Comprehensive knowledge on lavender care

Pruning

Newly planted lavender grows slowly in the early stages. As the temperature rises in spring, lavender enters the greening period in mid-April. In order to promote the branching and root development of lavender, manual pruning is required from the end of April to early May. That is, the top branches more than 15 cm from the ground should be pruned flat, the middle of the plant should be heavily pruned, and the surrounding areas should be lightly pruned.

Management during budding and flowering period

Locally, the first batch of lavender flowers enter the bud stage in late May and enter the peak flowering stage in late June. In the first year of planting, in order to promote the growth of lavender seedling branches and reduce nutrient consumption, the first batch of flower buds can be removed in early June. The second batch of flowers enters the budding stage in mid-August and reaches peak flowering stage in mid-September. If the weather conditions are good in autumn, the third batch of flowers will reach their peak flowering period in mid-October.

Water and weed control

For newly planted lavender, ensure sufficient watering in the first three years to promote plant growth. Water the lavender in time during its greening period in mid-to-late April each year. Water it 6-8 times a year depending on weather conditions and soil moisture. Pay attention to watering the buds and flowering stages. Water evenly and thoroughly to ensure watering quality. Combine each irrigation with timely tillage to achieve the purpose of moisture conservation, warming and weeding. Generally, tillage and weeding are carried out 5-7 times a year. Irrigate for wintering in early to mid-November.

top dressing

Although lavender has a strong ability to tolerate barrenness and drought, it needs relatively more water and fertilizer after planting to promote its rapid growth and increase its yield. For newly planted lavender, fertilize early within 3 years after planting. Fertilize frequently. The first fertilization should be combined with irrigation when the first batch of flowers are in budding stage, and 15kg of urea and 10kg of diammonium phosphate should be applied per mu in combination with watering; the second topdressing should be done by applying 10kg of urea per mu, and applying it in artificial holes next to the plants.

Pre-wintering management

The winter is long and the temperature is low. Field experiments have shown that in order to ensure the safe wintering of lavender in this area, it must be buried artificially before wintering. That is, after watering for winter in early November, first prune the lavender branches 15-20 cm above the ground, then surround them with soil, with a thickness of about 15 cm, to ensure that the base of the plant is not harmed by frost. Note that the buried soil should not be too thick or too thin. In the spring of the following year, before watering the plants for greening, remove the soil and plant the seedlings in time, that is, remove the covering soil on the plants to prevent the branches and leaves from rotting in the soil.

Harvest

The suitable harvesting period is the peak flowering period, that is, when 70% of the florets on the flower spike are open. Harvesting too early or too late will affect the yield. The first crop of flowers usually blooms from late June to mid-July, and the second crop of flowers blooms from late September to early October. Yields should be estimated before harvesting. When harvesting, weeds and excessive stems and leaves must be removed to avoid affecting the quality of the oil. After harvesting, you should choose a sunny day after 10:00. It is not suitable to harvest in the morning if there is heavy dew or it is cloudy. The stronger the light and the hotter the weather, the higher the oil yield. When transporting and drying the flowers, they should not be piled too thick to prevent heat and self-steaming. They must be harvested and processed on the same day.