Growing Lavender Plants From Seed
Lavender Plants may be started from seeds if you are not in any rush to get your Lavender flower garden started. Growing your own plants from seed is a slower way to get plants but it can be rewarding.
Not all Lavender plants produce viable seed so learn about the intermedias or Lavender hybrids. If you begin growing Lavender during the latter winter months when your just itching to get outside and begin your gardening you will have plants to set out once the weather conditions improve.
Growing new plants from seed will give you variations in color, plant size and length of flower spikes. It is important to remember that even though the seeds came from one type of Lavender they will not produce exactly the same offspring. This fact is ok for most gardeners, as who wants 15 of exactly the same thing unless you are starting a Lavender farm?
This method of growing from seed allows you to get a lot of plants inexpensively since you are the one taking the time to start and care for them. You will have plants to gift to friends and neighbors as well if you start enough new Lavender plants.
If you are planning to plant them outside in your herb garden choose a variety hardy in your region or grow tender varieties in a pot and overwinter them out of the cold.
To begin you will need a packet of the desired Lavender seeds, seed starting mix, and pots. I like to use the Jiffy peat pots which allows me to plant out later without disturbing the developing root system. You may get them at your local Walmart, Lowes or Home Depot Stores in the gardening area.
Fill the pots with seed starting mix dampening it as directed. Place one to two seeds in each pot and place in a warm spot as they require 70 degrees Fahrenheit to germinate. They should not be covered heavily with soil since they are so tiny. Watch them carefully, do not allow them to totally dry out. Make sure to plant more than you will need to allow for a few fatalities and also to make sure you have some choices since a few undesirable flower colors may be produced.
Once germinated place the new plants in a sunny location in front of a window or grow light since these are sun lovers. Once they reach adequate size to transplant you will need to gradually acclimate them to outdoor conditions by setting them out for a few hours each day in a sheltered location. They will need to be brought back in each night.
To start acclimating them start with an hour in a sheltered area and gradually increase the time. This process will take about two weeks to get them used to the differences between growing inside and the outside conditions.
Don't put the new plants in the full sun the first few times but think more along the lines of under a partly shaded tree or porch area otherwise you will end up with fried plants. Then you will have to start over. The other big mistake is over watering or under watering and rotting your plants root system.
Gradually move the new plants into the full sun they love over time and do not rush this process. Everyone who starts plants from seed has to go through this process so do not be discouraged. If you want to start your garden from already potted plants see where to buy Lavender online for your garden which gives you links to reputable plant and seed suppliers.
You may also start growing Lavender plants from seed by directly sowing them in a sunny weed free area of your garden and move them later once they reach 3-4 inches in size.
