In this article today you will learn how to propagate lavender, (Lavandula officinalis) is a plant known since the time of the Romans, used as a perfume, in soaps, as a medicinal plant, and also in the garden as a plant to attract bees and repel pests.
This makes it a very valuable plant is a small perennial shrub, woody, with narrow gray-green leaves and violet-blue flowers that grow in spikes and bloom in summer.
Lavender, thanks to its bluish flowers, and the scent they give off are ideal for example to delimit flowerbeds or to have near the entrance of the house because it will help to keep unwanted insects away from the house.
How to Care for Lavender
Before we teach you how to propagate lavender, we will tell you what it needs to grow properly. Lavender is not a demanding plant but it has its needs like any other plant.
Soil: Lavender adapts very well to almost any type of soil. Although it prefers light soils, with sand and medium organic matter content. Drainage and avoiding puddles that can rot the roots are something to take into consideration.
Watering: It will need frequent watering, but without puddling. Lavender tolerates well periods of drought, so common in the Mediterranean climate. Watering once a week is enough.
Climate: It likes temperate climates with winters and summers that are not excessively severe. Although it tolerates wide climatic and soil conditions, it is important that the soil is not too acidic and that it has sun. It does not tolerate excessive humidity.
Propagation: It is sowing seeds in spring. Although reproduction by cuttings is very effective and the most common as we shall see later.
Care and Diseases: It supports well the cold winters and frosts. It does not usually have diseases, except for some caused by excessive moisture hence the importance of drainage and controlled irrigation. It is pruned at the end of winter so that it is ready for spring.
How to Propagate Lavender Step by Step
To propagate lavender first choose an ideal climate. Don’t try to cut lavender cuttings when the weather is too cold or too hot. Extreme temperatures will cause the cuttings to wilt and die. The best times to cut cuttings are in early fall or early spring.
We will then cut our cuttings and fill a pot with seed starter mix and sand. Both of these materials provide the ideal medium for a cutting, and also do not contain much moisture. Soil or potting mix can hold too much moisture, which will rot the cutting.
We will put rooting hormones on it and move on to planting the cutting in the pot. We use this rooting hormone. Press the soil gently with your hands, and do not leave it too firm.
Water the plant regularly. Water every day if it is very hot, but do not soak the soil. The soil should be moist, not wet, otherwise, our cuttings will rot.
Lavender can be easily grown both in soil and in pots and can be kept both outdoors and indoors, a plant that everyone should have and enjoy at home.
We hope this article on how to propagate lavender will be useful, you should also see our other article about how to grow lavender in a pot from seed.
