How to care for lavender: home, winter and pot

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First of all, it is necessary to emphasize that lavender or lavender is a wild shrub, so if we opt for plant lavender at home there will be very little care that this plant will require. In this way, you can benefit from all the properties of lavender and use it in its many cosmetic and health-related uses.

The soil that lavender wants is semi sandy. In temperate climates (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay) it will do well with an approximate mixture of 3 parts of earth and 1 of sand; in warmer climates (Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Spain, Mexico) the ratio of 3 parts of soil to 2 parts of coarse sand and 1 part of fine sand is more generally recommended.

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If you are going to plant in the groundDirectly on the ground, it is best to soften a space of 50x50cm and 30cm deep with a shovel, and mix it there. First you must check the texture and shine with your fingertips: there you will identify dry and with little humidity, if your soil already has some sand or clay in its natural composition. Consider this quick analysis to tailor your mix. Instead, if you will plant in a pot, try to use the approximate amounts I mentioned above.

Especially you will have to extract all the branches and stones that are in that space, in addition to breaking clods that have remained. So we will proceed now, to fertilize the transplanting ground with any of the following techniques (you only have to choose one):

• Organic waste: put in the base of the well some raw fruit and vegetable residues that you have left when preparing the food, especially the peels. Avoid the seeds, since we do not want plants of another type to come out, and also try not to include their juices (preferably rinse the shells beforehand). You can also include chopped eggshell, crush it a little with your fingers and break it into small pieces.
• Chemical preparations: There are many kinds and they are sold in some gardening shops or the plant area that there are in supermarkets. Some granules or gels come that can be placed directly at the base of the well, others in liquid that must be prepared for the first irrigation. You should read the instructions on the packaging very well and be very careful as some can be toxic.

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In the same way, to properly care for your lavender plant, you must ensure at all times that it has a drainage system adequate and in perfect condition; that is why dry and sandy substrates that do not retain water are recommended. And this plant needs little watering and, therefore, you should avoid waterlogging at all times, otherwise, the roots would rot and you would end up with the bush. Therefore, the location you choose to grow lavender will also be very important, since it requires abundant sunshine to grow properly.

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As we discussed, when it comes to water the lavender You should never overdo it, since it is a dry land plant and withstands drought very well. Thus, weekly watering will suffice and you should always make sure that the soil has dried out since the last time you added water.

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On the other hand, it will be very important that lavender has enough space to grow, so if you have planted it directly in the soil of your garden or orchard, it should have a considerable area of ​​land to spread. In the case of potted lavender, you can transplant it into a larger pot if the one you have is too small.

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Among the care of lavender, it is also worth highlighting the bush pruning to get it to grow stronger. Therefore, it will be necessary to prune the lavender after the flowering season, which, although it can vary, usually occurs between spring and summer. In this way, we will be able to remove all those dry or deteriorated branches and, in turn, that the following flowers grow much healthier.

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If you want transplant lavender There are several options if you have it in a seedling, simply break or cut the pot where it was purchased, support it in the well made and search with the extracted soil and the mixture made that is at a suitable height: neither too deep, nor well above ground level. This is generally measured by looking at the stem or trunk, where the soil is already brought in beforehand and barely two fingers higher than that.

Cover the hole with the mixture and without crushing, gently accommodate with your fingers, spreading evenly all over where necessary. If there is no soil, you can use what was previously there, without having to mix it with more sand.

Remember to leave “the cup” made, that shape that occurs with a gutter of a few centimeters deep around it, so that it can accumulate water and rain and regulate it properly. The rule that I use is: on the trunk and stem of the plant, there should be a mound of earth that covers it and firmly, you can press it with your hands to compact it. Then uus 30 to 50cm where we had demarcated the transplanting ground, a gutter no more than 5cm deep, neat and keeping the soil loose. If we had mix or soil left over, make an outer edge to all that.

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It should be noted that the lavender flower picking It is recommended from the second flowering of the bush or kills. Likewise, when drying lavender plants, it will be important that you cut them during dry days and put them upside down in a shady place; then you can store the lavender in jars to use when needed.

In this way, you can take advantage of the lavender grown at home to prepare countless home remedies and cosmetic products that will help you stay radiant: How to make lavender water, How to make homemade lavender oil, How to make homemade lavender soap

If you want to read more articles similar to How to care for lavender: home, winter and potWe recommend that you enter our Gardening and Plants category.

Advice

• The first week water at night late or early, enough water to fill the pan and without wetting the leaves or the trunk. If it is summer in warm areas, it can be reinforced with a watering in the middle of the afternoon, but not so abundant. The second week, water in less quantity, gradually decrease the frequency: every other day, every three days and so on.
• Lavender to develop healthy and have a strong aroma, good flowers and a bright color, it is better to water only twice a week.
• In times of abundant sun and heat, if you see that it becomes dull (more than its normal characteristic color, which in itself already is), spray it gently with a little water to refresh and clean its foliage, but only a little , limitedly.
• In winter do not even think about it, that will cause its leaves to freeze in the cold and die.
• In the flowering season it is good to water it with the water where you have boiled two eggs, at least every 15 days; Just like putting some small iron nails in the soil mixture to provide these minerals (calcium from the eggs and iron from the rust that will form).
• Lavender is a plant that resists high temperatures very well, but if you see that it wilts or loses color, it may need a little additional water, pay attention, especially in times when spring flowering begins.
• It removes its soil at the beginning of fall, in the last heats of summer. There you can add a little mulch or black compost soil to add nutrients in the winter stage, without forgetting that you must also add a portion of coarse sand as well. During the cold winters you should reduce watering to the maximum, only doing it in case of warm days that may be and a lot of sun. Just water with a glass or two of water, without touching the leaves or the trunk. I personally water them once a month. In the middle of winter, cut only the lowest leaves that may be wilted or already dry; the same as the flowers that have been dried from the previous season. It is not advisable to shape it as if it were a bush, if you still want to prune more, try to do it on the outside of the plant and not very close to the trunks and main branches (the thickest). During the rest of the year, it is better not to touch it, except for some twig or flower that we want to take out to aromatize, we will have to choose them carefully. Pamper her, don’t have her alone in the middle of the garden. It is a plant that needs others around it, since birds are a very important source of pollination, and if it is alone, it will hardly attract as many birds as it needs. This pollination provides more flowering and growth, things of biology. If you are going to plant several lavender, make sure you have enough space between them. The rule that I use and describe …