Hello fellow gardeners. We are delighted to see you here, and we hope you enjoy this post, where the Lavandula Lutea is one of our favorite plants!
The post describes how to propagate lavender efficiently and for large-scale production of your own cultivars.
There are many lavender varieties on the market today.
All have different characteristics: size, shape, color…but only some can be propagated easily by cuttings – like Lavandula angustifolia ‘Lavandin’ or Lavandula officinalis.
But propagation using this method should work regardless of the type of lavender plant.
With that in mind, let us get started on how to propagate lavender plants.
When To Propagate Lavender
The best time to propagate lavender is in the spring when these plants enter their time of growth.
This will mean that your plants will be out of their dormant time and exert more energy into establishing themselves quicker and more efficiently.
What Will You Need?
Before we look at how to propagate let us take a look at when you are going to need for this process.
- Soil – You will need a seed Rising soil mix, this is to give your newly propagated lavender all the soil nutrients it needs to grow and develop healthy roots.
- Plant Pot – You will need a small plant pot where you can plant your propagate lavender.
- Hormone Powder – Hormone powder will be useful to use to help your plant develop roots after and more efficiently.
- Scissors or Garden Secateurs – You will need a pair of small, sharp and sterile scissors or garden secateurs, so you can harvest the cuttings you are going to propagate. If you have neither of these items you can use a sharp knife if necessary.
How To Propagate Lavender?
Propagating lavender is super easy and something you should certainly try your hand at. Below you will see a simple step-by-step guide on how you can propagate by using these plants from cuttings.
Let’s get started!
- Step 1 – The first thing you will need to do is harvest your lavender clippings from one of your healthy plants. You will need cuttings that have a woody stem and a soft leafy green tip. You should gently tug a sprig of lavender away from the main plant and snip a four-inch sprig off the mother plant. When you are doing this just make sure that your cutting has a strip of bark at the base and as always use a sharp and sterile pair of secateurs.
- Step 2 – Now that you have your lavender stem cuttings you will need to pull off some leaves at the end of the cutting. Once you have done this, dip the end of the lavender in a hormone powder or other growth hormone product.
- Step 3 – Next, fill your plant pot with a seed raise soil mix. Grab a pencil and use it to poke a hole in the soil. Once you have a shallow hole you should put your sprig in the hole and use your fingers and a bit of water to compact the soil around the clippings. If you live in a cooler area you will need to keep your propagated lavender warm. You can do this by putting it in a nice sunny spot and covering your plant pot with plastic. You can use an elastic band to secure the plastic if you wish. Poke a few holes in the plastic and leave your pot in a pleasant sunny spot.
Obviously, if you live somewhere warmer you will not need to worry about this step. Now all you have to do is water your propagated lavender every so often.
Just make sure to only water when the soil is dry and be extra careful not to give it too much water as cuttings are susceptible to rot if you give them too much water.
Related: How To Prune Lavender: Tips & Tricks
Caring For Lavender
In this section we are going to talk about some things you might want to know about caring for your lavender plant.
From what soil they prefer to how much water they need to thrive. We have you covered.
Soil
Lavender plants like soil that is slightly acidic in pH level. They also thrive best when their roots are exposed to sunlight.
Soil mixes made specifically for growing herbs contain things such as lime which lowers the PH level of a plant’s soil, while compost makes a more fertile soil.
The type of pH test used for testing soil varies between laboratories but most tests measure the range of 5 to 9. In general, we recommend using a soil tested at 6.5 or lower.
Fertilizer
Lavender should be fertilized every two weeks during the first month after planting until your plant outgrows its container. After that time, you may need to fertilize biweekly.
There are many types of fertilizer available, so look for one that says “herb” on the label if possible.
Most herbaceous plants don’t really need any special nutrients except potassium and phosphorus, both of which should come in full strength.
A complete fertilizer is usually high in nitrogen; however, this isn’t harmful in small amounts.
Remember not to over feed! Foliar applications are useful for foliar feeding, applying directly onto the foliage.
These can be applied at various times throughout the year depending on what problems you want to correct.
Some common uses include copper to control pests, sulfur for controlling aphids, and iron for increasing vigor.
To apply foliar sprays, spray each tray or pot individually. Make sure you are using a fine mist nozzle. Spray evenly and repeat as needed.
It is important to remember that repeated spraying will cause leaf burn, especially in areas where sun exposure is high.
Never apply anything other than water directly onto the leaves without diluting it first. This could potentially damage the plant.
Water
Lavender plants like to be watered when the surface of the soil becomes dry. By keeping your plants well-watered, you’ll be able to harvest plenty of blooms.
Water deeply once per week, but never allow the top inch of soil to become completely dry. Don’t let your pots sit in direct sun—this dries up the root zone.
When watering indoors, avoid overhead sprinklers that disperse droplets all over the room. Instead, water at ground level, using a soaker hose or drip irrigation system.
As soon as the flowers appear on your new plants, begin harvesting them. Harvest regularly (at least every 3-4 days), pulling off old heads and storing them upright in an open paper bag lined with newspaper.
It’s important to store fresh flower heads in a cool place with ample ventilation, because temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit promote mold growth.
It may take a couple of weeks for your first harvest, but within 4 months you’ll be producing lots of beautiful lavender.
Related: Laid Up In Lavender: 21 Different Types Of Lavender
Lighting
As a flowering perennial, lavender needs bright light during the day and low light levels at night. You should provide 12 hours of light to 14 hours of darkness.
If you live in a cloudy area, artificial lighting helps keep delicate herbs healthy. Be careful not to put too much direct light on your plants, though.
Excess heat encourages disease and will also reduce your harvest. During winter, some people use cold frames or grow lights to extend their growing season, but you shouldn’t need this in mild climates.
For more information about indoor gardening, see our article on How to Grow Herbs Indoors.
What To Do With Fresh Lavender Clippings?
Oh no, you have some leftover lavender clippings. What can you do with them? Throwing these leaves away is a terrible waste.
But what can you actually do with them? Well, we have found a few ways you can make use of your extra lavender leaf cuttings. So, without further ado, let us take a look:
- Lavender Infused Oil – This is a great way to make use of your extra lavender clippings. All you need is some of your favorite oil such as sunflower, rice bran, or even almond. The oil should only half fill your little container, the other half should be filled with dried lavender leaves. Now all you need to do is infuse the two, and you will have a fantastic lavender oil fusion.
- Bath Soak – If you want a lovely smelling bath soak you can try your hand at making a delightful green lavender soak. All you need is a variety of herbs like rosemary, violet leaves, pine needles, mint or anything else you choose and your lavender leaves. If you add some Epsom salt and blend your leaves together you should have a lovely salt and herb mixture that you can add to your bath time regime to give it that extra punch.
- Lavender Infused Vinegar – If you want to make some vinegar with an extra delightful aroma and taste you can try your hand at making an infused vinegar using lavender leaves. All you need to do is add vinegar to a jar filled with lavender leaves and let it steep for a few weeks. Then you will be free to use this lavender infused vinegar as a hair rinse, bath rinse.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this section we will answer a series of frequently asked questions concerning lavender plants and lavender propagation. So, let’s take a look.
When Should I Take Lavender Cuttings?
You should get lavender cuttings for propagation when the plant is in full bloom, in late spring or early summer.
It’s easier to get good quality cuttings from younger plants with a bigger root system than older ones.
Cuttings can also be taken at any time of year but those being raised during mid-autumn are more likely to flower that summer because they have put on growth during the cooler months while it was dormant.
If you wait until the first flush in spring then you will probably have some unopened flowers as well as seed pods which you want to keep for the next growing season.
The main reason to propagate now is if you want new stock to add to your established crop.
Why Is Lavender Cuttings Easier Than Seeds?
A cutting is just an offshoot of the parent plant – a branch or one of its stems.
When we take a cutting, we are replicating this branching process by taking a small piece of stem from the parent plant and leaving it attached to the mother plant.
This means that a cutting has all the nutrients needed for healthy growth, so it is vital that it receives enough water too.
Each cutting also contains two sets of leaves which help to provide shelter for the young plant. The stems that grow out of these leaves are called ‘runners’; each runner is simply another way for the cutting to spread.
By the end of August, there may be hundreds of shoots coming up through the ground.
How Many Varieties Of Lavender Are There?
There are many varieties of lavender out there. The most popular ones include: French, Bulgarian, English, German, Spanish and Italian.
These all have different scents and can be used for different reasons. It is important that you pick the type of lavender you want to grow depending on its purpose in your garden.
Some flowers are great for making a potpourri while others will make wonderful perfumes.
To start with, we would recommend starting with one of these types of lavenders but feel free to experiment later on.
Does Honey Work As A Rooting Hormone?
Yes, honey is a good option if you want a natural growth hormone for your plant propagation. The reason for this is that it is a natural antibacterial and antifungal substance.
Honey is great because it protects the cuttings from pests and bacteria while also stimulating growth.
Do Lavender Plants Spread?
Lavender is actually a small shrub that tends to grow between twenty and twenty-four inches tall and the same width.
Despite all this, lavender does not tend to spread like other herbaceous plants like thyme or oregano.
Final Thoughts
Propagating lavender from a cutting is so easy and certainly something you can do from home.
You don’t need very much effort to begin with as the whole operation takes less than half an hour to complete.
After that, it’s just a waiting game. Once you know how to successfully propagate lavender from cuts, you never need to buy seeds again.
That is all for this article, we hope you have a fantastic day. Happy gardening!
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