When you have passed the last day of frost in your gardening zone, it’s time to move the seedlings outdoors.
#Lavender seedlings upgrade#
Transplant the Seedlings Upgrade lavender plants into larger pots as they grow, so they will be fair-sized at planting time.Īfter six to eight weeks of growth, transplant the seedlings into indoor pots and let them continue growing until they are ready to move out to the greenhouse or garden. Light that is too far away doesn’t have the intensity to signal healthy growth and causes seedlings to become leggy. As the seedlings grow, raise the light to be an inch above the tops of the seedlings. Use adjustable chains to hang the grow light and position it as close to the seedlings as possible. There is much debate on whether or not expensive grow lights, with a high light spectrum, are needed for indoor seed starting, but I have always found that it’s not the cost of the bulbs that make the difference, but the distance away from the seedlings. In order to germinate properly, lavender seeds will need a bit more than just natural light. Once your seeds have begun to sprout, continue bottom watering to keep the soil moderately damp, never wet. You can also bottom water pots and allow the soil to wick the moisture to the seeds. Use a mister bottle to water as opposed to pouring water over the seeds.
#Lavender seedlings full#
Watering If grown with good light, lavender plantlets will be full and robust. Be sure that the lid has ventilation holes, and lift it once or twice a day to refresh the air. Add a clear dome greenhouse lid to the seed-starting tray to prevent drying out. Sow lavender seeds on top of the soil and do not cover them. Moisten the soil with a little water, and then fill a seed-starting tray with the damp soil mix.
Black Gold®Seedling Mix is OMRI Listed® for organic gardening and is fine and easy to wet. Now that is all out of the way, let’s start some lavender from seed, shall we? Sowing Lavender Seeds IndoorsĪlways choose a sterile soil mix intended for seed starting. The key seems to be to use the freshest seeds possible from a trusted seed supplier. If you are having difficulties in germination, you could consider this option, but I have had great success with germination by simply planting the seeds in trays and placing them on heat mats. Some gardeners suggest cold-stratifying lavender seeds by placing them in moist soil in a cold greenhouse or refrigerator for two to seven weeks before moving them onto heat. After sowing, a cold period and then a warm period is required to break dormancy and allow germination. Is Cold Stratification Necessary? Lavender seeds can be purchased or collected in the garden.Ĭold stratification is a process required for some seeds. In any case, seed companies work tirelessly to ensure that their seeds will grow uniformly, so when in doubt, be sure to check your seed source for any warnings about a variety.
Certainly, if you are looking for exact replicas of varieties this could be frustrating, but in most cases, it would be more of a landscape feature to have slight variations in a planting. I love the way lavender plants grow delicate new stems from seed that set the tone and shape for the plant.Īnother common complaint is that lavender seed doesn’t grow true-to-variety from collected seed and some purchased seed, resulting in plants with varying heights, sizes, and colors. And in my experience, a neat and tidy lavender plant from seed is a great way to start. Start them in late winter, under lights, and on heat, and you should get fair-sized transplants by the beginning of the summer. As with all perennials, they can take a bit longer to germinate and be ready for transplant. When they started seeding themselves around my garden, I called hogwash on that theory and picked up some different seed varieties to try. Lavenders are such attractive, low maintenance landscaping plants when planted in swaths or hedges, and growing them from seeds makes this a much more economical endeavor.įor many years I was told that lavender was better propagated from cuttings, so I avoided seeding my own plants. Then tuck the newer plants in between the older ones so they can eventually fill in space.
Lavenders are short-lived shrubby perennials, so be sure to propagate a selection of plants to replace those that have become too woody or that have succumbed to winter freeze. There are so many interesting species and varieties to try that it’s worth starting some of your lavenders by seed to get a large number of unique cultivars for the price of the seed packets, planting mix, pots, and a little time. It even feeds bees! With lavender, the possibilities are endless. Lavender ( Lavandula spp.) is a wonderful addition to any garden because it can be used as a culinary herb, a fragrant cut flower, a crafting material, or a natural-beauty ingredient. They dry best if hung in a cool, dry place. Harvest and tie lavender bundles for drying.
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