How to grow lavender seedlings
In the Caucasus, in the mountainous regions of Europe, in Russia and the Crimea, a spice plant - lavender is found in abundance. Because of its beauty and wonderful aroma, the plant is becoming more and more popular among the owners of private houses and summer cottages in central Russia. For growing lavender, seedlings obtained from seeds are used.
Preparing for landing
Lavender is grown from seeds. Unlike many ornamental crops, for which it is recommended to buy material in the store, lavender seeds can be harvested from your own plantings - daughter flowers will not yield to the beauty and aroma of the mother.
In regions of Russia where the climate is cold, and the seeds are usually not sown directly into open ground, but lavender is planted with seedlings. Sometimes they are sown in a closed greenhouse. In any case, you must first prepare the seeds.
Stratification
Before sowing, seeds are necessarily stratified, i.e. awaken. There is already prepared material on sale, but if it has been stored for too long, it will also need to be activated. Without the procedure, the seeds may not sprout at all or sprout too late. In addition, stratification significantly increases the winter hardiness of the material.
Interesting fact
In the seeds, the embryos of the future lavender are in a state of physiological dormancy and are waiting for optimal conditions to start growing. Since the summer in the middle lane is too short for lavender, the seeds have to be “awakened” in advance.
Stratification in sawdust:
- Take sawdust (they should be ten times more in volume than seeds), pour over boiling water, and then squeeze out excess moisture.
- Mix the seeds with sawdust and place everything in an airtight container (such as a plastic bag, glass or plastic jar). There must be air in the container with sawdust and seeds.
- Leave the seeds with sawdust for three days at room temperature. During this time, both materials are saturated with moisture, the sawdust will swell.
- After three days, move the container to the refrigerator for 1-1.5 months. The optimum temperature will be from +3 to + 5 ° C. If it is higher, the germination period of seeds will increase.
- As soon as white growths appear in a quarter of the total number of seeds, the stratification procedure has come to an end and they need to be planted. It is impossible to allow sprouts to sprout out of the seeds, since when planted in a substrate they will be easily injured.
Advice! Mix sawdust with seeds from time to time to improve germination and prevent mold.
To carry out stratification using soil in early January, moistened lavender seed is scattered over the surface of the substrate in a small container. Then they cover everything with foil and put it in the refrigerator on the lower shelf, on the glazed loggia, in the cellar or basement for 30-45 days. The temperature there should be approximately + 4˚ С.
Substrate
Lavender loves relatively loose and very fertile soil. The necessary soil is most often purchased in the store, but it will not be difficult to prepare it yourself.
This will require:
- 3 pieces of garden land;
- 2 parts of humus;
- 1 part coarse river sand.
Advice! Take garden land from under the trees, since in these places the most fertile layer of it is formed.
If there is no garden or forest land, then ordinary soil will completely replace it. Sand is needed to ensure that the soil is light and permeable to oxygen.
It is recommended to disinfect the substrate before planting seeds.To do this, a couple of days before sowing, the soil is spilled with a hot pale pink (1%) solution of potassium permanganate, steamed, heated in an oven (at a temperature of 110-130˚ C) or exposed to cold (for example, in a freezer). Then the substrate must be loosened: sift so that there are no large lumps left. It is also advisable to disinfect dishes and tools, since most rot and viral diseases of seedlings are not treated - they are easier to prevent.
The last preparatory stage is to pour a layer of expanded clay or small clay shards on the bottom of the container. The soil is placed on top.
Advice! In no case should vermiculite be used for the drainage layer, as it often contains asbestos, although manufacturers do not indicate this on the packaging.
Landing
Lavender is a heat-loving plant, so young bushes are afraid of frost, and they need to be planted in the ground after constant heat is established, best of all - at the end of June. So that by this time the seedlings are strong, the seeds are planted at home in February. In the greenhouse, the material is protected from the cold, so it is permissible to sow a little later, in March.
Place the awakened seeds in the prepared substrate together with sawdust to a depth of three to five millimeters and leave at a temperature of + 20-25 ° C for germination. In order to strengthen the seedlings, they are periodically sprayed with Epin's solution.
The container must always be in a plastic bag or under a lid; there is no need to open it for irrigation, since natural moisture is provided due to the accumulating condensate. However, you need to carefully monitor that there is no mold, if this happens, the spoiled areas should be thrown out, and the seedlings should be allowed to air (the temperature in the room should be at least 20-25 degrees.
Advice! Try to protect the seeds as much as possible during germination from temperature extremes. It is also important to ensure the optimum level of humidity in the room (approximately 60-65%).
After about 15 days, tender sprouts will appear. From this time on, it is recommended to start hardening, daily removing the greenhouse cover for 10-20 minutes and gradually lengthening this interval. The sprouts must first prepare for indoor conditions, then for moving to the garden.
Seedling care
As soon as the first sprouts appear, move the container to a well-lit place. A south-facing window sill is best. Plants must be sure to get enough light for ten hours. Additional illumination with a phytolamp will help to provide the optimal amount of light. The most suitable temperature for seedlings is from +15 to + 22˚ С.
Advice! The seedlings are elongated, they look weak, the leaves are pale - these are clear signs of a lack of lighting, it is necessary to extend the daylight hours.
Root respiration is essential for lavender. To prevent excessive compaction of the soil, you should periodically carefully so as not to damage the roots and stems, loosen the soil with a sharpened match or a toothpick.
Picking
At the stage of two true leaves, lavender seedlings need to be moved into large boxes or separate pots - this is necessary so that the roots and foliage of neighboring bushes do not interfere with each other's development.
The transplant should be done carefully, using the transshipment method, so as not to damage the root system. The sprouts are dug in with a small object (a ruler, the smallest child's scoop, a tablespoon) together with an earthen lump and transferred to the prepared hole. There should be at least five centimeters between the plants.
Watering
Since lavender is a visitor from the tropics, it loves an abundance of water. The soil in the container with seedlings should always be slightly moist. The plant must be watered once a day with settled water at room temperature. But if the room is cool (within 18-20˚C), then you need to water less often: excess moisture will lead to mold or rot, and lavender will die.
Advice! Water the root plants very carefully as the lavender seedlings are very tender. This is best done with a disposable small syringe or syringe.
Top dressing
Once every 7 days, it is recommended to feed lavender seedlings with specially designed complex fertilizers (sold in specialized flower departments and stores). Adult bushes need fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers and only during the flowering period.
Relocation to the garden
Transplant can be started 60 days after germination lavender outdoors... A good time is May-June, however, due to unstable weather over the past few years, it is preferable to relocate the seedlings to the garden at the end of the first summer month. But before that, you need to correctly choose a site. For the flowering of lavender to be early and abundant, the bed should be well lit, but in a slight shade: direct sunlight harms the plant. In full shade, lavender will also bloom, but much later.
The level of water in the soil is equally important. Lavender will die from both excess moisture and moisture deficiency. For this reason, it is strongly discouraged to plant plants in swampy areas, in hollows and where groundwater runs close.
The composition of the soil should be light enough, permeable to moisture and air, with a slightly alkaline reaction. A few days before transplanting, it is necessary to refresh and disinfect the soil. If last season the plantings were affected by disease or pests, and the soil was not renewed, it is necessary to remove the top layer and replace it with a fresh one. Then the bed is spilled with a hot, weak solution of potassium permanganate. After that, it is thoroughly loosened.
Advice! To ensure a slight alkalinity of the soil (if the pH is below 6.5-7.5), add some wood ash or lime.
Next, holes or trenches are prepared. A drainage layer of expanded clay, clay shards or broken brick is laid out on the bottom. The bushes are transferred to a new place of residence by transshipment, so as not to damage the delicate roots.
Planting care
Once planted outdoors, lavender will need careful maintenance over several seasons. The plant develops rather slowly, needs weeds removal and moderate watering in dry weather. In late autumn, young plants must be covered with fallen leaves or spruce branches. This is necessary for insulation.
Advice! Adding compost will improve soil aeration, air will easily penetrate to the roots. In addition, such a measure will saturate the earth with micro and macro elements.
In the first year of life, lavender looks inconspicuous, this is due to the growth of the root system during this period. Plants gain green mass, bush and bloom only in the second or third year. To increase bushiness, you need to pinch the tops of the bushes - the first procedure is carried out when 6 pairs of leaves appear on the plant. Pruning first years to a height of 15 cm will also help to give a beautiful shape.
A few more recommendations
Experienced gardeners recognize that caring for lavender seedlings is troublesome. But if done correctly, the result will not disappoint.
A few notes and tips to help you grow luxurious flowers:
- Growing lavender from seeds is a costly way to get plants, but one of the most reliable.
- Choose seed varieties designed for the climate close to your garden conditions.
- The most unpretentious care is considered to be broad-leaved lavender. Narrow-leaved is unstable to low negative temperatures, sensitive to excess moisture in the soil, often dies as a result of damping.
- Systematic ventilation has a beneficial effect on lavender, but it is afraid of drafts.
- The best time for plant transplantation is early spring or autumn.
With proper care, even the most whimsical lavender varieties will delight you with deliciously scented flowers. It is not too difficult to grow a culture, it adapts well, the main thing is accuracy and patience.
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