Growing lavender at home
Lavender is a rather whimsical plant, so that growing lavender can not be called such a simple task. However, it will not cause significant difficulties, if you follow all the recommendations for caring for the plant.
Lavender is grown from seeds, which must be stratified before planting. After sandwiching the seeds with sawdust or sand, it is necessary to sustain them for 30-40 days at a temperature of about 5 degrees Celsius.
To grow lavender, you need to take a pot or container in volume of 1.5-2 liters and a diameter of 30 cm. It is very important to ensure good drainage: put pebbles, gravel, shards, nutshells, etc. on the bottom of the pot. Make sure that the drainage openings are not closed.
Lavender needs alkaline soil. It is best to take a mixture of sand and peat, addinga little pounded eggshell. Seeds are sown to a depth of 3 mm, after which they put the pot in a bright place. The temperature should be maintained in the range of 15-21 degrees Celsius. The first shoots should appear within a month.
The correct cultivation of lavender is based on two main things - watering and lighting. Wrong irrigation is the main cause of premature death of a plant. It is also important to remember that lavender is a very light-loving plant.
Lavender should be regularly water with room temperature water. Young plants water daily earlymorning or evening from late spring and throughout the growth period. The soil should be slightly moist at all times. Water should not only the soil, but also the green parts of the plant.
If the room is dry air, you need to use an air humidifier or spray clean cold water next to the plants. The first 8-10 weeks after sowing seeds once a week to feed lavender liquid fertilizers from the calculation of 2 g of fertilizer per 1 liter of water.
A pot or lavender container should be on the south sideto get enough light. If the lavender does not receive enough sunlight, you can light it with a fluorescent lamp.
Summer lavender is desirable to take out on the balcony, but it is important to protect the plant fromwind. "To accustom" the plant to life in the open air should be gradually: first take lavender in a pot on the balcony for an hour, the next day - for two, etc. Gradually increase the time of lavender on the balcony until it completely "moves" there.
Proper lavender cultivation also includes observance of the wintering regime. It is best to lavender winter in the cool - thispositively affects its flowering. Therefore for the winter it is better to put lavender on the windowsill away from the central heating radiators. Pour lavender in the winter time very little.
Crop lavender after flowering, at the end of summer. It is necessary to completely remove the dry stems and slightlyto shave a bush. If the lavender blossomed in the winter (which in fact should not be allowed, since in winter months the plant should rest), before "moving" to the open air, it is necessary to remove the increments that appeared during the winter. However, it is not necessary to cut lavender too much.
Young plants transplanted into a new pot every year, in the beginning of spring, after the end of the rest period. You can transplant lavender and early autumn, but you need to do this before the lavender "falls asleep" for the winter.
Growing lavender is not such a difficult task if follow all the rules of caring for this plant. A little zeal - and on your windowsill will blossom a fragrant and useful beautiful lavender.
