Lavender plants - plants for everyone
With its radiant violet flowers and unique, soothing scent, lavender is an enrichment for every household. Whether on your balcony, in the garden or on a windowsill, this well-known medicinal herb should be cared for with love in and outside of your home. We show you how the right lavender care works and other useful information here.
The magical story of lavender
The botanical nameLavandula angustifoliasounds like a touch of magic. With us, the medicinal plant is known as lavender or real lavender. This Mediterranean subshrub occurs naturally in countries around the Mediterranean region such as southern France, Italy and Greece.
Since lavender gets along very well with dry and poor soil, it can grow in these regions without any problems. The plant genus Lavandula has more than 30 different species. The most well-known types of lavender are true lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), French lavender (Lavandula stoechas), broad-leaved lavender (Lavandula latifolia) and the French lavender (Lavandula dentata).
As the plant has become more and more popular, it has now been introduced to many regions and countries. As a result, economically important cultural deposits have emerged in England, France, Morocco and the USA, for example.
Proper lavender care: overwintering, watering, repotting, etc.
So that the lavender develops its striking violet flowers with its green-greyish leaves at home, we will show you how the right lavender care looks like. If you follow our helpful tips, then nothing should go wrong.
Lavender Location: A lot of sun is good for it
Regardless of whether you keep the lavender in the garden or in a bucket, lavender loves the sun and therefore likes it bright and warm. If you keep it outside, you can leave it in its spot even in winter, as most lavender varieties are hardy in pots. But make sure that the plant is in a wind-protected location. A light and dry location on a house wall, for example, is ideal for the container plant.
Since lavender has a high proportion of essential oil, it has a very calming and sleep-inducing effect. You can take advantage of this quality if you are very restless in the evening and you have a thousand thoughts circling around in your head.
Tip: Simply hang a bunch of dried lavender in your bedroom or use the dried flowers to make tea before going to bed. You will definitely notice the calming effect soon.
The right lavender soil
Due to its origin, the lavender plant prefers a nutrient-poor, calcareous and pebbly soil. You are also welcome to use a stony subsoil, the plant does not shy away from this at all. Above all, no backwater should form. The earth should therefore not tend to store the water.
Attention: The crested lavender is an exception. It prefers rather sandy soils for its growth.
Tip: If you add a bit of lime to the substrate twice a year, then the lavender will feel really good.
Water the lavender: less is more
Lavender care also includes correct watering. The rule here is: Always wait until the top layer of soil in the flower pot has dried, only then should you water the plant. In addition, you should only water so much that the water does not collect in the saucer.
If you do, then pour off the excess water as lavender doesn't like wet feet! Permanent waterlogging can quickly lead to rot in this plant. Tap water is particularly suitable for watering, as it usually contains a lot of lime.
Tip: If you water your lavender in the morning, the water can evaporate very well during the day.
Fertilize your lavender, it's that easy
With lavender, you should be careful not to fertilize it too often. In particular, you should avoid fertilizers that are rich in nitrogen. Fertilizers fortified with potassium are much better for your lavender. The timing of fertilization is best after flowering.
Tip: It is best to always fertilize with garden lime and not with mulch, as this stores moisture too much and the plant is therefore more susceptible to mould.
When should you prune your lavender?
Regular pruning is very important for lavender care, as this promotes the growth of the plant. By cutting in the spring, the lavender always stays nice and bushy and does not fall apart. You can cut back the plant down to the woody parts. In autumn you can then cut off the withered flower stalks again.
The pleasantly soothing scent of lavender blossoms comes back every year.
Repot the lavender properly
If you keep your lavender in a pot, then you should repot it regularly as it grows. As a result, she can live eight to ten years. With potted lavender, the time of repotting is relatively unimportant. You can plant it in a larger container in both spring and summer.
Important: The new pot should always be at least a third larger than the previous pot. So the lavender has enough space to grow and can spread its big and long roots well.
Propagating lavender: very easy with the cuttings method
Lavender is propagated using the cuttings method. It's simple and uncomplicated. The best time for this is late summer or spring. You can easily cut off a few branches from the mother plant, preferably with unbranched young shoots and no flowers.
In the lower third of the seven to ten centimeter long branches, you should remove the small leaves, as this part is planted in the potting soil. It is best to use a special seed tray that you fill with a mixture of coarse sand and potting soil.
Once you have planted the cuttings, you should water them with a water sprayer. A foil cover contributes to increased humidity. When the cuttings have formed their own roots after a few months, you can plant them in their own flower pots in a warm and sunny location so that their roots have enough space in the future.
Is the lavender poisonous?
You don't have to worry because the lavender is non-poisonous . Neither for your cat nor for your dog. The plant is also harmless for small children and babies. Caution is only required with small rodents such as guinea pigs, hamsters and the like. The high concentration of essential oils can cause lavender poisoning in these animals if consumed in excess.
Tips for a proper lavender bloom
Since lavender is best known for its fragrant flowers, you naturally want it to develop well in this regard. A failing lavender flower can be due to the wrong lavender care.That's why it's very important that you make sure that your plant is in full sun with lots of warmth, because only then will it get enough energy to develop its flowers in full splendor
Lavender is also very sensitive to the substrate. This should be rather low in nutrients and have no water storage capacity, so that no backwater forms.
Bring the plants into your apartment!
Now you have learned a lot about lavender care and can now put things into practice. If you are still missing the right indoor plants for your lavender plant, then feel free to visit our site and be inspired by our unique range of plants. There's sure to be something for you!
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