winters are too severe for this method of planting, and plants are grown through seedlings.

In January, the seeds are mixed with sterilized wet sand and placed in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. After one or two months, in February-March, the seeds are planted in prepared soil. To prepare the soil, 3 parts of garden soil, 2 parts of humus and 1 part of washed river sand are mixed. It is also good to add perlite.

When two true leaves appear, the seedlings dive into separate pots. In May-June, seedlings are planted in a permanent place, keeping a distance of 50-100 cm between the bushes. The further south the growing region, the more magnificent the bushes will be and the more space should be left for the development of plants.

Lavender starts to bloom on the second abundant flowering from the third year.

Reproduction by cuttings

To breed lavender at the end of June, young, slightly lignified cuttings 10 cm long are cut off. The lower leaves are cut off, the cut is powdered with root and planted in a mini-greenhouse, maintaining a distance of 6 cm between rows and 4 cm in a row. The substrate for planting needs a light one: a mixture of sand, perlite, peat, turf land.

After 4-5 weeks, the branches will grow roots. If the cuttings grow in the ground, then transplanting them to a permanent place is left in the spring. Young plants in pots should be transplanted no later than mid-August, so that they have time to take root in a new place before the onset of cold weather. Therefore, cuttings should not be late. If, nevertheless, it did not work out in time to plant the shoots in a permanent place, you can arrange for them to winter in a cool room with a temperature of 5-15 degrees.

Reproduction by layering

This is the easiest way to propagate lavender, available even to novice gardeners. In the spring, the lower shoots are bent to the ground and laid on the bottom of the groove 3-5 cm deep. Then they are fixed, for example, with a thick wire hairpin and sprinkled with earth. At the end of summer, roots form on the buried area of ​​the stem, as evidenced by the appearance of new leaves. If the roots have not grown enough for independent existence, then leave layering until next summer. A year later, the shoot with roots is carefully cut off, the place of cut is sprinkled with coal and the new plant is transplanted to a permanent place.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

An overgrown lavender bush over 3 years old can be divided into several separate plants. In autumn, the bush must be cut off strongly, to a height of 8-10 cm from the ground, and it is good to spud with earth, so that there is no void between the stems. In the spring, pour the earth again, as the soil will settle over the winter. In autumn, the bush can be dug up and divided into individual plants.

Diseases and pests

Lavender is a fairly trouble-free plant in terms of disease and pest damage. But occasionally he gets in trouble.

Gray rot

Due to waterlogging in cool weather, lavender bushes can get gray rot. This happens quite rarely when there are problems with drainage. Decayed parts of the plant should be cut off and burned so as not to spread the fungus.

Pennitsa (slobber)

This insect from the category of cicadas is distributed throughout Russia. The length of the penny is 5-8 mm, it can have a different color, from solid black to light brown with various patterns. They can live in both very wet and very dry places.

Pennitsa lays eggs at the base of lavender shoots. The larvae that hatch from them produce a foamy liquid similar to saliva. It is necessary for protection from enemies and from drying out. The larvae feed on the juices of the host plant, which greatly weakens it and reduces its decorative effect.

To remove the slobber larvae, you need to wash them off with a stream of water from a hose. Insecticide treatment also helps.

Rainbow beetle (rosemary beetle)

This leaf beetle, 5-8 mm long, has a very beautiful color - longitudinal stripes of green and purple, shimmering with metal. It feeds on leaves of lavender, rosemary, less often thyme, sage and perovskaya. You can only fight it mechanically.

Agalmatium biloba

Agalmatium is distributed in the south of Russia and specializes in essential oil crops. This insect, up to 6 mm long, lays pale yellow eggs in groups of 2-22 on lavender stems from the shady side. Sticky eggs are covered with dust, masquerading as lumps of earth. The larvae that hatch from the eggs feed on lavender leaves, forming dots and spots on them.

To protect against agalmatiums, plants are treated with insecticides.

Harvesting lavender

Collecting lavender begins when half of the flower stalks have blossomed. At this time, the aroma is the strongest, and the color of the flowers is especially bright. Usually it is the end of June.

Collection is carried out late in the morning, in dry weather. It is better if the day is cool, then more essential oil will remain. Use pruners or scissors to collect. The collected inflorescences are laid out on paper or tied in small bouquets and hung on a rope with flowers down. The drying room should be protected from direct sunlight and well ventilated.

Lavender in landscape design

Lavender - necessary element garden in mediterranean style. Alpine slides, rockeries, apothecary gardens, tubs on the patio, pots on the balcony - this elegant plant will be appropriate everywhere. Often, lavender bushes line paths in gardens and parks, allowing you to immerse yourself in a cloud of their aroma while walking.

Classic is the combination of lavender with rose bushes. Very effective joint plantings with plants that have yellow flowers. An ideal companion for young lavender bushes is the escholzia with its large bright carrot flowers. In a spice garden, lavender would be appropriate next to rosemary, catnip, oregano, and sage.

Video

Before you see lavender, of course, you will smell its intoxicating smell, which extends far beyond your flower bed. And although someone may say that the flowering of this culture is not as beautiful as, for example, the flowering of a rose or a lily, however, there is a unique charm in lavender and a reminder of steppe herbs, which attracts many gardeners so much and they no doubt give it to a fragrant perennial square meters in their areas.

So, elegant lavender. it perennial, which has thin pointed leaves and blooms in summer with spike-shaped inflorescences. Volumetric lavender bushes always remain green - for 9-11 years of the plant's life. Lavender blooms for a very long time: it is worth cutting off faded inflorescences, as it immediately releases new ones.

Inflorescences can have different shades. Landscape designers very often plant lavender so that the flower bed has a gradient color transition - from white to rich purple and pink.

The plant is completely unpretentious in care: it tolerates drought, almost does not get sick, does not need a garter - it will delight you and does not require complex agrotechnical procedures. Just enough:

• regularly loosen the soil;
• remove weeds;
• water;
• cut the bushes after flowering;
• properly prepare for the winter.

Lavender loves warmth, so it develops well only in regions where summers are quite long and winters are not too severe. Therefore, in the northern regions, culture is not planted in open ground, but it can be grown at home in an ordinary flower pot. Or plant it in tubs and, in the event of a cold snap, bring it from the garden to the terrace or balcony.

Lavender is a honey plant: its aroma is attractive to bees and various butterflies. But at the same time, it repels harmful insects, so the defeat of bushes by them is extremely rare.

How is lavender used?

Most likely you know: lavender is not only ornamental plant. First of all, it is an essential oil culture, an extract (essential oil) from which is actively used in cosmetology, aromatherapy and medicine. Lavender oil treats joint pain, burns and skin diseases. Recommend lavender oil and people prone to headaches, and especially migraines.

Many massage therapists use fragrant lavender essential oil for a relaxing procedure.

The inflorescences themselves are also used as a spice: in small quantities they are added to the first and second courses, salads and sauces. The soothing property of lavender added to tea is widely known: a cup of aromatic drink relieves stress and insomnia, restoring peace of mind.

Therefore, if you planted lavender bushes at your dacha, collect its flowers as soon as they bloom (during this period they concentrate the maximum of substances useful to humans), dry them outdoors in the shade and put them in fabric bags. If you need to have a good rest and get away from worries - put such a bag under the pillow, and your sleep will be like that of a baby.

Popular varieties and types of lavender

In total, biologists distinguish a little more than 30 varieties of lavender. They differ in the color and shape of the inflorescences, the height of the bush, the structure and color of the leaves.

Consider the most popular types of this crop and how you can grow lavender in the country.

The lavender is real. You can also hear about it under the names "English", "narrow-leaved", "medicinal", "spikelet". This is what breeders have in mind when they talk about lavender. The shrub of English lavender is quite voluminous: both in height and in width it reaches 1 m. The height of the peduncle of this variety is about 80 cm. Real lavender blooms in June-July with small flowers collected in a brush.

The type of lavender officinalis includes different varieties, among which there are dwarf ones (for example, "Little Lottie" and "Nana Alba"), as well as plants with different shades of inflorescences:

• white - grade "Alba";
• blue - "Beechwood Blue";
• pink - "Rosea";
• purple - "Gem" and "Hidcote".

Lavender broadleaf. This species is distinguished by a very strong aroma, and also by the fact that 3 inflorescences appear at once on one stem of the plant.

Dutch lavender. Also, the plant is called "hybrid lavender" or "Lavandin". A hybrid lavender was bred by Dutch breeders on the basis of English and broad-leaved. Culture got high decorative qualities: long inflorescences, large flowers. The bushes themselves reach a width of 2 meters. This variety is considered late: the plant blooms only in July.

Dutch lavender is very popular in the parks and gardens of southern Europe. In central Russia, it is planted less frequently due to its instability to lower temperatures.

If you still decide to choose this particular type of culture, pay attention to the stunningly beautiful varieties:

• lilac - grade "Grosso";
• pink - "Sawyers";
• blue - "Arabian Night";
• purple - "Richard Gray".

Toothed lavender. Very interesting decorative appearance: it has silvery carved leaves and large flowers. The bush itself is quite compact (only 30 cm high), charming with its bright flowers. In open ground, it feels good in the southern regions, and in the middle lane it can be grown as a houseplant.

French lavender. This species is planted in open ground, because the bushes are quite high (up to 1.3 m) and voluminous. The leaves of this variety of lavender are large, and the flowers, on the contrary, are small, located in small inflorescences. Landscape designers often choose this type of lavender to decorate hedges or to create a blooming corridor along paths.

Lavender: planting site selection and soil preparation

In order for the culture to please you with flowering and feel great, before choosing a variety for planting, find out which breeders recommend for your region. It is better to immediately choose a culture adapted to the desired temperature and humidity than to treat the plant in the future.

Young lavender bushes are often planted in the spring, when there are no longer night frosts on the soil surface. However, if you live in the southern region, you can plant in the fall (40-50 days before the onset of frost): the mild winter of the southern latitudes will not be able to harm the young plant.

The place for planting lavender must be chosen carefully: the culture loves well-lit sunbeams plots. It is in the sun that lavender will bloom in full force, but once in the shade, the plant will bloom poorly and for a short time.

It is also necessary to take into account the level of soil moisture: if the broad-leaved lavender still somehow endures excess moisture, then the narrow-leaved lavender will immediately begin to hurt. The place is not suitable for lavender if:

• the area is swampy;
• groundwater is too close to the surface.

When it is not possible to find a dry site, but you really want to plant lavender, gardeners build artificial earth embankments with a drainage layer and then plant bushes on a hill.

Popular varieties of narrow-leaved lavender, planting and caring for which require more vigilance from the gardener, are sensitive to soil acidity and its structure. Therefore, before placing the plant in a permanent place, add lime or wood ash to the soil - this will reduce the acidity level to the optimum.

Any variety of lavender develops well in sandy loamy alkaline soil with an average fertility rate.

Planting lavender in open ground

So, you bought a young seedling and chose for it the best place Location on. It's time to start planting the plant:

1. Place the plant in water and leave it for 60-90 minutes. So the roots will prepare for the speedy rooting.
2. Make high beds (20-40 cm).
3. Cut off the top of the bush - this will give the plant an incentive to quickly develop new shoots.
4. Remove the lower branches and leaves altogether.
5. Also remove excess roots if the bush has too many of them.
6. On average, the depth of the planting hole for lavender should be 30 cm.
7. Leave at least 30 cm between the bushes (this is enough for compact varieties), maximum 1.2 m (for tall bushes). Experienced gardeners consider that the distance between the bushes should be equal to the height of an adult bush of this variety. But if you are thinking about how to grow lavender so that the bushes create a thick “carpet”, cut this distance in half.

Reproduction of lavender

There are several ways to grow lavender: from seeds, cuttings or cuttings. It all depends on whether you have a strong plant ready to divide or if you are just dreaming of planting lavender in your garden for the first time.

How to grow lavender from seeds

Planting lavender seeds is not an easy process. Resort to it if you do not have the opportunity to purchase a young plant for planting.

Before planting, lavender seeds must be stratified - exposure to low temperatures. The procedure will help increase the immunity of the future plant, which will protect it during wintering or in case of sudden changes in temperature.

Stratification can be done in two ways:

1. Natural. To do this, the seeds are planted in open ground in the fall (approximately at the end of September). Then, having overwintered, the plant will receive the necessary immunity. However, this method is only suitable for southern countries and regions. In the middle lane, during autumn planting, the seeds will simply die, and you will not wait for seedlings in the spring.
2. Artificial. Everything is very simple: mix the seeds with sand in a small container, wrap it in a bag and put it in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator (vegetable). The seeds should be in the refrigerator for at least 1.5 months.

It is necessary to carry out artificial stratification in the fall, in order to switch to planting in boxes or pots in the middle of winter. Prepare the soil and plant seeds in it. For 7-10 days, cover the boxes with glass or film and place in a dark place. Don't forget to water the seedlings (but don't flood).

When sprouts appear, you can transfer the box to a bright and warm place (the optimum temperature is +15 - +22 o C). Here, young lavender will develop and grow stronger until spring. When warm weather sets in and the soil warms up, the plants can be moved to a permanent place in the garden.

However, do not expect flowering this year. The culture will need the whole season for the development of the root system and the growth of leaf mass.

How to plant lavender cuttings

Cuttings are considered the simplest and effective way breeding lavender bushes of any variety. The procedure is no different from cuttings of other crops:

• with a sharp knife, cut off a one-year-old stiff shoot;
• cut it into cuttings;
• prepare suitable soil;
• deepen the cuttings 2-3 cm into the ground;
• cover the seedlings with a film, creating a greenhouse;
• water the plants regularly.

Cuttings will root quickly. After that, it remains only to transplant the lavender to the chosen place in the garden, following the planting pattern.

Propagation of a lavender bush by layering

This method of rooting a branch of a plant will not cause difficulties even for the most inexperienced grower. At the beginning of summer, from an adult bush, the shoot bends down to the ground (does not cut off), fits into a hole and sprinkles with soil. Only the tip of the shoot remains on the surface. In order for the shoot to remain in the ground, it is either fixed with wire or a load is placed on top.

Layers need to be watered regularly and after a couple of months it will form its own root system. Then it can be carefully separated from mother bush and put in a permanent place.

Reproduction of lavender by dividing the bush

If you have bushes that have been growing in the garden for several years and produce abundant young shoots, then you can propagate the plant by simply dividing the bush. For this:

• a strong bush is selected;
• in summer, the upper shoots are cut off (to strengthen the root system);
• the plant is spudded so that there is earth between the shoots;
• all summer the culture is in this state;
• in the fall, lavender is dug up and carefully divided into two parts, trying to minimally damage the root system;
• separated plants are planted again in the ground.

How to care for lavender outdoors

In nature, lavender is found in mountainous areas, where there is often a large amount of rainfall. Therefore, the culture loves regular watering, although it can survive a temporary lack of moisture normally. The main thing here is to observe the measure - water the soil as soon as you notice it drying out.

• excessive moisture will lead to rotting of the roots of the culture;
• lack of moisture - to reduce the duration of flowering.

To prolong the flowering of lavender in the garden, simply cut off faded inflorescences. And in order to accelerate the development of the plant next year, you need to cut the bush with the approach of winter, while leaving 5-6 of the strongest young shoots. During the flowering season, shoots that are too long can be removed to preserve the decorativeness of the bush.

Lavender responds very well to hilling, as well as loosening the soil and removing weeds. The fact is that lavender needs oxygen to reach the roots.

Also, experienced flower growers recommend mulching the soil around the bushes, especially in spring and autumn period, - this will contribute to the uniform evaporation of moisture and the preservation of looseness of the soil. As mulch, you can use foliage or special decorative substrates that are sold in gardening stores. Most importantly, leave the base of the lavender bush open to avoid moisture accumulation and the onset of rotting processes.

Insects infect lavender bushes rarely. Perhaps only the appearance of pennitsa, which lays larvae on lavender leaves, covering them with white foam. By themselves, the larvae are not harmful to the plant, but they violate its decorative effect. To fix the problem, simply wash the penny larvae off the leaves with a stream of water.

Lavender: Fertilizing

1. To feed lavender bushes during the period of flowering, mineral fertilizer complexes are used. To do this, dilute in 10 liters of water 2 tbsp. l. fertilizer and water the lavender with the resulting solution.
2. Nitrogen fertilizers will help the crop to increase the green mass. They also need to be bred 2 tbsp. l. to a bucket of water. However, be careful: such top dressing can only be done in spring or early summer, and starting from the second half of summer they are prohibited: lavender activates growth and will not be able to properly prepare for wintering.

Lavender: preparing the plant for wintering

In the middle lane, lavender will need winter shelter. And although some gardeners claim that the culture is able to withstand sub-zero temperatures on its own, it is better not to risk it.

After the autumn shearing of the bush, it should be covered with branches ( ideal option there will be branches of coniferous trees) - under such a shelter sufficient ventilation and heat will remain. But lavender bushes should not be covered with leaves: a lack of air circulation can provoke rotting of the culture.

How to grow lavender indoors

If you want your apartment to be filled with a magical aroma, you can easily grow lavender (including from seeds) at home. Choose compact dwarf varieties for this.

Let's bring simple instructions, following which, you will easily create comfortable conditions for the plant.

1. Prepare small containers, the volume of which will not exceed 2 liters.
2. Put drainage (gravel, pebbles or shards) at the bottom of the pots. Make sure that the drain holes do not overlap, otherwise the plant will rot from the accumulated moisture.
3. Prepare a soil mixture of sand and peat with the addition of a small amount of crushed eggshells.
4. Plant a young bush or seeds.
5. Remember that in the room where lavender grows, the temperature should not fall below +15 ° C.
6. It is advisable to place the plant near the window so that it receives a sufficient amount of sunlight. If this is not possible, you can use artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps.
7. Lavender should be watered as the soil dries out with water at room temperature. It is also useful to spray the leaves.
8. When the culture finishes flowering, remove the inflorescences.
9. With the onset of winter, the plant needs to create conditions for rest: water rarely, put in a cool place.

How to grow lavender: video

The name lavender comes from the Latin lava meaning "to wash, clean". This name was born from the tradition of the Romans to fill their baths with fresh and fragrant lavender infusions. It was they who were among the first to appreciate the properties of this plant and began to use its flowers, leaves and oil in cosmetology and medicine.

Lavender is a shrub that came to us from the Mediterranean coast. There are approximately 28 varieties of the plant, and only 2 species are cultivated for essential oil production - broad-leaved and narrow-leaved lavender. Provence is considered the birthplace of this flowering essential oil shrub - it is not for nothing that they say that Provence smells of lavender. Its distribution range is from Somalia to India. This article will discuss how to grow lavender in our climatic conditions.

The easiest way to get a beautiful front lawn

You have, of course, seen perfect lawn in the cinema, in the alley, and perhaps on the neighbor's lawn. Those who have ever tried to grow a green area in their area will no doubt say that this is a huge job. The lawn requires careful planting, care, fertilization, watering. However, only inexperienced gardeners think so, professionals have long known about the innovative tool - liquid turf AquaGrazz.

Family: Lamiaceae, subfamily - lavender (Lavanduloideae), genus - lavender (Lavandula).

Homeland: Provence, grows in India and the Mediterranean, angustifolia takes root in Central Russia.

Flowering: July-August, blooms for 2-3 years.

Growth: fast.

Light: bright.

Temperature: Likes hot places.

Watering: plentiful in dry weather, loves light soil, does not tolerate standing groundwater.

Air humidity: insignificant.

Top dressing: before planting and annually in the spring with nitrogen solutions.

Pruning: spring. It is important not to cut the stiff stems.

Rest period: autumn-winter.

Transplantation: a semi-shrub can grow in one place up to 20 years.

Propagation: seeds or cuttings in early spring or autumn in October.

Everyone remembers the popular song "Lavender, mountain lavender". Singing it, we seem to feel the spicy smell of a flower and see this lilac-pink beauty before our eyes. Externally flowering shrub it looks very nice, and its care is simple: you can grow it from seeds bought in a store. A short branching trunk, the lower branches are covered with a grayish-brown bark, and the leaves are showered. A considerable number of green shoots 35-45 cm long grow annually. The root of the plant is branched, spreads along the upper layer of soil, and reaches a depth of 4 m. The leaves of the shrub are densely growing, massive, reach a length of 2.5-6.0 cm, a width of 1.5-5 mm, located opposite each other . Their shape and color may vary different types. Charming lavender has an elongated spikelet-shaped inflorescence of 10 smaller flowers. The corolla is painted in various shades of purple, pink, lilac.

Lavender flowers are the most valuable and fragrant part of the plant, creating unique color compositions in landscape design. Perfectly sets off roses and goes well with flowers yellow tones. Growing a shrub not only helps to create a bright background for a flower garden, but also does an excellent job as a hedge: streams of lilac, pink and purple resemble the bed of a river flowing along garden paths. Sometimes the plant is used to strengthen the slopes: having a developed root system, it well counteracts the sinking of soils on hillocks and mounds.

The use of this culture is diverse and unlimited. landscape design. Shrub used:

Growing a crop at home is in great demand: it will take root perfectly on the southeast window of the house - you just need to ensure proper care for it. Seedlings, like seeds, are sold in specialized stores. This flower decorates the interior and fills the room with a fragrant aroma.

Varieties

The species and varieties of this plant require different growing conditions and individual care. Each of them can make the landscape of your site unique. Consider the most popular.

lavender broadleaf

This species is also called French (Lavandula stoechas). The most thermophilic. It is cultivated in the southern regions of France for the production of essential oil. Among the distinctive features of the broad-leaved species are the following:

• fragrant smell;
• early and long flowering, lasting from April to July;
• a diverse palette of inflorescences: among them there are shades of burgundy, emerald, lilac, pinkish and white.

angustifolia

Lavender narrow-leaved, or English, officinalis (Lavandula officinalis) is a perennial shrub. cold hardy plant, common in the temperate zone. Flowering occurs in July-August. The culture was known as early as the 13th century as a healing agent and a nutritious drink. Dried parts of the plant are used as ingredients in herbal and flower teas; scented pillows are filled with flowers, placed in wardrobes to protect against moths, used to aromatize baths. Outwardly, it differs from broad-leaved, the plant retains its picturesqueness.

lavender jagged

Homeland is the Mediterranean. This compact plant is very thermophilic. The leaves are rugged, soft, silvery in color. The flowers are large and fragrant and bloom in July. Royal Crown - the most popular variety of this species, has lilac flowers.

Dutch lavender (Lavandula x intermedia)

Another decorative variety. The largest hybrid - its height sometimes exceeds 2 m. This species blooms in August-September. Its special charm is that this plant is evergreen, but it does not grow in central Russia and the Black Sea regions - it does not survive cold winters. This plant is charming: dark green leaves with a silvery sheen form a spherical crown. Oval flowers of various shades are collected in clusters, exuding a delicate honey aroma.

Lavender is a natural inhabitant mountain peaks and adapted to both temperate and warm climates. She is unpretentious and easy to care for. For cultivation, you can buy its seeds in the store. This plant is thermophilic, grows well on the south side, however, some varieties are adapted to the cold and winter well under a warm cover of spruce branches. Even if the plant is frozen, it can recover after pruning. Proper care of him consists of three "P":

• the soil;

Bushes are planted at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other. The hole is 25-30 cm deep. Mandatory pruning is carried out every spring: this should be done carefully so as not to cut the stiff branches, otherwise the bush will die.

When to Water

Experienced gardeners offer various methods of crop propagation.

seeds

In late February - early March, stratified seeds can be sown for seedlings. Stratification - special treatment of seeds with low temperatures. Simply put, the seeds keep a month in the refrigerator. You can grow lavender from seeds bought at the store - planting material already processed. Sprouted seeds are transplanted into seedlings of 1-2 seedlings and covered with plastic wrap. In May, it's time to transfer the seedlings to the soil. You can sow the seed in the fall directly on the beds, then the seedlings will sprout at the end of May.

cuttings

Cuttings are suitable for those gardeners who already have adults of this crop on the site. For the manufacture of cuttings, one-year-old processes covered with bark are used: the branch is divided into parts 8–10 cm long and allowed to take root.

The division of the bush

In autumn, the branches of the bush are shortened to a length of 8–10 cm and covered with a layer of earth. With the onset of spring, land should be added to the bushes. As a result of such manipulations in the summer, the plant is densely overgrown with shoots that sprout roots. Already next autumn, the bush can be dug up and divided into several seedlings.

layering

Layering allows you to easily and efficiently propagate the plant. To use this method, in the spring you need to carefully bend a few shoots, place them in a shallow groove, attach them, fill them with soil and water. In summer, the soil in the place of pinching must be constantly moistened. A year is enough for the rooting of the shoot, so that in the spring the seedling can be separated from the parent bush.

Care

Lavender is a drought tolerant flowering perennial with a sweet aroma and long flowering period. The shrub tolerates drought well, but in dry summers it requires abundant watering.

Reproduction of perennial lavadna

The culture is undemanding to the soil, but prefers dry and well-drained soil: it does not take root in clay areas with wet soil. For her, moderately saturated lime layers are preferable. The soil mixture is easy to prepare on your own at home: leafy soil, humus and sand are taken in a ratio of 3: 2: 1; 20 g of mineral fertilizer is added to each well.

Difficulties of growing

Lavender is unpretentious - care for it consists mainly of pruning and top dressing, grows quickly and is rarely attacked by pests. The main reasons for weak growth or wilting of a plant are a lack of heat and light or excessive moisture. However, there are some dangers for lavender when it needs help and care:

1. Phomosis - the plant is weakened. For treatment, the affected specimens should be removed and the soil disinfected with suitable Fungicides.
2. Honey agaric - the plant is destroyed. The same method of struggle is used as with phomosis.
3. Gall midges - entail exfoliation of the bark. The plant should be treated with Insecticide in a timely manner.
4. The beetle Chrysomela americana attacks leaves. The method of care is the same as for the fight against gall midges.

With proper care, you can grow this wonderful culture on your site. This bush will delight you with its beautiful and fragrant flowers for many years. And your garden will acquire a unique landscape.

Plant lavender (lat. Lavandula) belongs to the genus of the Lamiaceae family, which includes about 30 species. The lavender flower grows naturally in the Canary Islands, East and North Africa, Australia, Arabia, India and southern Europe. In culture around the world, only two types of lavender are grown - broadleaf lavender (French) and narrow-leaved lavender, or medicinal (English). The name of the plant comes from the Latin lava, which means "to wash" and indicates the purpose of lavender in ancient world The Romans and Greeks used the plant for laundry and washing. Today, lavender flowers grow not only in private gardens, but also as a valuable essential oil crop are grown on an industrial scale.

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Planting and caring for lavender (in a nutshell)

• Landing: sowing seeds in the ground - in October, sowing seeds for seedlings - in February or March, planting seedlings in the ground - in late May or early June.
• Bloom: in the second half of summer.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• The soil: dry, drained, sandy or loamy, pH 6.5-7.5.
• Watering: regular and abundant, frequent in drought.
• Top dressing: twice a season: in spring - with a mineral complex with a high nitrogen component, in autumn - with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
• Hilling: in spring and autumn, old bushes should be planted high.
• Pruning: after flowering, the inflorescences are cut off, and in the fall the branches are shortened. Upon reaching the age of ten, the bush is rejuvenated by cutting off all the branches at a height of 5 cm from the ground.
• Reproduction: seeds and vegetatively - layering, cuttings and dividing the bush.
• Pests: leafhoppers (slobbering pennits), rainbow beetles and aphids.
• Diseases: gray rot.

Read more about growing lavender below.

Lavender flower - description

Lavender - perennial evergreen shrub with a woody fibrous root extending to a depth of 2 meters, numerous shoots lignified in the lower part, reaching a height of 60 cm, opposite sessile linear silvery-greenish leaves with soft pubescence and fragrant blue or blue-lilac flowers, collected in interrupted spike-shaped inflorescences along 6-10 pieces in whorls. Inflorescences are formed at the tops of leafless stems. Lavender flowering begins in the second half of summer. Lavender is an excellent honey plant. lavender seeds at proper storage able to remain viable for many years.

Lavender is related to crops such as hyssop, basil, mint, lemon balm, motherwort, oregano, sage, and rosemary. We will tell you how to grow lavender from seeds, what are the conditions for growing lavender in open ground, how lavender is planted and cared for in open ground, how to propagate lavender, how lavender winters in Moscow, and we will give a lot of interesting and useful information about this garden plant.

Planting lavender in open ground

When to plant lavender in the ground

Planting lavender in the ground is carried out either by seeds in October or by seedlings at the end of May. In order to grow lavender from seeds, seed should be purchased at the beginning of winter or autumn, since before sowing in the ground, the seeds are stratified for 2 months at a temperature of 5 ºC to increase germination. Usually, seeds mixed with wet sand are stratified in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. Sow lavender seeds for seedlings in February or March.

lavender seedling

While the seeds are in the refrigerator, prepare the sowing container and seed substrate by carefully mixing two parts of humus with one part of coarse river sand. Sift the mixture - lavender seeds are very small, so the substrate should not contain any lumps - and bake it in the oven at a temperature of 110-130 ºC or spill it with a solution of bright pink potassium permanganate. Place the treated soil mixture in a growing container with drainage holes on the drainage layer.

In the photo: Lavender bloom in the field

At the very end of winter or at the beginning of spring, sow lavender seeds on the surface of the substrate in a container, sprinkle them with a layer of sand 3 mm thick, spray with warm water from a spray bottle, cover to form greenhouse effect glass or plastic wrap and place in a bright, warm place. From time to time, crops need to be ventilated by lifting the cover. Germinate seeds at a temperature of 15-22 ºC.

How to care for lavender in the seedling period? As soon as the seedlings appear, you will have to organize additional lighting for them so that the lavender seedlings do not stretch. Remove the cover daily for a while so that the seedlings get used to the temperature in the room, and as soon as they adapt to it, the film can be removed completely, and the seedlings can be seated so that the distance between them is at least 5 cm.

How to plant lavender in the ground

At the end of May, it's time to plant lavender in the garden. Most often decorated with lavender alpine slides, used as a border or planted on both sides of the paths. Lavender grows well in full sun. Avoid planting in wetlands or areas with high groundwater, as lavender is very sensitive to excess moisture. The plant prefers dry, sandy soil, but grows well on loamy soils with good drainage.

The optimal acidity indicator for a plant is 6.5-7.5 pH. In acidic soil, ground limestone will have to be applied. Before planting lavender, it is necessary to prepare the site: dig to a depth of at least 20 cm and loosen the soil well, introducing peat or compost for digging.

How to plant lavender? Planting of lavender is carried out with a distance between seedlings of 80-90 cm, and a distance of 120 cm is observed between bushes of tall lavender. The depth of the hole should be such that the root system of the seedling fits freely into it. Before planting, the roots are slightly pruned, then a lavender bush is placed in the hole and buried, deepening the root neck by 4-6 cm. After planting, lavender seedlings are watered abundantly.

In the photo: Growing lavender in the garden

Podzimny sowing of lavender

In areas with warm winters, it is best to sow lavender seeds directly into the ground. They do this in October, after they prepare the soil on the site by adding peat for digging, and if the soil is too wet, fine gravel or sand is added to it to increase moisture and breathability. Seeds are sown to a depth of 3-4 cm, slightly compacting the soil surface after sowing. If the autumn is dry, water the crops, but not too abundantly, and with the first snow, throw a small snowdrift over the area.

Lavender care in the garden

Growing lavender

As soon as the first inflorescences appear on the lavender seedlings, it is advisable to remove them so that young plants, without wasting energy on flowering, can get stronger and build up a powerful root system. The first year, lavender grows very slowly in the garden, so it is necessary to deal with weeds that can drown out seedlings. How to grow lavender? What care does lavender require in the country? You will need to water the plant regularly and abundantly, and in extreme heat, watering should become frequent. After watering or rains, it is necessary to loosen the soil between the bushes and weed the area, but if you want to save time and effort, mulch the soil between the bushes with peat after planting.

Old bushes in spring and autumn should be highly hilled - this measure contributes to the formation of new shoots on old branches. In addition to the above procedures, you will have to prune lavender and fertilize the soil, giving preference to potash fertilizers, since manure and nitrogen fertilizers only contribute to the growth of greenery, but inhibit the flowering of lavender, for which, in fact, it is grown.

In the photo: Lavender field

pruning lavender

Growing lavender will require you to carry out annual pruning of the plant. As soon as flowering ends, cut off the withered inflorescences, and shorten the branches in the fall, maintaining the shape of the bush.

Do not allow lavender to stretch too much up, because in windy weather its bushes will lie down and lose their decorative effect.

When the bush reaches the age of ten, it is advisable to carry out its anti-aging pruning, shortening all the branches to 5 cm. You can do the same with a young bush if its flowering is not splendid.

Reproduction of lavender

Lavender breeds, except seed method, also dividing the bush, layering and cuttings.

If you already have a lavender bush on your site or you managed to get a one-year-old lignified shoot of a plant from someone, you may well succeed lavender from cuttings. Cut cuttings 8-10 cm long from the shoot, plant them in moist, loose soil, deepening the lower cut by 2-3 cm, and cover with glass jars. It will be possible to remove the banks when the cuttings take root.

To split the lavender bush he needs to be prepared for it. In autumn, after flowering, a large bush is cut at a height of 10 cm and spud, filling the entire space between the shoots with earth. In the spring, hilling is repeated. During the summer, the bush gives abundant shoots. In autumn, the bush can be dug up, divided into parts with well-developed roots and shoots, and seated.

For propagation by layering in the spring, several shoots are bent, placed in grooves 3-4 cm deep, fixed in this position, covered with soil and watered. All summer the soil above the layers is kept moist, and the following spring, the rooted shoot is separated from the bush, divided into parts and transplanted to a permanent place.

Pests and diseases of lavender

Lavender in the open field is extremely resistant to both diseases and pests, but it is not immune from problems either. Sometimes lavender can be affected by leafhopper, or slobber penny, and rainbow beetle, and from diseases, gray rot can affect lavender.

In the photo: How lavender blooms

Leafhoppers and rainbow beetles will have to be collected by hand, after which it is necessary to change the layer of mulch on the site. BUT gray rot , which, as a rule, appears in a damp rainy summer or in case of chronic waterlogging of the soil too frequent watering, cannot be cured, but you can remove and burn the parts of the lavender affected by the disease so that the infection does not spread to all plants. And, of course, you need to reconsider the mode of watering lavender.

Lavender in Moscow and Moscow region

With full confidence in success in the conditions of Moscow and the Moscow region, you can only grow English lavender - narrow-leaved, or medicinal. Planting and caring for lavender in the middle lane is carried out according to the same principles and almost at the same time as in warmer areas. Seeds are sown in the ground when surface frosts have passed - in the second half of May, and seedlings are planted in early June. Sowing seeds before winter is risky - they can freeze.

Lavender - care after flowering

Lavender in winter

If temperatures in your area can drop below 25 ºC in winter, you need to securely protect the area with lavender from frost, but do not use fallen leaves as insulation, as lavender can rot under it in winter. It is best to cover the lavender bushes with spruce branches after autumn pruning.

In the photo: Blooming lavender field

In areas with not so cold winters, narrow-leaved lavender is not covered.

Types and varieties of lavender

So far, only such types of lavender are grown in culture, such as narrow-leaved lavender (English) and French lavender, which is also broad-leaved. But since there are other types of lavender suitable for cultivation in cultivation, we offer you a description of them. So:

Or broad-leaved lavender (Lavandula latifolia) originally from Southwest Europe. It has a strong aroma and beauty of flowers of different shades of purple, pink, lilac, green, burgundy and white flowers. Flowering in French lavender begins earlier than in other plant species - in April or May - and continues until July, but at the end of summer, broad-leaved lavender may bloom again. French lavender is not as cold-resistant as English lavender, so it is grown mainly in warm areas.

The most popular variety of this species is Lavandula stoechas pedunculata, or "butterfly" (Papillon), with flowers of the original form. Of the varieties of broad-leaved lavender, the most famous are:

• Yellow Vale- a variety with dark purple flowers, raspberry bracts and yellow-green leaves;
• Regal Splendur- a variety with dark purple flowers;
• rocky road- a new variety with large lilac-blue flowers, blooming in July;
• Tiara- large blue flowers with creamy bracts;
• Helmsdale- a variety with lilac-burgundy flowers.

In the photo: French lavender (Lavandula stoechas)

Or Dutch lavender is a group of highly ornamental hybrids between English lavender and other species of the genus. These are large plants with silvery narrow leaves and large oblong flowers on long peduncles bending under the weight of flowers. Hybrid lavender blooms in July.

The most famous varieties of Dutch lavender:

• Alba- a variety with white flowers;
• Arabian Knight- a variety with flowers of dark blue or dark purple color;
• Sawyers- a form with light purple flowers;
• Grosso- a variety with large flowers of a lilac-violet hue;
• Richard Gray- compact shrub with dark purple flowers.

In the photo: Lavender hybrid (Lavandula x intermedia)

Comes from the Mediterranean. This is a heat-loving compact plant with soft, rugged, silver-colored leaves and large, fragrant flowers that open in July. The plant is not cold hardy. The most popular variety of jagged lavender is Royal Crown - a plant with purple flowers.

In the photo: Serrated lavender (Lavandula dentata)

Or English lavender (Lavandula spicata), or lavender officinalis (Lavandula officinalis) comes from southern Europe. This is a perennial shrub with silver-green leaves and medium-sized bluish-lilac flowers that bloom in July or August. This is the most winter-hardy type of lavender. The most famous variety of narrow-leaved lavender is delphinoid lavender, which reaches a height of no more than 30 cm, but has very beautiful silvery foliage. Hidcoat lavender is also widespread and is used mainly for low hedges.

Of the varieties of English lavender, the most in demand in culture are:

• Alba- a variety up to 50 cm high with white inflorescences;
• Rosea- a bush up to 40 cm high with lilac-pink flowers;
• Munstead- a bush about 40 cm high with flowers of a rich blue hue;
• Hidcoat Giant- compact plant up to 60 cm high;
• Hidcoat Blue- a compact bush up to 40 cm high with blue-violet inflorescences.

In the photo: Angustifolia lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Properties of lavender - harm and benefit

The healing properties of lavender

All ground parts of lavender contain essential oil, which includes linalool, coumarins, ursolic acid, tannins, geraniol and borneol. Lavender oil has many beneficial properties and is widely used in the perfumery and cosmetics industry and in medicine. Lavender oil treats burns and bruises.

Lavender is used to treat cerebrovascular diseases, paralysis and convulsions after a stroke, as well as to get rid of headaches, dizziness and drowsiness. It has a diuretic effect, relieves toothache. Tea with lavender can relieve spasm and stomach discomfort.

Lavender helps with melancholy, irritability, hysteria and neurasthenia, as well as with influenza, asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, tuberculosis, enteritis, flatulence, atony of the gastrointestinal tract, worms, rheumatism, cystitis, amenorrhea, hypertension, fever and various rashes.

In the photo: Lavender is a useful medicinal plant.

Doctors note the remarkable effect of lavender infusion on the general mental state of a person and on his nervous system as a whole. It relieves stress and reduces the negative impact of adverse factors on the mind and mental state of a person, helps restore strength and energy and stimulates mental activity.

Lavender greens are used for therapeutic baths, and dry inflorescences are used as an anti-moth remedy for storing clothes and for aromatizing the room and linen.

Lavender - contraindications

It is not recommended to use lavender oil during pregnancy, especially in the first months, since lavender stimulates the contraction of the muscles of the uterus. Do not use oil after an abortion, so as not to provoke bleeding. Lavender is contraindicated while taking medications containing iron or iodine.

Intensive use of the oil can cause depression and irritation of the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.

Lavender-based preparations have a powerful effect and can cause a severe allergic reaction in case of individual intolerance to the plant, so be sure to consult your doctor before using them.