Lavender: outdoor planting and care, pruning and winterization

Lavender has proven itself and is popular because of its unpretentiousness and exquisite flowering, which provides the grower with incredible beauty throughout the season. Planting and caring for lavender outdoors is of interest to many beginner growers and those who have chosen this beautiful culture.

General information about the plant

Lavender is a perennial shrub of the Lamiaceae family, which captivates with its beauty, elegance, delicate aroma. The plant forms a powerful rod, woody root system and branched, erect stems.The bushes are decorated with oblong leaves with a solid or serrated edge.

Lavender flowers are characterized by a variety of colors. At the end of high thin peduncles there are 6-10 flowers, collected in false whorls, forming spike-shaped inflorescences. At the end of flowering, seeds are formed in the form of a dense dry seed in the shape of an oval, which has a dark brown color.

Varieties and varieties of lavender

There are 4 types of culture, in which there are several varieties.

Lavender angustifolia (English). The bushes have a powerful fibrous root, reaching up to 2 m in length, and shoots with a woody part at the base. Lavender is decorated with linear leaves, which are distinguished by density, slightly lowered, painted green with a gray tint. It blooms in late summer with flowers collected in spike-shaped inflorescences.

In horticulture, varieties such as:

• Alba;
• Centiva Silver;
• Munstead;
• Rosea;
• Hidcote;
• Centiva Blue.

Lavender broadleaf (French). This species has a strong aroma. Flowering occurs earlier than other species - in late spring. Attract the attention of all kinds of flowers inflorescences. There are such varieties:

• Helmsdale;
• Tiara;
• Rocky Road Regal Splendour;
• Willow Vale.

Lavender hybrid. This variety is called Dutch, it can be grown commercially. Valued for large bushes, reaching a height of 2 m, and leaves of a silvery color. Pleases with flowering of large oblong flowers in July.

The following varieties are popular:

• Richard Gray;
• Arabic;
• Grosso.

Toothed lavender. The plant is a medium-sized semi-shrub, which is used for decorative purposes. It has earned its place in the flower beds thanks to soft green foliage with a gray tint and large fragrant inflorescences. The species is subdivided into the following varieties:

• Royal Crown;
• Pedundulata;
• Regal Splendour.

Subtleties of growing a flower

To get he althy blooming lavender in the garden or in the country, you need to choose the right place, know when to plant a crop, how to plant a plant in open ground. And then it will be possible to admire a beautiful flower from May until late autumn.

Choosing a seat

The guarantee of successful cultivation of lavender is the right place for planting. Therefore, it is important to know where to plant the culture. The plant loves open areas that are illuminated by the rays of the sun. Bushes can take root in the shade, but they will not please with abundant and long flowering. The root system of lavender reacts sensitively to high soil moisture. Therefore, you need to refuse to plant it in wetlands.

The plant is demanding on the level of acidity and soil structure. Before planting, add wood ash or lime to the soil, these substances will effectively reduce acidity. And to provide porous soil, compost is systematically added to the flower bed. Fertilizer will loosen the soil and enrich it with all the necessary nutrients.

When to plant

Sow seeds in the ground in October. Sowing material is planted for seedlings in February or March. Seedlings are planted in the soil in the last days of May or in the first decade of June.

Features of landing

Flowers can be bred not only from seedlings, but also from seeds. The seed method is more labor-intensive, so gardeners choose to cultivate with seedlings. To do this, sow the seeds in the last days of February - early March, so that the young sprouts have time to get stronger before moving them to open soil.

Lavender seedlings should be planted at the end of May. Prepare landing pits in advance. Effective perception of the flower bed is created while maintaining the optimal viewing distance. During planting, keep a distance between planting units of 80-90 cm for compact varieties, and 120 cm for tall hybrids. The depth of the recesses depends on the size of the roots of the seedlings.

Place the seedlings in a hole, straightening the roots, and fill the lavender so that its root collar is 5-6 cm deep, then water it abundantly.

If the flower bed is located in areas where a warm climate prevails, then lavender can be grown using seeds. For this, winter sowing is used, which includes planting seeds in the soil in October. Planting material should be sown to a depth of 3-4 cm, and the soil should be compacted from above. Watering is necessary in dry autumn weather. Cover the flowerbed with snow in winter.

Lavender Care Tips

In order for lavender to remain beautiful and he althy for a long time, it is necessary to properly and timely care for the plant and implement all agricultural techniques.

Treatment near bushes

Lavender does not grow well in dense soils. Its roots require good air circulation. It is also required to remove weeds, as they can drown out young shrubs. Loosening the soil and weeding are mandatory procedures for caring for the crop.

Irrigation mode

With water, the culture receives all the nutrients for normal growth and flowering, so lavender should be systematically watered abundantly, especially in hot, dry weather.

Pruning lavender bushes

When breeding lavender, annual pruning is required. As flowering ends, cut off faded inflorescences. This will help stimulate more active and prolonged flowering and give a decorative look to the flowers. In autumn, shorten the branches to keep them compact, and also so that they do not break under the snow and do not freeze in the harsh winter.

Shrubs at the age of 10 years can be rejuvenated by cutting the shoots 5-10 cm from the ground in autumn.

Fertilization

Perennial lavender is very responsive to feeding. It is important to observe the dose when fertilizing. Use only complex mineral supplements. Add them before flowering, concentration - 2 tbsp. l. for 10 liters of water. Water the bushes with the finished composition.

Preparing for winter

Preparing lavender for a cold winter includes a cycle of activities that will allow the plant to cope with the harsh conditions of the middle lane. The flower does not tolerate a little snowy winter and a decrease in temperature indicators to -25 degrees, so you should take care of its reliable shelter. To do this, at the end of the season, before wintering, cut the bushes of the plant and build a shelter from the branches of coniferous trees.

Protection from diseases and pests

In the process of growing, gardeners are faced with a disease such as gray rot, the development of which can be triggered by regular stagnation of fluid in the soil due to improper watering or prolonged rains. This disease is not treatable. Therefore, the infected bush must be dug up and burned.

Also, lavender is not immune from pest attacks. The plant can be chosen by rainbow beetles, slobbering pennitsy. These insects can be harvested by hand, as well as changing the mulch and treating shrubs using special insecticides.

Reproduction methods

Lavender is grown from seeds and propagated by dividing the bush, layering and cuttings:

1. Propagation by cuttings. To do this, cut cuttings 8-10 cm long from the shoot. Plant them for rooting in loose, moistened soil, deepening the lower cut by 2-3 cm, and cover using jars. You need to cover until the roots form at the cuttings.
2. Dividing the bush. At the initial stage, the selected plant should be prepared. In autumn, cut off a powerful, he althy shrub at a height of 10 cm and spud, filling all the space between the branches. In the spring, repeat hilling. During the summer, the bush will give growth. And then in the autumn it can be dug up, divided into parts with well-developed roots and stems, and planted.
3. Reproduction by layering. In the spring, bend the lavender shoots and put them in holes, the depth of which is 3-4 cm, and sprinkle with soil. Water the entire summer period, and in the spring, detach the shoots that have taken root from the bush and plant them in a permanent place.

Application in landscape design

There are many ideas for decorating decorative flower beds in landscape design. Lavender will harmoniously complement the landscape near the house with its colors, exquisite flowering and incredible beauty. Bushes look gorgeous in rock gardens and mixborders. They are given a place in the center of the flower bed, where they are clearly visible from all sides.

Varieties characterized by high growth can be planted in small groups, for example, on alpine hills. At the same time, just do not disturb the design of the mountain landscape and choose the right neighbors.

Lavender looks elegant as a border decorating an alley in a garden. Framing of flowers allows you to divide the garden into zones. Also, the plant will look good next to elegant standard roses.

An original decoration of the garden can be a carpet of flowers. To do this, determine the height of the shrubs in advance and systematically cut them at the same level.

Growing lavender is not difficult even for beginner growers. And with proper planting and proper care, the evergreen perennial will decorate flower beds in the garden with its flowering for a long time.

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