Lavender in Siberia: planting and care, features of cultivation and shelter for the winter

Lavender is a plant that will decorate not only any garden, but also come in handy in everyday life, during treatment. This flower has a pleasant, soothing scent, which is why it is often used in aromatherapy. Growing lavender indoors is not that difficult, even if you live in the northern regions. You just need to know the rules for planting and caring for lavender in Siberia, as well as choose a variety that is resistant to cold.

Frost-resistant varieties of lavender

Lavender came to us from the south, so out of 20 plant species, only one is suitable for Siberia - narrow-leaved lavender. Its other name is English.Under a thick layer of snow, it can withstand frosts down to -35 degrees. Lavender narrow-leaved looks like a spherical shrub, up to 70 centimeters tall. At the bottom, the shoots are lignified, the flowers are purple and lilac shades, similar to spikelets

It was from this species that varieties suitable for planting in Siberia were bred:

1. Beechwood is one of the most cold hardy. Inflorescences - a pleasant blue color, flowering time - from June to July.
2. Normandy - although this variety is an annual, it grows in almost any conditions. Quickly builds green mass and forms flowers.
3. Munstead - reaches a height of 40 centimeters, tolerates windy weather well. Flowers - deep blue.
4. Hidkot - the bush can grow up to 1 meter, gives a lot of young shoots, the flowers are dark purple. This variety blooms all summer months.
5. Alba - up to 40 centimeters. The flowers are white, differs from other varieties in a bright, tart aroma. The composition from Alba looks interesting in combination with other varieties.
6. Rosea - pale pink inflorescences.
7. Buena Vista is one of the most interesting varieties. Flowers - blue, with bluish cups. It blooms in two waves - first in summer (until July), then in autumn.
8. Lavandin - blooms very luxuriantly, and also has the strongest aroma. Therefore, when growing it, you need to be careful if you have allergies.

Variety of varieties allows you to choose exactly those that suit you by color and blooming time.

Features of growing shrubs in Siberia

Many gardeners who decide to grow lavender in Siberia note that caring for it does not differ much due to the region. But the flower must be carefully prepared for winter, and besides this, there are other nuances.

How to grow lavender seedlings from seeds

Seeds are the best way to grow lavender in Siberia. They are hardened so that later the seeds and germinated plants do not die due to temperature changes. The whole process of obtaining seedlings is divided into 4 stages:

1. Purchasing seeds. Be sure to check the expiration date and the integrity of the package, otherwise the seeds may not sprout.
2. Hardening (or stratification) - lasts 1 month, during which the seeds are stored in a package on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
3. Sowing - falls on the beginning of March. For this, a shallow pot with fertile soil is used. Bury the seeds to a depth of 3 millimeters. Don't forget to water (water should be at room temperature).
4. Pick - carried out after the appearance of two leaves. Each plant needs to be transplanted into a separate container.

To grow seedlings at the last stage, maintain the temperature at +20 degrees. After that, at the end of May-beginning of July, you can plant plants on the street.

Transplanting seedlings in open ground

Even for cold-resistant varieties of lavender, location plays a big role. It must meet the following requirements:

• lots of sunshine;
• warm enough;
• windless;
• there should be no stagnant water - it's bad for the roots;
• ideal option - foothills, hills.

As for the soil, it is better to choose sandy-clay, with good drainage. You can transplant when the temperature is above zero at night, on a warm day without precipitation. Plant each seed to a depth of 30 centimeters, and the distance between the pits should correspond to half the bush. Crowding harms lavender and interferes with abundant flowering. After digging a hole, fill it with fertile soil, and after planting, water the plants.

Can seeds be sown directly outdoors?

Even in Siberia it is possible to plant lavender seeds on the street, in open ground. This is easier, but with this method, the number of sprouts in lavender is significantly reduced.In addition, if you chose the autumn months for sowing (September or October), then there is a risk that the seeds will freeze after the first frost.

To prevent this from happening, after the first snowfall, throw as much snow as possible on the landing site. This will keep the heat in and the seeds will harden naturally over the winter.

It's not that risky to plant seeds in the spring. But then you will need to refrigerate them in the same way as before planting in pots. Place the seeds in a container with sand, and then leave in a cool place for one and a half to two months. Then you can plant them.

Lavender Care Rules

Lavender belongs to unpretentious plants, and does not require any special care measures. Therefore, even a novice gardener will cope with it.

Irrigation

The abundance of moisture harms lavender. Therefore, water it only after the topsoil dries out.It is necessary to increase watering during flowering, and after - immediately stop it. But if you planted plants on a slope where water flows easily, dig holes nearby to hold it.

Feeding

Lavender does not need abundant fertilizer, and if the land is fertile enough, then nothing else can be applied. In another case, top dressing is done twice:

1. In the spring, when the bush grows, nitrogen is good. For example, urea (half a tablespoon in 5 liters of water per plant) and organic fertilizers.
2. In the summer, before flowering, use mineral fertilizers or again organic.

Organic top dressing should be buried as deep as possible in the ground.

Soil care

Loosening is essential for lavender to improve air exchange, although this is not easy to do with overgrown bushes.Don't dig too deep or you can damage the roots, and remove all weeds. To make it easy to take care of the land, you can mulch it with peat - this will prevent the growth of weeds and prevent the formation of a crust. In addition to peat, only loose compost can be used as mulch, otherwise the earth will be too damp.

Cutting

In cold climates, pruning is usually carried out in the spring, according to the following rules:

1. First of all, dried branches are cut, then - with damage.
2. There should be 6 freshly grown green stems on each plant.
3. In autumn, pruning is not carried out so that the branches create a layer, and the plant winters in warmth.

If you prune in this way, the plant will rejuvenate, and the bush itself will become neat and will grow violently. But removing all the stems down to the lignified parts can be detrimental to lavender.

Shelter

Be sure to shelter lavender for the winter, as it is a very heat-loving plant. To do this, use:

• agrofiber;
• burlap;
• you can additionally put a layer of spruce branches on top.

Never cover with compost or fallen leaves. Moisture collects underneath, causing the lavender to rot.

Protection from diseases and pests

Lavender has not so many diseases, pests on it can also be found infrequently. First of all, it is a rainbow beetle (feeds on foliage) and pennitsa (because of it, the plant is covered with unpleasant white foam). In this case, simply wash the plant with a strong jet of water. The same should be done if you notice aphids, but then treat all the bushes with Aktellik.

When affected by rainbow beetles and leafhoppers, it is necessary to change the layer of mulch under the lavender. But the most dangerous disease is gray rot. It appears with excessive moisture or in a damp climate. Diseased bushes must be destroyed, the remaining ones should be treated with a fungicide solution

Cultivation

The easiest way to grow lavender is to divide an already grown bush. To do this, at the beginning of summer, the bushes are covered with earth so that more roots form on the stems. In September or October, the bushes are dug up and carefully divided with a shovel into several parts, which are then transplanted to the right place. This lavender will bloom next year.

Another effective method is layering. The oldest shoot is pinned to the ground with a metal horn, soil is laid on top, but the top remains free. Roots grow on the part sprinkled with soil, after which the shoot is cut off and planted in a new place.You need to take care of him in the same way as an adult bush.

Reproduction by cuttings allows you to get new bushes at any time of the year. To do this, do the following:

1. Cut lignified branches from an adult bush.
2. In tall pots, place universal soil for seedlings, which before that water with warm water.
3. Put the cuttings into the soil.
4. The pots should be covered with foil to maintain high humidity underneath.
5. Air out the pots daily and spray the soil when dry.
6. In one or two months, each shoot will take root and leaves.

After that, in spring or autumn, new bushes can be planted in open ground.

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