Lavender is a plant of the Lamiaceae family, which captivates with its noble and subtle aroma. Gardeners use fluffy bushes with bright bluish-purple flowers as an element of rockeries, alpine slides and borders. Russian frosts are a serious test for the southern beauty. How to cover lavender for the winter is the topic of our article today.
Experts count 39 types of lavender and its varieties. English narrow-leaved varieties are popular among amateur gardeners in mid-latitudes. They grow well in sunny, open areas and prefer light soils with good drainage. The southern beauty absolutely does not tolerate wet soil and shade. It is also necessary to ensure that the plant is sheltered from the winds that will blow in winter period. Let's take a closer look at what other measures are needed to protect it.
Many gardeners note that narrow-leaved lavender does not freeze without shelter and can withstand frosts down to -25 °C. It all depends on climatic conditions and the amount of snow on the bushes. Residents of the southern regions of Russia can do without shelter, just be content with an abundance of snow and a mild winter. And at the end of autumn, the population of northern latitudes begins to prepare lavender for winter.
The procedure for pre-pruning the bush is necessary, since long shoots freeze and break due to cold winds and sudden temperature changes. By pruning long branches, you can prevent possible diseases shrub and provide it with a favorable wintering. This planned sanitary procedure for pruning shoots is carried out at the end of summer - beginning of autumn for the convenience of shelter. If it was not carried out due to any reasons, it is better to leave this idea until spring.
Lavender is sensitive to sudden changes in temperature, which are common in early spring. It does not tolerate stagnant moisture. Therefore, it is necessary to cover and insulate the plant from the winter cold.
To properly prepare your southern beauty for the winter cold, you need to:
The mulch should not include fallen dry leaves, because the soil underneath them will become sealed and the roots of the flower will rot, but this is absolutely forbidden. Lavender, as mentioned earlier, does not like dampness.
If the bushes do not grow in open ground, but in containers, you cannot leave them in the cold. Root system it will freeze and the plant will simply die. It's better to put it in closed unheated premises. If the plant sprouted during the winter, then before the beginning of spring it is advisable to trim off all growth. Only then take the flower pot to a sunny, warm place.
These measures are quite sufficient for a comfortable wintering of narrow-leaved lavender, which is most often grown in the countryside in mid-latitudes. In the southern regions, it does well without additional measures to protect against winter cold.
The following materials are suitable for sheltering the bush from winter cold:
From time to time it is necessary to straighten the spruce branches and mulch that have been blown away by the wind, and throw snow under the bushes. This is quite enough for aromatic beautiful plant didn't freeze in winter.
From this video you will learn how to properly prepare lavender for the winter.
Lavender's shelter middle lane and other regions of Russia has its own nuances. Each area has its own distinctive features that determine its unique appearance. How to prepare a plant for winter, considering climatic conditions in the regions - key question, which should be considered in more detail.
Among typical mistakes When preparing lavender for winter, the following are distinguished:
These simple skills will help protect your southern belle from the winter cold.
Lavender requires virtually no painstaking care and is not picky. Take care of proper preparation And good conditions for wintering it is worth it in advance.
Those who have not yet decided should get an unpretentious bush. After all, blooming lavender is good not only in mixborders and rose gardens, but also harmonizes perfectly with other plants.
Lavender captivates not only with its unusual bud color and long-lasting flowering, but also with its exquisite, pleasant aroma. In addition to being decorative, the plant has valuable medicinal properties Therefore, it is often cultivated in gardens and even at home.
In this article you will find necessary information for growing lavender in open ground: general description plants, their varieties, rules for planting and growing crops in open ground.
Lavender belongs to the perennial evergreen shrubs, and the height of the shoots of an adult plant can exceed half a meter. At the same time, the roots of the plant go deep into the soil, feeding the plant with the necessary moisture even in severe drought.
Picture 1. External features lavender But the blue-lilac flowers collected in small panicles are more famous. The unusual shade of inflorescences gives the culture a high decorative value, and its healing properties allow it to be used in folk medicine(picture 1).
Flowering begins in mid-summer, and this plant is considered a good honey plant, and collected seeds remain viable for a long time. At the same time, the crop should still be provided with certain growing conditions under which it will be distinguished by abundant and long-lasting flowering. How to do it correctly - read this article.
Growing any crop begins with correct landing. Lavender was no exception. It is often used to decorate borders and alpine slides. At the same time, the culture is unpretentious, but if you plan to grow a lush and productive plant, you need to take into account some features of its planting and further care.
The crop can be grown both from seedlings and from seeds. The second method takes longer, so many owners of summer cottages prefer to use the seedling method.
So, if you want to grow a flower from ready-made seedlings, planting can be done at the end of May. When grown from seeds, sowing directly into the ground is carried out in October. It should be borne in mind that seeds must be purchased in advance, for example, in winter, so that the planting material has time to undergo two months of stratification. To do this, the seeds are mixed with sand, lightly watered and placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. In such temperature conditions (about 5 degrees), the planting material is quickly hardened for further cultivation in the ground.
The seeds can also be used to grow seedlings yourself. IN in this case sowing is carried out at the end of February or beginning of March, so that the young plants have time to get stronger before being transferred to open ground.
While seed stratification lasts, it is necessary to carry out everything preparatory work for growing seedlings. First of all, you will need a container, for example, a wooden or plastic box. It is also necessary to prepare a nutrient substrate for plants (Figure 2).
Note: The best soil For culture, a mixture of humus and coarse sand in a ratio of 2:1 is considered.
The substrate must be sifted to break up all the formed lumps. The fact is that the plant’s seeds are very small and may simply not germinate in lumpy soil. Also, the soil must be calcined in the oven at a temperature of 110-130 degrees or watered with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. These measures are necessary to destroy the larvae of pests or pathogens that may be in the soil.
Figure 2. Planting seedlings in the ground A layer of drainage is placed at the bottom of the container for growing seedlings, and scattered on top soil mixture, on the surface of which seeds are scattered. They need to be sprinkled with a thin layer of sand on top and moistened with a spray bottle. warm water. The container should be covered with glass or film and placed in a warm, sunny place. Periodically, the bed is ventilated by raising the cover. When the first shoots appear, the shelter begins to be gradually removed, increasing the duration of ventilation daily. This will help harden the seedlings before transplanting into the ground. It is also advisable to provide additional lighting, without which the seedlings may become too elongated.
Seedlings are planted in the garden at the end of May. When choosing a site, it should be taken into account that lavender is very sensitive to soil moisture, so it should not be placed in lowlands and wetlands.
Note: Before planting, you need to carefully dig up the bed (depth of at least 20 cm), loosen the soil and add peat and compost to it.
During disembarkation, it is important to observe optimal distance between the bushes. For ordinary varieties it is 80-90 cm, and for tall hybrids - 120 cm. The depth of the hole is selected individually, depending on the size of the root system of the seedling, and it is important to take into account that immediately before moving it into the ground, the roots need to be slightly shortened.
The seedlings are placed in prepared landing hole, straighten the roots and sprinkle the plant with soil so that the root collar is deepened into the soil by 4-6 cm. The seedling must be watered from above.
If your site is located in a region with a warm climate and not too frosty winters, the crop can be grown directly from seeds. To do this, winter sowing is practiced, sowing the seeds of the plant directly into the ground in October (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Sowing seeds in the ground for the winter The preparation of the bed remains the same as when planting seedlings: the soil is dug up and fertilized with peat or compost. However, it should be borne in mind that in areas with heavy clay soils, you need to add a little sand or gravel to the existing soil, which will act as drainage and remove excess moisture.
The seeds are sown shallowly - no more than 3-4 cm, and it is advisable to slightly compact the soil on top. Watering is required only if autumn is dry, but with the arrival of winter it is advisable to sprinkle the bed with a thick layer of snow.
Despite the fact that lavender belongs to the unpretentious highly decorative crops, it still requires some care. This condition is especially true for plants grown in open ground.
Let us consider in more detail what care a flower requires at various stages of cultivation and what measures should be taken to maintain the productivity of the crop.
Young seedlings that have only recently been transferred to open ground require special attention. It often happens that inflorescences form on such plants already in the first year after planting. It is advisable to remove them so that the crop does not waste time flowering, and the vital juices ensure the rapid growth of the shrub.
Successful cultivation of lavender requires the following measures:
In addition, the plant needs to be regularly pruned and fed to ensure more abundant and longer flowering.
It is impossible to imagine growing a crop without annual pruning. First of all, after the snow melts, you need to inspect the plants and carry out sanitary cleaning, removing all dry or damaged branches (Figure 4).
The next time the crop is pruned after flowering is completed: it is necessary to remove all the faded buds, and in the fall, slightly shorten the shoots, forming a bush of the desired shape. It should be borne in mind that an adult bush grows quite quickly, and its long shoots can be bent to the ground by strong gusts of wind. To prevent loss of decorativeness, shoots are regularly shortened.
Figure 4. Crop pruning technology The plant has a long flowering period, but after about 8-10 years it is necessary to rejuvenate the bush by cutting off all shoots to a length of 5 cm. A similar event is carried out with young plants that do not bloom well.
Breeders prefer to propagate the crop by seeds, as this allows them to obtain new varieties and hybrids of the crop. At home, it is easier to use the method of cuttings, layering or dividing the bush (Figure 5).
For propagation by cuttings, young annual shoots are suitable, which are cut into several parts 10 cm long and planted in loose soil. wet soil. The lower cut should be in the soil at a depth of 2-3 cm, and it is better to cover the seedling itself glass jar. The cover is removed when the cuttings are completely rooted.
Figure 5. Features of propagation by cuttings and dividing the bush When using the method of dividing a bush, it is necessary to carry out high hilling of an adult bush in the fall and repeat this procedure in the spring. By the end of the flowering period, abundant young growth is formed in the soil. In autumn, the plant is carefully dug up and divided into parts, obtaining several copies. planting material. However, in this case, you need to take into account that only cuttings with well-developed roots are suitable for planting.
The method of propagation by layering is considered the simplest. To do this, you need to select one or more shoots located close to the soil surface. They need to be bent to the ground and buried in shallow grooves (no more than 4 cm). Shoots should be secured and watered, paying attention to soil moisture throughout the summer. Next spring, the cuttings can be dug up, separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a permanent place.
The author of the video will tell you more about caring for crops in the garden.
The pronounced aroma of lavender repels most pests, and the culture itself is highly resistant to diseases. But, if the rules for caring for the plant have not been followed, it may become a victim of certain pathologies.
Among the pests the most great harm rainbow beetles and leafhoppers are capable of bringing. They are usually collected by hand, but if the pests appear again, you need to remove and burn the old layer of mulch and plant debris.
Among diseases, shrubs are most often affected by gray rot, but this pathology can only manifest itself in rainy weather or when watering too frequently. Having discovered an affected plant in your garden bed, you need to reconsider the watering regime, and the crop itself should be dug up, inspected, all rotten parts removed and replanted in a new place.
Many amateur gardeners are interested in how to properly care for lavender after flowering and whether it requires any special measures in general. It should be noted that, apart from autumn formative pruning and mulching, the crop does not require any specific care.
The only exceptions can be cold regions, where shrubs need to be properly cared for in winter.
In warm and temperate climates, the crop tolerates winter well without shelter. But, if in your region the daytime temperature in winter drops below -20 degrees, the bushes will need additional protection.
For the winter, the bed must be covered. It is better to use straw, sawdust or spruce branches for this purpose, which will allow the plants to breathe even under a layer of mulch. Dry leaves should not be used as a cover, as the sprouts under them may rot.
In the majority household plots Only two types of lavender are grown: narrow-leaved or broad-leaved. Although in fact there are many more species and hybrids of this culture (Figure 6).
Lavender varieties are usually divided into several groups:
Figure 6. Main plant varieties: 1 - French, 2 - Dutch, 3 - serrated, 4 - English It's no secret that lavender, in addition to being highly decorative, also has certain healing properties. However, it should be taken into account that, along with therapeutic effect, the plant can cause harm to health if used incorrectly.
Let's consider what beneficial properties and this plant has contraindications, so you can independently decide on the scope of its use.
The leaves, stems and flowers contain essential oils, which are used not only in medicine, but also in cosmetology and the perfume industry. The plant oil is used to treat various injuries (in particular, bruises and burns).
This plant is also capable of removing headache and drowsiness, eliminate headaches and stomach cramps. The essential oils of the culture are also used for the treatment of blood vessels and recovery after a stroke. Moreover, this aromatic plant capable of calming nervous system and relieve stress.
Since lavender stimulates the contraction of muscles and blood vessels, any preparations based on it are strictly contraindicated in the first trimester of pregnancy. In addition, an overdose of essential oils can cause increased irritability. It is also considered a strong allergen, so be sure to consult a doctor before taking it.
From the video you will learn how to properly grow a plant at home in a pot.
If you don't prune lavender, it turns into a knotty bush. The purpose of pruning lavender is to keep the bush compact for as long as possible, blooming all summer with bluish-violet flowers collected in dense inflorescences, to give it a neat appearance.
IN natural conditions the bushes very quickly become tall, wide, spreading and loose. Loose means that the top of the bush has a rather unkempt appearance, and the bottom is bare and woody. Of course, we want to avoid such a sight, despite the fact that someday lavender will inevitably take on this appearance. But the later this happens, the better. This way we can only allow the lavender to grow minimally in height. And regular pruning will help us with this.
If you do not prune lavender for at least one year, it will immediately begin to grow, its shoots will become woody to the very tips. This does not create any problems for the plant; on the contrary, it enjoys natural growth. Nothing bad will happen to lavender if its bushes are not pruned for several years in a row. But this will create problems for us and our aesthetic perception. The stems bare below always catch the eye, and the bush itself has an unkempt appearance. Of course, everything can be corrected by making a more radical one. But than older age plants, the more difficult it is to recover. Sometimes you have to part with old copies.
Old, woody lavender bushes
German perennial expert Anja Maubach advises pruning lavender immediately after - this is the second half of July, it all depends on weather conditions. The principles for pruning lavender are the same as for many perennials that are pruned back heavily to encourage repeat flowering, such as catnip.
Lavender should be pruned when the flowers begin to fade, that is, when the flowering period is still present, but for the most part it is no longer visible. A gardener must have an inner sense.
But the earlier you prune, the better the lavender grows new green mass. After all, plants need maximum strength to renew themselves. And the sun gives them these powers, daylight, heat, and sometimes fertilizers. Lavender does not need fertilizer. The higher the sun and the longer the day, the better plant gaining strength.
Advantage summer pruning is that lavender literally grows a fresh, compact and beautiful green mass in just a few weeks. In addition, lavender branches cut in summer can be considered a harvest, as is done in the famous lavender fields in Provence, in the south of France, because it is during this period that the inflorescences are filled with essential oil.
Since lavender blooms only in summer, it is good to prune its bushes annually in the spring, immediately after frost. This is necessary to rejuvenate the bush and to ensure that the bushes do not become bare from below.
So, as we already said, lavender is pruned twice a year. The first pruning stimulates re-pruning this year, and the second is carried out in order to give the bushes a beautiful spherical shape. Curly haircut is carried out in the spring when the plant begins to wake up. In this case, radical pruning is carried out, cutting down to lignified branches. Many lavender lovers are afraid to severely prune their favorite plants. If you trim the bushes a little, they will begin to become bare at the bottom, and only a few flowers will stick out from above. No one will like this type of lavender. Therefore, in order for your pet’s bushes to remain fluffy and compact for many years, the tops of the shoots are shortened by one third, giving the bush a semicircular shape. At the same time, the main thing is not to overdo it, because too much pruning - to the ground - can destroy the plant.
In the summer, as soon as the lavender begins to bloom, you should cut off the long flower stalks before the seeds begin to set. Plants want to reproduce, and producing seeds requires effort. Thanks to pruning, plants do not waste energy on producing seeds, but send them to flower again. This time, the lavender flower stalks are removed along with the top two or three pairs of leaves. This way, the plant will branch well and the bush will take on a lush appearance.
Lavender varieties such as 'Hidcote Blue', 'Siesta' and 'Two Seasons' will re-bloom in just 4 weeks.
Lavender "Hidcote Blue" combined with roses "Rotilia"
For old lavender bushes that have not been pruned for several years in a row, it is necessary to show Special attention. Old plants are more sensitive to radical pruning than young ones. Complex, severe pruning can cause the death of the entire bush.
When pruning old bare lavender bushes, proceed as follows: cut the bush heavily, leaving 5-10 cm above the ground, only on one side. The second half of the bush is left unpruned. When new shoots appear and grow stronger in the trimmed part of the bush, you can safely trim the second half. During this period, the plant will have a slightly bizarre appearance, but next year no one will notice such an uneven haircut.
This method of pruning is not always successful. If pruning was done in hot weather, it may happen that the plant will die, but it is still worth a try.
Lavender is a very beautiful and grateful plant. Only regular pruning will guarantee the compactness of lavender bushes and its abundant flowering.
Translation: Lesya Vasko
especially for the Internet portal
garden center "Your Garden"
I understand that those who had their newly blooming crocuses covered in snow yesterday have no time for lavender now :) But I still can’t help but show it.
I really like the taste and aroma of young leaves of lavender officinalis! Resinous, bitter-tart... It is not very similar to the taste and aroma of its flowers, and you can enjoy it only once a year.
Once a year - persimmon season,
once a year the gardens bloom...
Young lavender leaves are just as resinous to the touch; they resemble rosemary leaves - in color, aroma and even taste. No wonder: lavender and rosemary are relatives, plants from the same family. But if rosemary is already blooming at this time, then lavender is just waking up!
Blooming rosemary
To grow lavender, you need to love it. Many gardeners don’t want to do this (both grow it and love it), because they don’t like how the bush looks when it’s not blooming. After winter, he is completely unprepossessing and defenseless.
With age, such a bush becomes even more unsightly; it needs to be masked with other plants to cover the exposed trunks. Shoots appear on the lower branches only sometimes; the rest of the time the bush develops only in its upper part.
Lavender is a bush! By the way, few people know about this either. This is not a plant with a thin stem, like, for example, cornflower or chamomile.
I love watching lavender awaken after winter. If you don’t cut off all the inflorescences in the summer, you can get own harvest seeds In English lavender they do not always germinate on their own if they fall off, but in other fast-growing types of lavender this often happens.
old bush multi-cut lavender (Egyptian lavender), near which a new one will grow after winter - it sprouted from the fallen seeds.
By the way, not everyone knows what lavender seeds look like: they are small black seeds. And what is commonly called dried flowers are actually cups in which these same seeds ripen. When the seeds are fully ripe, the calyxes open (this can be seen in next photo)
Photo: www.inhabitat.com
In order for a new lavender bush to grow stronger this year, the seeds had to be planted a month or two ago. It is also too late to prune old bushes. I'm pruning lavender in early spring, when she had not yet had time to throw away the fresh leaves.
In this photo - oregano, it also wakes up in the spring before lavender
By the time the inflorescences appear, the lavender leaves already have a different taste and color. During and after flowering they become rough and tough. Therefore, now I have the opportunity to enjoy their most striking qualities!
And when lavender becomes like this...
...I'll tell you more about her: what kind of plant is this, what does it look like, what is its correct name, how to distinguish types of lavender from each other, how they are grown on plantations and how you can try to grow lavender at home; where and when you can go to see blooming lavender; how to get amazing and useful essential oil lavender industrially and how lavender can be used in general, incl. in cooking (and not just flowers). Follow the advertisement :)
Have a wonderful spring everyone!
What we mean is angustifolia lavender (also known as English and true lavender).
The cultivation and care of this plant will be discussed in the article.
Evergreen narrow-leaved lavender, the planting and care of which is discussed in the article, unpretentious in appearance, with narrow leaves and lilac spikelets of flowers, has become a permanent and popular inhabitant of gardens and. It is valued for its aroma and extraordinary beauty during flowering.
Reaches a height of one meter, spreading. The leaves are narrow gray-green. The flowers are narrow, elongated upwards in the shape of a spike, have various shades purple, blue, pink. Due to its aroma it has a high decorative value. Other qualities - antiseptic effect, is also why lavender is grown on an industrial scale.
Flowering occurs on summer period(June July). Thanks to its frost resistance, it can survive well in our latitudes. But it requires some knowledge and conditions. This will be discussed further.Planting plants begins with selecting a place for growing. And although growing lavender in open ground is not difficult, you need to know some rules.
The plant originates from the Mediterranean region. So you need a lot of sun and warmth. Choose open areas at higher elevations. 
Before planting, the soil must be carefully prepared. Clear weeds and provide drainage. In the future, there is a need for inter-row weeding and hilling. These procedures must be regular. promotes the growth of young shoots. It is better to make mulch in spring and winter. But you should not mulch near the base of the bush - this will prevent the plant from rotting.
Pruning allows you to lengthen the life of the bush. In addition, with this procedure you will form beautiful bushes. Although lavender grows slowly, pruning allows you to remove outliers. general system shoots. They carry it out immediately after flowering and another one for the winter. Do not prune to woody stems. Be sure to leave 4-5 young shoots.
