How to Grow Lavender Herb Plants

About Growing Lavender Plants in Your Herb Garden

As a member of the Mint family, Lavender plants are the most popular aromatic herbs. Since ancient Roman times and before, people have loved Lavender herbs for their beautiful, fresh scent. Gardeners, crafters, homeowners, we all just love growing Lavender! The flowers have many culinary uses, too.

Lavender is a semi-evergreen plant that is native to the Mediterranean, Middle East, and northern Africa. Wildly popular, this hardy perennial is now grown around the world. In the flower garden or herb garden, Lavender is attractive with its grayish foliage. When in bloom, the sweet scent drifts pleasantly across the yard.

We recommend planting some along with the house under your windows, so the scent can waft inside in the breeze. In addition to flower and herb gardens, these plants also look and grow well in rock gardens, as border edges, and in pots or containers on your patio or deck. Try growing them indoors, too. Just make sure to place them in a sunny window. Most varieties are under 1 1/2 feet. They can grow up to two feet tall.

Are deer a problem in your area? They won’t bother your lavender plants. Like most herbs, Deer do not like the strong scent.

Medicinal and Culinary Uses

Medicinal Uses:

It is also used as a medicinal herb. Use Lavender extract for the relief of anxiety. And, use the oils to treat wounds and burns.

Culinary Uses:

Lavender is used in baked goods, jellies, and teas.

Aromatic Uses:

The lavender scent is relaxing. It is called the “scent of tranquility”. Lavender is the most popular scent used in Aromatherapy.

Ancient Romans used Lavender to scent their bathwater. Since ancient times, it was also stored with clothes and linen for a fresh scent.

Lavender is popular in candles, crafts, detergents, hair shampoos, massage oils, perfumes, potpourri, sachets, and as dried flowers. The oils are used to make perfumes.

Nutritional Value

100 grams of Lavender contains approximately:

49 calories
11 g carbs
0 cholesterol
0 g fat
0 g fiber
1 g protein
1 mg sodium

Lavender Plant Growing Specifications

Flowers Bloom: Summer

Flower Colors: Lavender purple.

Days to Harvest: Early Spring to summer. Sometimes a second bloom in late summer.

Plant Height: 8 to 36 inches tall.

Light Needs: Full sunlight.

Ideal Soil pH: 6.5 – 7.5.

Plant Hardiness Zones: 5 – 9

Ideal Growing Temperatures: 70 to 85° F.

Plant Type: Perennial.

Deer Resistant? Yes. Deer and other foraging animals do not like the scent.

Native To: Arabian peninsula, Mediterranean, and parts of Africa and Asia.

Botanical Name: Lavendula

Lavender Plant Propagation

Grow Lavender from seed. The seeds are difficult to start, requiring a long germination period of up to a month. It is important to keep the soil moist, but not wet during this period.

Plant the seeds 1/8 ” deep. Better yet, sow these small seeds on top of the soil and lightly water them in. The seeds require light to germinate. As a result, it is important not to plant the seeds too deeply.

We recommend an early start, sowing seeds, indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost. You will want to get these plants in bloom in your yard as early as possible. Place seedlings in a sunny window or use grow lights.

Gardening Tip: For indoor starts, we recommend using a heated germination mat, to increase the speed of germination. And, it, results in a higher germination rate.

You can also directly sow Lavender seeds into your garden. Sow seeds early in the season and cover lightly with soil.

Final Plant Spacing: Space seedlings or thin plants 18″ apart, in rows 24 inches apart.

Days to Germination: 14 -30 days.

How to Grow Lavender Plants

Planting and Soil Needs

While lavender seeds are hard to start, it is otherwise an easy-to-grow plant. Established plants bloom in late spring to early summer. With a long growing season and a little luck, the plants will bloom a second time in late summer to early Fall. Surely, you’ll be glad you added this plant to your backyard herb garden. Undoubtedly, it will become one of your favorite garden herbs.

Plant perennial Lavender plants in a location where it will not be disturbed. Then, it will reward you for several years. Lavender grows best in full sun. These plants do well in most soils, but well-drained soil is a must. They are tolerant of droughts.

Light Requirement

First, select a location in your garden where your Lavender plants will receive at least seven to eight hours of bright, direct sun. For optimal growth and maximum blooms, grow them in a location that receives full sunlight from sunrise to sunset.

Fertilizer Needs

Lavender plants grow well in almost any soil. Basically, they do not need much fertilizer if any. In poor soils, add a general-purpose fertilizer once or twice during the growing season.

Avoid excess nitrogen, especially just prior to the blooming period.

Water Needs

These drought-tolerant plants require no additional water during most of the growing season. However, water them during extended dry periods. Water directly to the roots. Avoid getting the leaves wet, if possible. Then, allow the soil to dry between watering.

Other Steps

Weeds rob valuable water and soil nutrients. Therefore, keep young Lavender plants well-weeded. Then, after they have grown several inches, apply a layer of mulch. This helps to retain soil moisture and gives the plant a neat and tidy appearance.

Prune away dead, damaged, or diseased leaves or stems. At the end of the season, cut the plants back by 1/3 to 1/2.

The plants overwinter without any problems in most areas.

Pick flowers in full bloom and place them in a small vase. You have this wonderful scent wafting through your house whenever you want.

Insect and Plant Disease Problems

Insect and disease problems are uncommon.

Also see: Plant Problems – causes and cures

Harvesting Aromatic Lavender Herbs

The plants are ready to harvest in late spring or early summer. With a little luck and a long growing season, a second bloom will occur in late summer or early Fall.

The scent is in leaves, stems, and flowers. Harvest Lavender when the oils at peak. This occurs when the flowers are about two thirds open.

Harvest them early in the morning after the dew has dried off the plants, because this is when the oils are the strongest.

Then, use them fresh or spread them loosely on a screen to dry.