Provence Lavender Planting Methods and Techniques
If you want to learn about the planting methods and techniques of Provence lavender and the introduction of lavender planting time in the field of green plants and flowers, please see the detailed introduction below.
When it comes to lavender, what comes to everyone's mind is the lavender of Provence. This small town in the south of France is known for its highest quality production. In China, the Yili area in Xinjiang is famous for its cultivation, known as "China's Provence."
Lavender, also known as fragrant grass, belongs to the genus Lavandula of the Lamiaceae family. It is a perennial herbaceous plant or sub-shrub. Native to the Mediterranean region. Flowering period is from June to August. Mostly purple-blue. The flower language includes "waiting for love," "anticipation," etc. It grows about 1 meter tall with thin stems, small and narrow leaves with grayish pubescence, and spike-shaped flower clusters. The purple of lavender has a unique romantic touch, and the whole plant has a light, mild, and soothing fragrance similar to wood, which makes people feel relaxed and tranquil while being intoxicated. Moreover, it has many uses, such as making scented bags, tea, and extracting essential oils. It can be said to be a multifunctional aromatic plant that combines appreciating flowers, smelling fragrance, and DIYing various scented bags and beverages.
Lavender flower field. Growing and blooming lavender
Is the romantic and dreamy purple of lavender already making you addicted? Not to mention its pleasant fragrance and various DIY options. And it's quite easy to care for. How about it? If you're interested, let's learn about its cultivation points together.
Lavender flower and lavender bag on table lavender scented bag
Lavender cultivation points:
1. Mainly propagated by sowing and cutting methods.
2. Suitable for growing in slightly alkaline or neutral, well-drained sandy soil. Avoid excessive watering and fertilization.
3.害怕炎热和潮湿。夏季需保证 ventilation and avoid direct sunlight, and avoid getting wet during the rainy season, these two points are the key to successful cultivation.
4. Do not cut into the woody part when pruning to avoid the plant from sprouting new branches, becoming weak, or even dying.
Summer lavender field
1. Mainly propagated by sowing and cutting methods.
1.1 Sowing
Lavender seeds are very small and suitable for seedling transplanting. Generally sown in spring (greenhouse sowing can be done in winter), warm areas can sow from March to June or September to November, and cold areas can be postponed to April to June. It takes about 14-21 days to germinate, with an optimal germination temperature of 18-24 degrees.
Because the seeds have a long dormancy period, it is best to soak the seeds for about 12 hours before sowing, then soak them in 20-50 mg/L of gibberellin for 2 hours before sowing. After leveling the soil and watering thoroughly, spread the seeds evenly. Cover with a thin layer of soil about 2 mm thick, then cover with plastic film to maintain humidity. Keep the temperature at 15-25 degrees, and the seedlings will emerge in about 10 days. When the seedlings are about 10 cm tall, they can be transplanted.
1.2 Cutting
Usually in spring and autumn, we use a mixture of 2/3 coarse sand and 1/3 peat moss as the cutting soil. First, select a well-developed plant, then choose its 1-year-old semi-woody top buds without inflorescences, and cut the cutting about 10 cm from the top. Remove the leaves of the bottom 2 nodes, soak in water for 2 hours, then plant them in the soil. In 2-3 weeks, they will root.
Purple flower lavender
2. Suitable for growing in slightly alkaline or neutral, well-drained sandy soil. Avoid excessive watering and fertilization.
Lavender has strong adaptability and is easy to cultivate. It is not strict with soil requirements, is salt-tolerant and drought-resistant.
2.1 Soil
It is suitable for slightly alkaline or neutral sandy soil. The potting soil should have good drainage, and we can use a mixture of 1/3 perlite, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 peat moss.
2.2 Watering
As it does not tolerate humidity, during the growing period, it should be "intermittently dry and wet." Excessive watering is one of the important reasons why lavender cannot survive. Because prolonged waterlogging can cause root rot. So after watering thoroughly, wait for the soil to dry before watering again. The soil drying here refers to the surface of the potting soil being dry, the inside wet, and the leaves slightly wilted. Avoid splashing water on the leaves and flowers when watering, as this can cause the heart leaves and flowers to rot and easily lead to diseases and pests.
2.3 Fertilization
Do not over-fertilize, otherwise the fragrance will weaken. Add bone meal as a base fertilizer when planting. Spring and autumn are the periods of vigorous growth, and organic fertilizer can be applied once or twice a month. The concentration should be dilute. Do not fertilize in summer and winter.
Note: Lavender is suitable for cultivation in slightly larger containers, but when potting, to prevent excessive moisture, you can use ceramic or smaller plastic pots. Commonly used are ceramic or plastic pots with a diameter of 12-15 cm. Change pots every spring or after flowering. The diameter of the new pot should be 2-3 cm larger than the original. Do not change to a pot that is too large at once to avoid waterlogging. When changing pots, water thoroughly first, then move the entire plant out with soil, and can trim old roots. Place a waterproof layer at the bottom of the new pot, then add base fertilizer and new soil.
3. Afraid of heat and humidity. Ensure ventilation and avoid direct sunlight in summer, and prevent getting wet during the rainy season, these two points are the key to successful cultivation.
Lavender is very sensitive to high temperature and humidity. It prefers warm winters and cool summers. If the summer growth temperature is too high, it is not conducive to its growth. And if the leaves of the variety with fine hairs on the surface cannot dry quickly after getting wet, it is very prone to diseases and pests. A continuously humid environment will cause the roots to have insufficient air for respiration, leading to poor growth or even sudden death.
3.1 Measures for Over-Summering:
Light: Although lavender loves plenty of sunlight, it cannot be exposed to strong direct sunlight in summer. In warm areas, we need to prepare shading measures from June. In summer, half of the strong light should be shaded, and ventilation should be increased to lower the temperature. We can place the pot plant in the shade of a tree or on a north-facing balcony to avoid direct sunlight and properly spray water to cool down. Temperature: The optimal temperature for lavender growth is 15-25 degrees. It should not be lower than 5 degrees in winter. It can grow between 5-30 degrees, but the temperature should not exceed 35 degrees. If it is exposed to 35-40 degrees for a long time, the top leaves will turn yellow. Therefore, when the temperature exceeds 35 degrees in summer, we need to strengthen ventilation and spray water to cool down. Cold Training: In addition, to ensure healthy growth in summer, if the outdoor temperature in winter is not below 5 degrees, we let it undergo cold training outdoors as usual. But if it is windy, severely dry, or the soil freezes, cover it with plastic wrap.
Summer lavender field
3.2 Measures for Rainy Season:
Try to place the pot in a place where it can avoid rain. Cut off 1/3 of the lush branches to increase ventilation, allowing sunlight to evenly shine on the roots.
If you can survive the rainy season and overcome the summer heat, you can say that the cultivation is successful.
Rainwater collected in a barrel in a building with lavender planting
4. Do not cut into the woody part when pruning. Avoid causing the plant to have difficulty sprouting new branches, become weak, or even die.
Lavender needs to be pruned after blooming. We can prune the height to 2/3 of the original, which looks good and is beneficial to growth. It is generally pruned in spring; if pruned in autumn, it will affect its cold resistance. Be careful not to cut into the woody part, otherwise it will be difficult for new branches to sprout. The plant will become weak and may not grow well, and in severe cases, it may even die.
Lavender
In addition, in terms of diseases and pests, if well managed, there will be basically no diseases and pests. Poor management can cause root rot, and common pests include red spiders and aphids.
Root Rot: The incidence of root rot is highest in high temperature and waterlogging environments. In summer, we should pay attention to heatstroke prevention and reduction and reduce pot soil积水. We can use a 150-200 times equal amount of Bordeaux mixture for prevention.
Red Spider: In the early stage, it can be controlled by spraying 20% trichlorfon emulsion 600 times.
Aphid: It can be sprayed with 4% dimethoate 1000 times.
Lavender
Summary: After reading the above four cultivation points of lavender, do you already have a clear idea? As long as we propagate by sowing or cutting methods; provide it with slightly alkaline or neutral, well-drained soil, avoid excessive watering and fertilization; give it plenty of sunlight during the day, but shade half of the strong light in summer, maintain ventilation, avoid getting wet during the rainy season; do not cut into the woody part when pruning; if managed well, diseases and pests are basically non-existent. Growing romantic lavender and enjoying its refreshing fragrance is achievable and值得期待.
The above sharing of Provence lavender planting methods and techniques and the introduction of lavender planting time is all the content. Green plant enthusiasts may refer to this for reference.