Lavender: planting and care in open ground and pots
People cultivate flowers because of their beauty and pleasant aroma, which is hard to forget. At the same time, plants do not require special care. Usually enough mineral fertilizers, water, sunlight and some manipulations with the soil. The owner of the astringent fragrant smell, lavender has become one of the favorite incense in the East. Without it, it is impossible to imagine the mountain slopes of Southern and Central Europe. The plant fell into the gardens. Individual varieties are grown almost worldwide. To get the flowers of the desired shape and color, you need to understand the varieties of lavender, planting and care. In exchange for the spent efforts, the main decoration for the cottage will be obtained. Lavender is suitable for almost any garden, and sometimes saturated rows are formed from it - a full-fledged garden from one plant. Bushes are also used in landscape design. They are decorated with rockeries, alpine slides and other compositions.
Lavender is 47 species of perennial plants of the genus Lavender of the family Iasnatkovye. People bred several bush hybrids, and 47 natural varieties grow in Europe, India, Australia, the northern and eastern parts of Africa, the Canary Islands and the Arabian Peninsula. The plant has taken root on the slopes of the mountains and plains: in temperate, subtropical and tropical climates. It easily tolerates the effects of the scorching sun and the absence of moisture. Cultivated varieties are grown mainly in gardens. During the ripening period, the bushes cover the flowers of purple, purple and lilac shades. Lavender is used to improve the smell of clothes, and one of the leading networks of dry cleaners and laundries was even named after this flower. The plant is used in perfumes, also because of aromatic properties. Tea is made from leaves and flowers, and ice cream in some European countries.
Known types:
narrow-leaved lavender;
toothed;
stahad.
Useful properties of lavender and use in traditional medicine
In addition to decorative qualities and a pleasant aroma, the plant has about two dozen other useful features. In the USA, for example, it is used as a seasoning. Worldwide, lavender is added to drinks to enhance odor. Soap, cosmetics and perfumery products are made from essential oil. In folk medicine, lavender is known as a remedy for bruises and burns.It is also used as an antibiotic, antispasmodic for headaches and stomach cramps. The plant has a relaxing effect on the nervous system. Lavender treats flu, laryngitis, tonsillitis and tonsillitis. It lowers temperature and dilutes bile. The reason for taking lavender and its preparations is fatigue and stress - the plant has a tonic effect. Additionally, sleep improves. Lavender is taken to relieve nausea on a trip.
The main types and varieties
How cultivated plants are grown:
French (broadleaf);
English (narrow-leaved).
Toothed lavender in a temperate climate zone is grown only indoors. Large inflorescences and rugged leaves are characteristic of it. Hybrid Dutch lavender - a line of varieties with enhanced decorative qualities. Varieties have silvery leaves and flexible peduncles. The most popular are Richard Gray, Grosso, Sawyers, Arabian Night and Alba - with purple, blue and white. On the territory of Russia, selection varieties have taken root: southerner, isis, Lublin, steppe. English lavender is known for winter hardiness and a whitish edge. Varieties with the following names are bred in Europe and Russia: rosea, munsted, hidcote and ellagance. The heat-loving French look has a rich fragrant smell and a wide variety of colors. Broadleaf lavender blooms twice a year. Gardeners give preference to such varieties of French lavender:
helmsday;
tiara;
rocky road;
riglen splendur;
yellow vale.
How to plant and where
Before planting, the bush is put in water for an hour or a half. Then cut off the top for better tillering. Strongly sticking lower branches and roots eliminate - this is a must. If a garden is planned in the garden from boards, then their width is selected up to 40 cm. Accordingly, it is equal to the height limit. As for the depth of the pit for medium-sized lavender, they are oriented approximately 30 cm.The distance between the pits of neighboring bushes is selected at the level of 30 cm - for small ones, 120 cm - for tall ones. Wells are filled with fertilizer, and a layer of pine bark or bone meal is sometimes added on top of it. All this is mixed with soil. In case of problems with drainage, it’s not a problem to add some pebbles. These measures will contribute to the normal start of growth. Lavender is placed in a pit, accentuously pressing against the walls and bottom. The roots should not be in close contact with the fertilizer. In this sense, the layers above will help just the same.
Choosing a landing place
The plant develops well in open areas, in direct sunlight. The bush tolerates shade, but in conditions of lack of sunlight only a short period of time blooms. Roots do not respond well to high soil moisture. Therefore, the plant is not planted in wetlands with a high level of groundwater occurrence. There is also an alternative solution: in a swampy area, a hill is formed for planting, while excess moisture near the root of lavender is removed due to the drainage layer. Not least is the structure and acidity of the soil. Even if the indicators are suitable, it is better to play it safe - add a little deoxidant to the ground, for example, lime or wood ash. The use of compost with nutrients in the garden will contribute to the formation of a porous structure.
Almost all varieties of lavender take root in pots!
Soil - how to prepare
The culture is unpretentious to the concentration of minerals in the earth. But without fertilizers with a high content of potassium and phosphorus can not do. Lavender soil should not be heavy or wet. In which case it is loosened and drained. The composition and structure are ideal sandstones and sandy loamy soils. When it has been determined that the soil is too dense and heavy, there will be a simple option for digging a hole and filling it with a mixed substrate.To do this, take the earth from the cottage and mix with river sand in a ratio of 1: 1. Groundwater is sometimes a problem. Then for the flowers form the rise. Instead, you can arrange a drainage layer with sand, broken bricks and expanded clay. She will divert excess water. Deoxidants are added to the soil. They guarantee an increase in pH and thus a change in balance from acidic to alkaline. Ideally, they tend to an indicator slightly above the acidity limit, that is, more than 7.
What time of year to plant
For survival and proper plant development, climate adaptability is important. Local breeding varieties will be the most resistant. Planting is carried out in early spring - in the temperate zone. In regions with a subtropical climate, as well as in adjacent areas with a large number of sunny days a year, lavender is also planted in the fall. In this case, before the onset of more or less severe frosts should remain at least 60 days. No restrictions apply to cuttings - they are produced all year round. It is only necessary to adapt to periods when there are many young shoots with a saturated color. At the same time, the use of seeds is carried out in accordance with the basic rule: spring / autumn for warm regions and only spring - in a temperate climate. At the same time, a period for stratification is also distinguished. Lavender is planted in pots in March, and in open ground in May.
Plant care
Careful care is needed throughout the development and flowering period. Lavender is unpretentious, but very sensitive. Leaves provide continuous access to solar radiation. So it is better to put the pots on the windowsills on the south side and in the same place, in the garden or in the garden, to grow varieties that prefer open ground. In summer, indoor plants are transferred to a balcony or veranda. But so that they do not fade from oversaturation with oxygen, at first they take out lavender for an hour, on the second day - a little more, and so on, until it is completely used to the new air. A flower loves warmth and even heat. Plants in an open area normally perceive dry soil, while indoor plants react with a deterioration in appearance.At home, you will also need to humidify the air. In winter, homemade varieties can be kept at a temperature of + 10 ... + 15 ° C. In this case, the flowers should be replanted. At street varieties, cuttings are cut, and under the bushes themselves, the earth is loosened.
Lighting
Be sure to choose a sunny place. In shady blooms do not last long, and inflorescences grow small. In a well-chosen location, lavender grows up to 25 years, but if it receives a minimum of sunlight, then after five years it will lose its decorative qualities, it may cease to bloom. Uplands at a decent distance from obstruction objects, on the south side and without plants above 50 cm nearby, become an ideal place for planting. The bush normally responds to artificial lighting, so it takes root even in urban flower beds and front gardens. If lavender is contained in wintering containers, the lid should be transparent. For young stems, a minimum of 10 hours per day of exposure to the light is necessary. In which case use phytolamps. The use of fluorescent lamps is permitted.
Air temperature
Lavender clearly obeys the changing seasons. The plant blooms, actively grows and bears fruit abundantly in the warm period. Activity time in winter is replaced by a dormant period of at least two months - for home conditions. For example, a calendula related to lavender bears fruit all year round. The air temperature should ideally not fall below +12 ° C. At the same time, for soil the indicator is +15 ° C. The plant will be able to survive at a short-term air temperature of about -25 ° C, provided that such a load is short and shelters are available. Without them, lavender can withstand frosts at -20 ° C. The bush does not like winds and drafts. Appropriate accommodation on the site and in the house is planned immediately after choosing the south or southeast side. Low temperatures are needed for stratification of seeds. The buds are placed in the compartment of the refrigerator with a temperature of +5 ° C.
Humidity
Humidity of air and soil plays a role.Abundant watering is permissible only with a low frequency. Excessive soil moisture will quickly ruin the plant. An overdried substrate is another extreme, because the growth rate will then necessarily decrease. Once a month, gardeners dig 2-3 cm of a layer of soil - to ensure air exchange in the roots, and moisten the soil. As for air humidity, there is no unequivocal opinion on its effect. In the Mediterranean, lavender copes with air humidity up to 95%. In places remote from the sea with a continental climate, the plant tolerates low humidity of less than 20%. During the heating period, the air in the houses can correspond to this indicator. As a result, the dependence on humidity is related to temperature. If it is above +25 ° C, then moist and dry air will not spoil the flower, and if it does not exceed +18 ° C, then dry air will have a positive effect, and moist air will in any case have a negative effect.
First of all, they control whether there is stagnation of water at the roots and whether the soil is cracking.
Watering
The flower is very sensitive to moisture. The root has such a structure that the plant may die from excess water. Overdrying of the land should also not be allowed. As soon as the soil begins to dry out, it should be watered - and you can focus on it every time. Indoor lavender is saturated with water in another way. The water balance of the earth in the pot is kept in perfect condition all the time. Water is selected filtered or settled - for all varieties. Young plants are watered 2 times a day, in the morning and in the evening. The flowers of young bushes and adult plants also moisturize. If the root is simply evenly saturated with water, then the inflorescences at the top of the plants need to be irrigated with thin streams of water, and even better - in small drops. A pot of lavender is put in a bath and watered from a watering can. They act carefully so as not to damage the leaves and flowers. Sometimes a paddle fan is used.
Top dressing
In this regard, keep in mind the limitations. The plant reacts poorly to nitrogen fertilizers and some organic matter.The main beneficial element for lavender is potassium. Therefore, for feeding, potassium-containing preparations should be sought for development and growth. After planting a seedling or sowing seeds, it will take about 10 weeks to feed the lavender with liquid fertilizers. For 1 liter of water give 2 grams of fertilizer. The substance will fit in the cork of a bottle of mineral water. The crushed eggshell, in turn, will maintain the alkaline balance of the earth. For shrubs in open soil, all the same preparations with potassium, aqueous solutions and means for preserving the level of alkali are also used at the beginning of flowering, since lavender will get used to them. In the future, use any harmless fertilizer based on minerals. For one adult bush at a time give 3 liters of fluid.
Loosening and mulching
Lavender does not perceive soil compaction well, and chronic lack of air at the roots only exacerbates the situation. The shrub loosens after each rain and watering, which solves three problems at once: two of the above, as well as excessive accumulation of moisture. Gardeners acquire land cultivators and hand cultivators. Mulching around the bushes with the help of peat or humus will also help. Thus, the plant will receive additional fertilizer. Mulching with rotted humus or compost will reduce the frequency of top dressing. Mulch acts negatively in terms of attracting and retaining water. This interferes with the normal respiration of the root system and contributes to the development of decay processes. Therefore, when mulching or forming decorative dusting, a gap should be left around the bush. The resulting circle is loosened at least 2 times in the summer.
Pinching, nipping, pruning
Trimming includes 3 stages:
Spring pruning;
Summer
Autumn.
The most important is summer. All you need is clippers and gloves. First, cut branches with small sprouts on the sides. Do it to the sprouts themselves - they will then become a flower.With bending stems, they act differently: they are cut to the lowest germ. Be sure to shorten the dried branches so that they do not take part of the nutrients. In the fall, flowers are cut on bent branches. Spring pruning in March is aimed at eliminating rotten, broken, and too dry tops and stems. Pinching is done for the first time when the bushes reach 20-30 cm in height. The tops of the shoots are removed so that 3-5 pairs of leaves are left. On the main flower-bearing stems, stepson-shoots will begin to grow. They are removed, and this process is called pinching. Since July, such processing is done every week.
Cropped tops of 5-7 cm in length can be rooted.
Transfer
First of all, lavender is abundantly watered. Then, together with a lump of land, it is transferred to a new place. The roots are treated with care, because when they are transplanted, they are sometimes broken. And in general, the bush does not tolerate transportation and substrate change, even with the correspondence in all qualities of the previous soil. A transplant is made from a pot - into a pot or into open ground and vice versa. In a new place in the earth, lavender is planted no closer than half a meter from other plants. From the open ground to the pot, the bush is transferred in early spring or late autumn. A transplant in the opposite direction is carried out at any time during the garden season. The use of pots and pots makes it possible to grow everywhere: from the equator with excess moisture to the cold Arctic. The need for a new plant is best filled in local nurseries and farms.
Breeding methods
To plant a plant, you will need:
fertilizer;
the soil;
cultivator or cultivator;
shovel;
rake;
containers.
There are 4 main methods of reproduction: cuttings, sowing seeds, layering and division. The first 3 are considered the best options for various situations, and the division is only a backup. Cuttings are a convenient method of obtaining seedlings for planting bushes in large quantities.The bottom line is to cut shoots of 8-10 cm for intermediate rooting in a mixture of sand and peat. Reproduction by layering is natural and artificial. Even with the second option, the probability of injuring the bush is minimized. A daughter bush is dug out when a shoot is formed. Growing from seeds is not the easiest way. Seedlings will bloom soon, and you will need constant monitoring of the temperature regime for the seeds. Reproduction by fission is relevant if, for some reason, the other methods did not fit. The bush is prepared in the fall, and the procedure is performed only after a year.
Cuttings
To do this, take young lignified shoots of a healthy annual bush. The inflorescence is cut from the cuttings and the lower leaves are removed to a height of 3-4 cm. Ideally, stems that have not yet bloomed are used. Dry cuttings, soil, clay shards and medium pots are prepared for cuttings. The shards are placed at the bottom of the pot; a layer of already moistened sand is organized on top. Then the earth is poured onto the drainage layer and everyone is rammed. On top make another layer of wet sand - 1.5 cm thick. The soil itself is prepared from several components. Apply sand, leaf and turf in equal proportions. The prepared stalk is treated with growth stimulants and the cleaned side is buried in the ground. Rooting is improved by “massage” the bottom of the shoot. Sometimes they organize a mini-greenhouse: they carefully cover the lavender with plastic wrap.
Seeds
At the first stage, they are engaged in stratification: the seeds are kept at low temperatures. In this sense, there are 2 ways. In regions where the end of autumn is not accompanied by frost, sprouts are simply planted in cold soil. From light frosts the seeds will not be affected. To avoid risk, choose the method of artificial stratification. Sprouts are mixed with sand and poured into a glass. Then they hide it in a bag and store it in the refrigerator for about a month and a half, and preferably two to two and a half.The rate of emergence of shoots depends on this. The seeds are sown in late winter or spring. In the first case, they are put in boxes, and in the second - in street greenhouses. Flowering will come no earlier than in a year. The first 12 months, the seedlings will only develop, grow the root. Sometimes the appearance of inflorescences have to wait 2 years, in rare cases - 3 or more.
Layering
Reproduction by air layering is used in the cold spring, that is, at maximum humidity. To implement this method, you will not need to purchase seeds or prepare cuttings. The principle is as follows: on the adult bush, select the oldest branch (always alive), cut the bud and lower the end of the branch into a small dug hole. Sprinkle the shoot from above with soil to fix. The resulting hump is watered once every two days. 5-7 days after planting, it is fertilized. It happens that the stem is springy. Then it is fixed with a stone or a hairpin, additionally covered with earth. Propagation by air layering can be done naturally. If you look under the bush of an adult plant, then, most likely, several sprouts will be found there. This is a kind of self-sowing lavender.
Bush division
Lavender does not tolerate division in the best way, so this method is resorted to last. Divide the bush should be in early spring, before the start of the active growth season. Careful selection will be required. A cluster is isolated from one portion of the rhizome. Then dig holes with a depth of 30 cm and a width of 2 earthen coma. The bottom of the pit is filled with soil saturated with useful elements. Sometimes eight centimeters of pine bark are also added. Fertilizer choose potassium phosphorus. If the bush is small, and the average shoot is lively, then in order to find out the condition of all the sites, you can dig out the lavender completely for a while. The division is made with a shovel, and the remote areas are pulled apart with two forks. Plants are sometimes divided into several parts and all are planted in new wells.The same depth as the first donor plant. Some important tips:
to sacrifice a whole plant to create a dozen new ones is possible only if the main plant is not less than three, and even better - five years;
care for a healthy bush after dividing is necessary without any changes.
Wintering Lavender
Before wintering the plants in the field, shelter should be organized. At the same time, according to experts, lavender tolerates frost well even at a short-term temperature of -25 ° C. If there are long periods in the region with temperatures near this mark or it generally falls below it, then high-quality shelter will be needed. Do not forget that winters are rainy. It is better not to refuse a canopy. At the end of the transition season, the bushes are pruned. In the garden lay twigs of conifers - as insulation. The leaves do not fit, because of this, in the lavender bush, the processes of decay can begin. Thanks to the mulch from compost, loosening, weeding, and top dressing can be avoided. Thus, care will be easier. It will only be necessary to trim the plant so that it strengthens and then blooms profusely.
Pest and Disease Control
More often than others, the plant affects fungal disease late blight. Separate, and sometimes all stems acquire a slightly brownish tint, many of them die. Near the roots then rot forms. In order to avoid such consequences, the substrate is checked for disease. Sometimes the disease is due to the condition of the parent plant. To prevent late blight, you will need to control the soil moisture. The treatment is performed with special means: Biosept, Mildex, WP, Aliette, Previcur. Sometimes the bushes get gray mold and septoria. In the second case, it is recommended to remove diseased shoots and clean the plant. Topsin and Amistar are also used. Euparen, Teldor, Rovral Flo are effective against gray mold. Among the pests, the most dangerous are the chrysanthemum nematode, slobber pennies, caterpillars and aphids.Chemicals are used against them. Effective protection against aphids is possible if there are no anthills nearby.
Conclusion
Lavender is popular because of the aroma and shades. For the sake of these properties, people, in fact, are engaged in growing flowers. Lavender inflorescences are widely used in perfumes and everyday life, they are part of folk remedies for the treatment and prevention of diseases. 47 species of plants grow in the wild, and English, French, notched and Dutch are cultivated in the gardens. The plant is planted in an open area without excess moisture. Extra branches are regularly removed to improve nutrition and appearance. In a confined space, heat and lack of moisture, the bush feels pretty good. Light frost lavender is not terrible either. However, growing is not the easiest process: the preparatory phase takes at least a couple of months. Propagation occurs by air layering, seed germination, cuttings or division.
People cultivate flowers because of their beauty and pleasant aroma, which is hard to forget. At the same time, plants do not require special care. Usually enough mineral fertilizers, water, sunlight and some manipulations with the soil. The owner of the astringent fragrant smell, lavender has become one of the favorite incense in the East. Without it, it is impossible to imagine the mountain slopes of Southern and Central Europe. The plant fell into the gardens. Individual varieties are grown almost worldwide. To get the flowers of the desired shape and color, you need to understand the varieties of lavender, planting and care. In exchange for the spent efforts, the main decoration for the cottage will be obtained. Lavender is suitable for almost any garden, and sometimes saturated rows are formed from it - a full-fledged garden from one plant. Bushes are also used in landscape design. They are decorated with rockeries, alpine slides and other compositions.
Content
Features and description of the plant
Lavender is 47 species of perennial plants of the genus Lavender of the family Iasnatkovye. People bred several bush hybrids, and 47 natural varieties grow in Europe, India, Australia, the northern and eastern parts of Africa, the Canary Islands and the Arabian Peninsula. The plant has taken root on the slopes of the mountains and plains: in temperate, subtropical and tropical climates. It easily tolerates the effects of the scorching sun and the absence of moisture. Cultivated varieties are grown mainly in gardens. During the ripening period, the bushes cover the flowers of purple, purple and lilac shades. Lavender is used to improve the smell of clothes, and one of the leading networks of dry cleaners and laundries was even named after this flower. The plant is used in perfumes, also because of aromatic properties. Tea is made from leaves and flowers, and ice cream in some European countries.
Known types:
Useful properties of lavender and use in traditional medicine
In addition to decorative qualities and a pleasant aroma, the plant has about two dozen other useful features. In the USA, for example, it is used as a seasoning. Worldwide, lavender is added to drinks to enhance odor. Soap, cosmetics and perfumery products are made from essential oil. In folk medicine, lavender is known as a remedy for bruises and burns.It is also used as an antibiotic, antispasmodic for headaches and stomach cramps. The plant has a relaxing effect on the nervous system. Lavender treats flu, laryngitis, tonsillitis and tonsillitis. It lowers temperature and dilutes bile. The reason for taking lavender and its preparations is fatigue and stress - the plant has a tonic effect. Additionally, sleep improves. Lavender is taken to relieve nausea on a trip.
The main types and varieties
How cultivated plants are grown:
Toothed lavender in a temperate climate zone is grown only indoors. Large inflorescences and rugged leaves are characteristic of it. Hybrid Dutch lavender - a line of varieties with enhanced decorative qualities. Varieties have silvery leaves and flexible peduncles. The most popular are Richard Gray, Grosso, Sawyers, Arabian Night and Alba - with purple, blue and white. On the territory of Russia, selection varieties have taken root: southerner, isis, Lublin, steppe. English lavender is known for winter hardiness and a whitish edge. Varieties with the following names are bred in Europe and Russia: rosea, munsted, hidcote and ellagance. The heat-loving French look has a rich fragrant smell and a wide variety of colors. Broadleaf lavender blooms twice a year. Gardeners give preference to such varieties of French lavender:
How to plant and where
Before planting, the bush is put in water for an hour or a half. Then cut off the top for better tillering. Strongly sticking lower branches and roots eliminate - this is a must. If a garden is planned in the garden from boards, then their width is selected up to 40 cm. Accordingly, it is equal to the height limit. As for the depth of the pit for medium-sized lavender, they are oriented approximately 30 cm.The distance between the pits of neighboring bushes is selected at the level of 30 cm - for small ones, 120 cm - for tall ones. Wells are filled with fertilizer, and a layer of pine bark or bone meal is sometimes added on top of it. All this is mixed with soil. In case of problems with drainage, it’s not a problem to add some pebbles. These measures will contribute to the normal start of growth. Lavender is placed in a pit, accentuously pressing against the walls and bottom. The roots should not be in close contact with the fertilizer. In this sense, the layers above will help just the same.
Choosing a landing place
The plant develops well in open areas, in direct sunlight. The bush tolerates shade, but in conditions of lack of sunlight only a short period of time blooms. Roots do not respond well to high soil moisture. Therefore, the plant is not planted in wetlands with a high level of groundwater occurrence. There is also an alternative solution: in a swampy area, a hill is formed for planting, while excess moisture near the root of lavender is removed due to the drainage layer. Not least is the structure and acidity of the soil. Even if the indicators are suitable, it is better to play it safe - add a little deoxidant to the ground, for example, lime or wood ash. The use of compost with nutrients in the garden will contribute to the formation of a porous structure.
Soil - how to prepare
The culture is unpretentious to the concentration of minerals in the earth. But without fertilizers with a high content of potassium and phosphorus can not do. Lavender soil should not be heavy or wet. In which case it is loosened and drained. The composition and structure are ideal sandstones and sandy loamy soils. When it has been determined that the soil is too dense and heavy, there will be a simple option for digging a hole and filling it with a mixed substrate.To do this, take the earth from the cottage and mix with river sand in a ratio of 1: 1. Groundwater is sometimes a problem. Then for the flowers form the rise. Instead, you can arrange a drainage layer with sand, broken bricks and expanded clay. She will divert excess water. Deoxidants are added to the soil. They guarantee an increase in pH and thus a change in balance from acidic to alkaline. Ideally, they tend to an indicator slightly above the acidity limit, that is, more than 7.
What time of year to plant
For survival and proper plant development, climate adaptability is important. Local breeding varieties will be the most resistant. Planting is carried out in early spring - in the temperate zone. In regions with a subtropical climate, as well as in adjacent areas with a large number of sunny days a year, lavender is also planted in the fall. In this case, before the onset of more or less severe frosts should remain at least 60 days. No restrictions apply to cuttings - they are produced all year round. It is only necessary to adapt to periods when there are many young shoots with a saturated color. At the same time, the use of seeds is carried out in accordance with the basic rule: spring / autumn for warm regions and only spring - in a temperate climate. At the same time, a period for stratification is also distinguished. Lavender is planted in pots in March, and in open ground in May.
Plant care
Careful care is needed throughout the development and flowering period. Lavender is unpretentious, but very sensitive. Leaves provide continuous access to solar radiation. So it is better to put the pots on the windowsills on the south side and in the same place, in the garden or in the garden, to grow varieties that prefer open ground. In summer, indoor plants are transferred to a balcony or veranda. But so that they do not fade from oversaturation with oxygen, at first they take out lavender for an hour, on the second day - a little more, and so on, until it is completely used to the new air. A flower loves warmth and even heat. Plants in an open area normally perceive dry soil, while indoor plants react with a deterioration in appearance.At home, you will also need to humidify the air. In winter, homemade varieties can be kept at a temperature of + 10 ... + 15 ° C. In this case, the flowers should be replanted. At street varieties, cuttings are cut, and under the bushes themselves, the earth is loosened.
Lighting
Be sure to choose a sunny place. In shady blooms do not last long, and inflorescences grow small. In a well-chosen location, lavender grows up to 25 years, but if it receives a minimum of sunlight, then after five years it will lose its decorative qualities, it may cease to bloom. Uplands at a decent distance from obstruction objects, on the south side and without plants above 50 cm nearby, become an ideal place for planting. The bush normally responds to artificial lighting, so it takes root even in urban flower beds and front gardens. If lavender is contained in wintering containers, the lid should be transparent. For young stems, a minimum of 10 hours per day of exposure to the light is necessary. In which case use phytolamps. The use of fluorescent lamps is permitted.
Air temperature
Lavender clearly obeys the changing seasons. The plant blooms, actively grows and bears fruit abundantly in the warm period. Activity time in winter is replaced by a dormant period of at least two months - for home conditions. For example, a calendula related to lavender bears fruit all year round. The air temperature should ideally not fall below +12 ° C. At the same time, for soil the indicator is +15 ° C. The plant will be able to survive at a short-term air temperature of about -25 ° C, provided that such a load is short and shelters are available. Without them, lavender can withstand frosts at -20 ° C. The bush does not like winds and drafts. Appropriate accommodation on the site and in the house is planned immediately after choosing the south or southeast side. Low temperatures are needed for stratification of seeds. The buds are placed in the compartment of the refrigerator with a temperature of +5 ° C.
Humidity
Humidity of air and soil plays a role.Abundant watering is permissible only with a low frequency. Excessive soil moisture will quickly ruin the plant. An overdried substrate is another extreme, because the growth rate will then necessarily decrease. Once a month, gardeners dig 2-3 cm of a layer of soil - to ensure air exchange in the roots, and moisten the soil. As for air humidity, there is no unequivocal opinion on its effect. In the Mediterranean, lavender copes with air humidity up to 95%. In places remote from the sea with a continental climate, the plant tolerates low humidity of less than 20%. During the heating period, the air in the houses can correspond to this indicator. As a result, the dependence on humidity is related to temperature. If it is above +25 ° C, then moist and dry air will not spoil the flower, and if it does not exceed +18 ° C, then dry air will have a positive effect, and moist air will in any case have a negative effect.
Watering
The flower is very sensitive to moisture. The root has such a structure that the plant may die from excess water. Overdrying of the land should also not be allowed. As soon as the soil begins to dry out, it should be watered - and you can focus on it every time. Indoor lavender is saturated with water in another way. The water balance of the earth in the pot is kept in perfect condition all the time. Water is selected filtered or settled - for all varieties. Young plants are watered 2 times a day, in the morning and in the evening. The flowers of young bushes and adult plants also moisturize. If the root is simply evenly saturated with water, then the inflorescences at the top of the plants need to be irrigated with thin streams of water, and even better - in small drops. A pot of lavender is put in a bath and watered from a watering can. They act carefully so as not to damage the leaves and flowers. Sometimes a paddle fan is used.
Top dressing
In this regard, keep in mind the limitations. The plant reacts poorly to nitrogen fertilizers and some organic matter.The main beneficial element for lavender is potassium. Therefore, for feeding, potassium-containing preparations should be sought for development and growth. After planting a seedling or sowing seeds, it will take about 10 weeks to feed the lavender with liquid fertilizers. For 1 liter of water give 2 grams of fertilizer. The substance will fit in the cork of a bottle of mineral water. The crushed eggshell, in turn, will maintain the alkaline balance of the earth. For shrubs in open soil, all the same preparations with potassium, aqueous solutions and means for preserving the level of alkali are also used at the beginning of flowering, since lavender will get used to them. In the future, use any harmless fertilizer based on minerals. For one adult bush at a time give 3 liters of fluid.
Loosening and mulching
Lavender does not perceive soil compaction well, and chronic lack of air at the roots only exacerbates the situation. The shrub loosens after each rain and watering, which solves three problems at once: two of the above, as well as excessive accumulation of moisture. Gardeners acquire land cultivators and hand cultivators. Mulching around the bushes with the help of peat or humus will also help. Thus, the plant will receive additional fertilizer. Mulching with rotted humus or compost will reduce the frequency of top dressing. Mulch acts negatively in terms of attracting and retaining water. This interferes with the normal respiration of the root system and contributes to the development of decay processes. Therefore, when mulching or forming decorative dusting, a gap should be left around the bush. The resulting circle is loosened at least 2 times in the summer.
Pinching, nipping, pruning
Trimming includes 3 stages:
The most important is summer. All you need is clippers and gloves. First, cut branches with small sprouts on the sides. Do it to the sprouts themselves - they will then become a flower.With bending stems, they act differently: they are cut to the lowest germ. Be sure to shorten the dried branches so that they do not take part of the nutrients. In the fall, flowers are cut on bent branches. Spring pruning in March is aimed at eliminating rotten, broken, and too dry tops and stems. Pinching is done for the first time when the bushes reach 20-30 cm in height. The tops of the shoots are removed so that 3-5 pairs of leaves are left. On the main flower-bearing stems, stepson-shoots will begin to grow. They are removed, and this process is called pinching. Since July, such processing is done every week.
Transfer
First of all, lavender is abundantly watered. Then, together with a lump of land, it is transferred to a new place. The roots are treated with care, because when they are transplanted, they are sometimes broken. And in general, the bush does not tolerate transportation and substrate change, even with the correspondence in all qualities of the previous soil. A transplant is made from a pot - into a pot or into open ground and vice versa. In a new place in the earth, lavender is planted no closer than half a meter from other plants. From the open ground to the pot, the bush is transferred in early spring or late autumn. A transplant in the opposite direction is carried out at any time during the garden season. The use of pots and pots makes it possible to grow everywhere: from the equator with excess moisture to the cold Arctic. The need for a new plant is best filled in local nurseries and farms.
Breeding methods
To plant a plant, you will need:
There are 4 main methods of reproduction: cuttings, sowing seeds, layering and division. The first 3 are considered the best options for various situations, and the division is only a backup. Cuttings are a convenient method of obtaining seedlings for planting bushes in large quantities.The bottom line is to cut shoots of 8-10 cm for intermediate rooting in a mixture of sand and peat. Reproduction by layering is natural and artificial. Even with the second option, the probability of injuring the bush is minimized. A daughter bush is dug out when a shoot is formed. Growing from seeds is not the easiest way. Seedlings will bloom soon, and you will need constant monitoring of the temperature regime for the seeds. Reproduction by fission is relevant if, for some reason, the other methods did not fit. The bush is prepared in the fall, and the procedure is performed only after a year.
Cuttings
To do this, take young lignified shoots of a healthy annual bush. The inflorescence is cut from the cuttings and the lower leaves are removed to a height of 3-4 cm. Ideally, stems that have not yet bloomed are used. Dry cuttings, soil, clay shards and medium pots are prepared for cuttings. The shards are placed at the bottom of the pot; a layer of already moistened sand is organized on top. Then the earth is poured onto the drainage layer and everyone is rammed. On top make another layer of wet sand - 1.5 cm thick. The soil itself is prepared from several components. Apply sand, leaf and turf in equal proportions. The prepared stalk is treated with growth stimulants and the cleaned side is buried in the ground. Rooting is improved by “massage” the bottom of the shoot. Sometimes they organize a mini-greenhouse: they carefully cover the lavender with plastic wrap.
Seeds
At the first stage, they are engaged in stratification: the seeds are kept at low temperatures. In this sense, there are 2 ways. In regions where the end of autumn is not accompanied by frost, sprouts are simply planted in cold soil. From light frosts the seeds will not be affected. To avoid risk, choose the method of artificial stratification. Sprouts are mixed with sand and poured into a glass. Then they hide it in a bag and store it in the refrigerator for about a month and a half, and preferably two to two and a half.The rate of emergence of shoots depends on this. The seeds are sown in late winter or spring. In the first case, they are put in boxes, and in the second - in street greenhouses. Flowering will come no earlier than in a year. The first 12 months, the seedlings will only develop, grow the root. Sometimes the appearance of inflorescences have to wait 2 years, in rare cases - 3 or more.
Layering
Reproduction by air layering is used in the cold spring, that is, at maximum humidity. To implement this method, you will not need to purchase seeds or prepare cuttings. The principle is as follows: on the adult bush, select the oldest branch (always alive), cut the bud and lower the end of the branch into a small dug hole. Sprinkle the shoot from above with soil to fix. The resulting hump is watered once every two days. 5-7 days after planting, it is fertilized. It happens that the stem is springy. Then it is fixed with a stone or a hairpin, additionally covered with earth. Propagation by air layering can be done naturally. If you look under the bush of an adult plant, then, most likely, several sprouts will be found there. This is a kind of self-sowing lavender.
Bush division
Lavender does not tolerate division in the best way, so this method is resorted to last. Divide the bush should be in early spring, before the start of the active growth season. Careful selection will be required. A cluster is isolated from one portion of the rhizome. Then dig holes with a depth of 30 cm and a width of 2 earthen coma. The bottom of the pit is filled with soil saturated with useful elements. Sometimes eight centimeters of pine bark are also added. Fertilizer choose potassium phosphorus. If the bush is small, and the average shoot is lively, then in order to find out the condition of all the sites, you can dig out the lavender completely for a while. The division is made with a shovel, and the remote areas are pulled apart with two forks. Plants are sometimes divided into several parts and all are planted in new wells.The same depth as the first donor plant. Some important tips:
Wintering Lavender
Before wintering the plants in the field, shelter should be organized. At the same time, according to experts, lavender tolerates frost well even at a short-term temperature of -25 ° C. If there are long periods in the region with temperatures near this mark or it generally falls below it, then high-quality shelter will be needed. Do not forget that winters are rainy. It is better not to refuse a canopy. At the end of the transition season, the bushes are pruned. In the garden lay twigs of conifers - as insulation. The leaves do not fit, because of this, in the lavender bush, the processes of decay can begin. Thanks to the mulch from compost, loosening, weeding, and top dressing can be avoided. Thus, care will be easier. It will only be necessary to trim the plant so that it strengthens and then blooms profusely.
Pest and Disease Control
More often than others, the plant affects fungal disease late blight. Separate, and sometimes all stems acquire a slightly brownish tint, many of them die. Near the roots then rot forms. In order to avoid such consequences, the substrate is checked for disease. Sometimes the disease is due to the condition of the parent plant. To prevent late blight, you will need to control the soil moisture. The treatment is performed with special means: Biosept, Mildex, WP, Aliette, Previcur. Sometimes the bushes get gray mold and septoria. In the second case, it is recommended to remove diseased shoots and clean the plant. Topsin and Amistar are also used. Euparen, Teldor, Rovral Flo are effective against gray mold. Among the pests, the most dangerous are the chrysanthemum nematode, slobber pennies, caterpillars and aphids.Chemicals are used against them. Effective protection against aphids is possible if there are no anthills nearby.
Conclusion
Lavender is popular because of the aroma and shades. For the sake of these properties, people, in fact, are engaged in growing flowers. Lavender inflorescences are widely used in perfumes and everyday life, they are part of folk remedies for the treatment and prevention of diseases. 47 species of plants grow in the wild, and English, French, notched and Dutch are cultivated in the gardens. The plant is planted in an open area without excess moisture. Extra branches are regularly removed to improve nutrition and appearance. In a confined space, heat and lack of moisture, the bush feels pretty good. Light frost lavender is not terrible either. However, growing is not the easiest process: the preparatory phase takes at least a couple of months. Propagation occurs by air layering, seed germination, cuttings or division.