Video:Tips for Growing Lavender
with Chris BoggsGrow lavender at home with these helpful gardening tips. Learn how to identify the type of lavender, the weather conditions for growing lavender, the importance of drainage, how to prune your plant, how and why to grow it in a container.See Transcript
Transcript:Tips for Growing Lavender
Hi, This is Chris Boggs with About.com and today I'm going to show you a few tips for growing lavender using information from About.com's gardening site.
Choose Type of Lavender
There is a wide variety of lavender types out there. Two of the most popular varieties are angustofolio (or English lavender) and Intermedia, which is also known as lavendin. You can tell what variety of lavender yours is by looking at the back of the nursery tag that comes with the plant.
Lavender Needs Sunlight
When choosing a spot for your lavender, remember that lavender plants need plenty of sunlight. They also don't like cold winter winds, so planting next to a wall that provides shelter from the wind is always a good idea. I also recommend spacing your lavender plants out to give them plenty of room to grow and to improve the airflow.
Water Lavender Properly
The most important thing when it comes to growing lavender is drainage. Lavender is a Mediterranean plant and hates soggy environments. When watering, I employ the “drench and drought” method, in which I water heavily, but not very often.
Prune and Plant Lavender Plants
Pruning is very important to extend the life of your lavender. If you have a taller variety of lavender cut it back by approximately one-third their height. Lower growing varieties can either be pruned back by a couple of inches or cut down to new growth. It's especially important to prune lavender in it's first year.
If your winters are too cold for your lavender plant to grow outdoors, consider growing it in a container. When planting, it helps to add a small amount of gravel at the bottom of the container to help with drainage. Place the container by a window that allows for plenty of sunshine.
Uses for Lavender
Besides being decorative and aromatic,lavender has a variety of uses. It can be used in lotions, oils, soaps and shampoos. English lavender and lavendin are also great for cooking. It's a versatile plant and you'll definitely find some great uses for it. Thanks for watching. For more information visit us on the web at About.com.