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Growing lavender - Late Winter in the greenhouse

Our greenhouse is full of little lavender plants as we gear up for Spring. At this early date, some are overshadowed by their plant identification tags, but not for long. We're keeping them warm and in the sun, and are fertilizing with the all-natural Neptune's Harvest. They'll be ready for planting when we start doing festivals April 8th.

Plant in full sun

Some of our plants in the field get as little as six hours of sun a day, and while they grow and bloom, they are noticeably out-paced by plants that bask in the sun all day. Our Grosso plants are placed three feet apart on center, and our rows are six feet on center.

Water sparingly

Lavender dislikes "wet feet" and will quickly wither if left in wet soil. We let soil dry before we water, and by using drip irrigation, we attempt to get the soil moist, not wet, and avoid getting water on the plant itself. Young plants need more water than mature ones, which are considered drought tolerant. Adding gravel to soil may help drainage. Lime, available at home improvement stores or free from us, adds alkalinity to the soil.

Pruning and harvest

Don't let plants bloom in their first year. It takes a lot of energy for a plant to produce a spike, energy that is better spent on roots and foliage the first year. Gratification is delayed with lavender. We pinch of any spikes in the first year. In subsequent years, harvest when a fourth of the flowers have opened by cutting with shears at the base of the stems, but not too far into the foliage. Prune in autumn well before frost by cutting back up to a third of the plant's mass, leaving a uniform mound.