How to propagate lavender by seeds and dividing the bush, layering and cuttings
Lavender is an ornamental evergreen with a beautiful flowering and amazing scent. Belongs to the lavender of the Lamiaceae family. This genus unites about 30 species. In order to propagate lavender in your area, special efforts are not required. You just need to know the correct algorithm of actions.
Required tools
No special tools are required to propagate lavender. All that is needed is a shovel so that you can dig out the bush and divide it during reproduction by division, and a sharp knife with which the cuttings are cut and the leaves are trimmed. Scissors are not used, as they pinch the ducts of the stems, and after that the lavender does not take root well.
Lavender breeding methods
Lavender can be propagated in several ways.
Cuttings
Gardeners consider this method to be the best, because with such reproduction all the parental qualities of the plant are preserved. For such propagation, both green and woody cuttings are suitable. To prepare green cuttings, you need to cut the shoots closer to the top of the stems. Their length should be at least 13 cm. Prepared cuttings should have at least 2 growth nodes.
When grafting woody twigs, a cut is made at the base of the plant. A piece 5-6 cm long will be enough. When using such cuttings, you need to soak them before planting in a solution that stimulates growth, without it the cuttings will not germinate.
All leaves are cut from the cuttings, except for the top. The top leaves are needed to feed it, but if you leave too many leaves, then the plant will spend all its energy on foliage, instead of growing roots.
Then the cuttings are planted in containers with a substrate, completely immersing the first node in the ground. From above, the containers are covered with polyethylene and sent to a warm place, for example, to a greenhouse or winter garden.
Good to know! Clay pots are best suited as containers for planting cuttings, because, unlike plastic, clay allows air to pass through, which is necessary for the normal development of the plant's root system.
Watering is carried out immediately after planting and further as the soil dries out. After 1.5 months, the plants will form a strong root and can be planted in separate pots. When lavender grows a little more, it is planted in open ground in a permanent place.
Breeding by layering
Such reproduction is carried out in the spring. The extreme branches of the bush are used as layering. They should bend well so that they can easily be tilted to the ground.
Near the mother bush, you need to dig a hole 10-15 cm deep. It is positioned so that it is easy to place the middle part of the branch in it.It is pinned with staples or pressed down with a stone so that the branch takes root and does not slip out of the ground. Fill the hole with soil. The top of the branch with leaves should remain above the ground.
It is necessary to control areas with layering so that they do not dry out. Also, the soil around the layers is hilled. The transplant is made only after a year. In autumn, the area around the layers is mulched. This helps to retain moisture and keep the root free from frost.
When moving an already formed bush to a new place, you need to dig it out with a lump of earth so as not to accidentally damage the roots. Plant the plant in the ground along with this soil.
Dividing the bush
Reproduction of lavender through dividing the bush is possible, but undesirable. Since lavender bushes do not react well to such manipulations and may even die.
To carry out reproduction by the method of division, it is necessary to prepare the bush in advance. A well-grown bush is chosen and in the autumn after flowering, they cut it off, leaving a length of 8-10 cm. The cut lavender is well spud so that the soil fills all the gaps between the stems.
With the onset of spring, the hilling process is repeated. Over the summer, the bush will give many green shoots. In the fall, they dig it up, divide it into 2-3 parts using a shovel. Slices must be treated with garden pitch or crushed coal. Prepared bushes are planted in new places.
Seeds
When self-collecting seeds, there is no guarantee that the same plants will grow from them as the mother. Therefore, deciding to propagate plants through seeds, it is best to purchase them in specialized stores.
Before sowing lavender seeds in the soil, you need to stratify them. For this, the seeds are mixed with a moisture-retaining material. It can be sand, peat or sawdust. Pour seeds and selected material into a small container and sprinkle with water from a spray bottle. Cover it loosely and send it to the cellar or refrigerator for 1.5-2 months.
During this period, do not forget about the seeds. You need to periodically check their moisture content. They should not dry out, but excessive moisture will not be beneficial either.
After stratification, the seeds are ready for sowing. For this, containers with drainage holes are prepared. They are filled with sand and humus soil. Seeds are spread on the surface of the substrate and covered with sand. The layer thickness should be about 3 mm.
The sown seeds are carefully watered, preferably from a spray bottle, and covered with polyethylene. Then they put the containers in a sunny place.
After the lavender sprouts and 2 leaves are formed in it, it is seated in different containers, 6 pieces in one. When the seedlings grow a little more, they are planted in the garden.Propagating lavender by seeds, you need to be prepared for the fact that it will bloom no earlier than in a year.
Possible problems
White or pink bloom may appear on the root collar of cuttings and adult plants. With its appearance, the plant begins to wilt. This disease is called fusarium wilting. For prevention, the soil is treated with special chemicals.
Young shoots may develop yellow spots that turn gray over time. Branches wither, dry and curl. This is a lesion of the stems with phomosis. All damaged branches must be removed and the bushes must be treated with Bordeaux liquid.
To grow lavender bushes in your country house or in the yard using cuttings or any other method, you need to be patient and knowledgeable. Then this amazing plant will delight its owners with abundant flowering and an unforgettable aroma.
