Lavender Series Part 2
This is part 2 of a 3 part series on all things Lavender.
Last week I talked about Lavender and Breastfeeding. If you haven’t had a chance to check out that post, here is your chance before moving on in this series.
Today is focused on growing Lavender! I have not had great success in this area, but I am anxious to try again. Especially, after the research that I have compiled in this post. Lavender, as you know, is my favorite plant and it bums me out that I don’t have any as part of my mini ecosystem.
But, I am keeping an eye out for when lavender plants are available in stores near me so that I can start that journey anew.
Anyone want to join me?
Have I Tried Growing Lavender?
The answer is yes.
But I was unsuccessful? Also yes.
I attempted to grow lavender once, about two years go, from seeds. Mastering the growing of a plant from seeds is something on my bucket list. It is something that I simultaneously find to be both incredibly simple yet overwhelmingly complex. Yes, I am aware of the contradiction.
Every time I try to grow a plant from seeds, I have a difficult time maintaining a stable environment for the seeds, so while I successfully obtain seedlings, eventually they all wither away. Regardless of how diligent I am with maintenance.
Yet, my husband is able to throw seeds in soil, water them intuitively, and successfully grow stable plants with no issues.
How To Successfully Grow Lavender
Although I hope to master seeds at some point, my gameplan is to purchase an already mature lavender plant and go forward from there.
But, is lavender actually easy to grow? Does it need any special conditions to thrive?
Let’s do a deep dive!
Types of Lavender
What is lavender? In my earlier post, Lavender & Patchouli (how very hippie aesthetic of me) I shared that:
“Lavender, or Lavandula, is a genus made up of 47 species of plants that, surprisingly, is a member of the mint family. Depending on the species, lavender plants are used in home or community gardens. In additional to their fragrancy, they also attract environmental heroes helping to attract pollinators.”
Knowing what type of lavender that you have can be a key to your success. Gardenia.net breaks down ideal growing conditions for 5 main types of lavender. These include English Lavender, Portuguese Lavender, French Lavender, Spanish Lavender, and Lavandin.
While each type of lavender varies in their preferred climate zones, in general, they are seeking lots of sun and good drainage, according to Almanac.com. This leads us to, what is an ideal environment for growing lavender?
Indoors or Outdoors?
Lavender can be grown both indoors and outdoors, but care is heavily dictated by which one you choose.
Outdoors will bring a greater range of elements to confront the lavender plant, but indoors may make it more challenging to recreate ideal conditions. Here are some tips for each scenario.
Indoors
Gardener’s Supply Company recommends the following tips for growing lavender indoors – which can be more challenging:
- For indoor growing, lavender should receive as much light as possible. This can be accomplished through a south-facing window or using a grow light.
- “Ideal indoor temperatures from spring through mid-fall are 50 to 55 degrees F at night and 70 degrees F during the day. During the late fall through winter, temperatures should be cooler: 45 to 50 degrees F at night and 60 to 65 degrees F during the day.”
- Lavender likes to maintain just the right amount of moisture. Saturate the plant thoroughly, but allow it to dry out slightly (but not completely), otherwise it can be susceptible to root rot.
- Use a well-draining soil and repot your plant yearly.
Outdoors
Outdoor lavender has very similar needs, thriving on large amounts of light, and good moisture with well-draining soil. American Meadows provides a step-by-step guide to caring for lavender outdoors, through all cycles of their growth (and even include pictures!):
- Starting lavender from seeds is not recommended (which makes me feel slightly better about my own failings). American Meadows recommends starting with mature plants with well-developed root systems.
- For outdoor growth, overwatering can be detrimental to your plants, and they are actually drought resistant!
- Be sure to familiarize yourself with end of season care to address issues or planning strategies such as pests, propagation, and the following season.
Pet-Safe?
Is Lavender pet-safe?
This is an important question. As a cat owner myself, there are a lot of plants that, unfortunately, I have not been able to bring into my home, because of the potential risk to my fur baby – especially one who enjoys chewing on all things green.
But, the answer to this question is not as straightforward. Technically, being around the plant is not an issue for cats and dogs. But essential oils or ingestion can make lavender potentially toxic to your pet.
Wag! states that “Although Lavandula Angustifolia does contain the noxious compound linalool, it is in low enough concentrations to consider the plant itself as non-toxic. For this reason, lavender is often listed a safe plant to grow in gardens where dogs are allowed to roam free. Diluted lavender oil is sometimes used to combat allergic symptoms in dogs due to its anti-inflammatory and calming effects.”
However, the article goes on to say that poisoning can occur if large quantities of lavender are ingested, which can cause severe and immediate health concerns such as intestinal blockages or allergies.
An article from Great Pet Care states “
Dr. Jamie Richardson, medical chief of staff of Small Door Veterinary in New York, says the lavender plant itself isn‘t dangerous to cats, unless ingested. “Some cats even seem to enjoy sitting in or near outdoor lavender plants,” she says. “Most cats will not voluntarily ingest lavender plants, however on the off chance they do, they can cause gastrointestinal upset (usually vomiting).”
Barrack explains that cats can become sick just from licking a lavender plant and not fully ingesting it. This also applies to potpourri made with dried lavender spikes.”
Even with this brief overview, I would encourage you to do research, and talk to your vet before making a decision, about what is best for your household.
Tips & Tricks
I thought it would be fun to close out this post with tips from the broader community, aka Reddit. Here are what some users had to say:
- “Lavender from seed is notorious for giving everyone problems. . .”
- “If you live in zones that rains a lot and freezes in winter, make no other choice then very hardy lavenders.”
- “This is possibly the hardest part of growing the lavender- ignoring it. Don’t feed, don’t water, don’t move. Lavender is similar to cactus-they barely need a water and moisture kills them more than drying. If you get rain once a week or so, that’s more than plenty.”
- (Regarding growing lavender indoor from seeds) “Wet soil ruins lavender PDQ but dried out soil is just as bad when seeds are starting to germinate. By summer, your seedlings may be 4″ tall. Perennials don’t put on much top growth the first year; the plant concentrates on root development.”
What About You?
Do you have any experiences trying to grow lavender? What happened or what would you recommend?