We take care of lavender outdoors from planting to wintering

The delicate scent of lavender, enchanting and unique, envelops, relaxing and calming, and as if transports to a magical land where worries and sorrows do not exist. But the planting of lavender in open ground is carried out by the owners of summer cottages not only for the sake of the magical smell of the plant. When its seemingly modest fluffy bushes are covered with bright lilac flowers, turning a modest border into a magnificent living carpet, it is impossible to look away from this beauty. Growing lavender in the garden will not be difficult, but caring for it will still require some skill.

Choosing a place for a shrub

Correct planting is the basis for the full development of a plant in open ground, high decorativeness of its bushes, lush and long flowering. Lavender is photophilous, therefore it is better to place it in the country in open areas that receive the maximum amount of sunlight during the day. It can actively grow in the shade, but this will have a bad effect on its flowering. A warm climate is preferable for a shrub, it does not tolerate cold well. In the northern regions, it is better to plant it not in open ground, but in flowerpots, which, when the temperature drops, are immediately removed to heat. All plant varieties are suitable for potting.

Excessive moisture in the soil is contraindicated for lavender; in such conditions, its roots quickly rot. Therefore, the future flowerbed or border should not be broken in areas with swampy soil or in damp lowlands. It is also important to take into account the level of occurrence of groundwater, they should not come close to the surface. If the soil in the place where the flowers are supposed to be planted does not meet the moisture requirements, good drainage will help solve the problem.

The culture is demanding on the quality and structure of the soil. Preferred for her is a soil with a neutral reaction. To achieve it, the site where it is planned to plant the plants is dug up, having previously sprinkled lime or wood ash over it. Providing proper care for lavender will be difficult if you don't stock up on compost in advance. It will give the soil the necessary lightness and looseness, as well as increase its fertility. The answer to this concern will be the luxurious flowering of the plant.

Much also depends on the biological characteristics of the selected variety. Broad-leaved varieties of lavender are more hardy, so they will thrive in semi-shaded areas in the garden. They can also be planted in slightly acidic soil. Narrow-leaved plant varieties will require more complex care. They endure cold weather, but the high moisture content of the soil is destructive for them, and if they stay under a thick snow cover for a long time, lavender bushes can die from damping.

Landing features

It is not difficult to plant these mountain flowers. To do this, you can use:

• cuttings;
• layering;
• seeds;
• mother bush by dividing it.

Most often, planting lavender in open ground is carried out by seeds. They are sown into the soil in October, deepening 4 mm from its surface and slightly compacting the soil in the garden. If the autumn turned out to be dry, the procedure is completed with watering. In order for crops to survive the winter cold well, they are covered with a thick layer of snow.

Advice

In sealed containers, lavender seeds can be stored for many years without losing their high germination ability.

The successful cultivation of flowers in the garden is also possible with spring sowing. But it will require preliminary preparation. In early spring, the seeds, mixed with wet sand, are placed in a refrigerator, where they are kept at a low temperature (best around + 5 ° C) for 2 months.After the completion of stratification, in May, they can be planted in the ground, creating with their help an unusual flower bed or a luxurious border in the country. Seedlings will bloom only after 1-2 years, when their root system is sufficiently developed.

When choosing a place for a flower bed, it is worth considering that adult plants often do not take root during transplantation. If it is still necessary, then the procedure must be carried out carefully, making sure that the roots are in a voluminous lump of soil. To make lavender bushes lush, they are rarely placed on a flower bed, at a distance equal to the maximum height. In curb landings, this interval is halved. Then the hedge will turn out slender and create an impression of solidity.

It is even easier to propagate the plant using cuttings that root quickly and easily. They are placed in loose soil, covered with a film, after which it remains only to provide future seedlings with regular soil moisture. It is not necessary to deepen the cuttings, a distance of 1-2 cm from the surface is enough. After rooting, they are carefully dug up and placed on the prepared area.

Subtleties of dressing and watering

Caring for lavender outdoors provides for several activities that will have to be carried out in turn throughout the growing season. Plants need to be fed regularly. It is better to use fertilizers with a high potassium and low nitrogen content for this. It is not worth using manure to enrich the soil: an excess of nitrogen in the soil is fraught with the fact that lavender bushes will actively branch, delighting with dense juicy greens, but they form few buds.

Watering should be done in moderation. The plant does not like excess moisture, but it also does not tolerate its lack, responding to it with meager flowering. You should start watering lavender in the garden only when the topsoil in the garden dries well.

High hilling and mulching of the beds will help to keep the moisture necessary for plants in the soil, as well as to increase its porosity. Both procedures are carried out regularly - in the spring and autumn. They also increase the decorative effect of lavender bushes, influencing the formation of young shoots on their trunks. Decayed foliage works well for mulching. You can also purchase special multi-colored substrates in the store, which will make the beds even more attractive. The procedure will require attention. To prevent rotting of the flower, the soil at the base of its trunk is left uncovered.

Outdoor plant care involves systematic pruning... It increases the lifespan of lavender bushes. It is carried out twice: after the end of flowering and towards the end of the growing season. When the buds of the plant wither, it is enough to shorten the stems on which they were located by 1-2 cm. Autumn care is more intense, it involves the removal of most of the old shoots from the bush. No more than 4-5 young stems are left on it.

Winter preparation and possible difficulties

It is possible to successfully grow lavender in areas with harsh winters where the temperature drops to -25 ° C, but for this it will need to be reliably insulated. After cutting flowers on the eve of the first frost, they should be tightly covered with spruce branches. It will help the plant survive a difficult period for it.

Advice

Dry foliage cannot be used to shelter lavender bushes. Due to the high moisture content of the soil under it, rot can affect them. The likelihood of damping out is also high in such conditions.

For lavender care in the garden to be complete, it is important to arm yourself with the knowledge of the possible problems that growing a shrub can bring. The greatest danger for him is gray rot. To prevent its rapid spread and the death of plantings, regular inspection of the flower bed will help to remove and immediately burn the infected areas of the plant.

Gray rot creates favorable conditions for the reproduction of pennits, in which it lays its larvae. On the lavender bushes, an ugly white foam appears, which looks like saliva and protects the insect's offspring from predators. It does not harm them, but spoils the decorativeness of the plantings. It is not difficult to remove it from the plants; it is enough to wash off the formation with a water jet.

Planting lavender in a summer cottage is a solution that is beneficial from all sides. Its single bushes will become an elegant decoration of a flower bed or garden, and numerous ones will form a lush border, from which it will be impossible to take your eyes off. During their long flowering, they will fill the air with a gentle, mesmerizing aroma. The cultivation of this mountain shrub is also practical: dangerous garden pests - the Colorado potato beetle and the moth - do not tolerate its smell. Just plant the plants between root crops and you don't have to worry about the safety of the crop.

Caring for lavender is not difficult, but you still have to devote time to it. Choosing the right site for planting, competent watering and feeding, mulching and hilling beds, pruning - performing these simple procedures will allow you to achieve the desired result.