GROWING LAVENDER BHT228

• Start a Lavender Farm or Nursery
• Learn to Grow and Use Lavender
• Enrol any time, studyork at your own pace

Students are supported by a team of professional horticulturists, with decades of experience working with Lavender and other herbs across different climates and countries around the world.

How Many Types of Lavenders Are There?

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • Classification and identification of lavender
   • general characteristics of Lanendula
   • resources, contacts (ie: nurseries, seed, clubs, etc.)
2. Soils, Fertilisers and Nutrition for Lavender
   • Soil structure
   • pH
   • organic matter
   • ameliorants
   • organic growing.
3. Cultural Techniques for Lavender Growing
   • Pruning
   • water management (mulching, irrigation, drainage, etc.)
   • planting and establishment methods
   • crop scheduling
   • no dig gardening.
4. Lavender Propagation
   • Propagation from cuttings
   • propagation growth media
   • other propagation methods,
5. Commercial Alternatives
   • Managing a Market Garden
   • standards
   • mulches
   • problems and their control
   • weed control without chemicals
   • economic outlook for herbs.
6. Plant Variety Selection and Breeding
   • Breeding and selecting new varieties
   • lavender clone selection for essential oils in Tasmania.
7. Building Plant Knowledge
   • Lavender types and other varieties
   • advantages and disadvantages of different varieties.
8. Harvesting, Postharvest Treatment and Storage
   • Harvesting
   • distillation and oils
   • post harvest preservation of fresh product
   • drying lavender.
9. Processing and Making Lavender Products
   • Lavender crafts
   • using herbs in cooking
   • selling herb products.
10. Marketing Lavender Produce
    • how to market your produce
    • considering your market
    • market research
    • selling successfully.

Aims

• Describe the plant naming system and classification of plants
• Discuss the nature and scope of the Lavender genus.
• Describe the nutritional requirements of the lavender species.
• Explain the cultural requirements of the lavender species.
• Explain propagating techniques specific to lavender
• Describe commercial lavender growing operations.
• Select species appropriate to the climatic and soil conditions of a chosen locality.
• Describe of a variety of lavender species and cultivars.
• Describe the production processes on a lavender farm.
• Describe various lavender products and discuss the way in which they are processed.
• Explain the processes used in the marketing of lavender products.

What You Will Do

• Prepare a collection of 20 different types of lavender in the form of pressed, dried, (or illustrations) labelled specimens
• Compile a resource file of contacts relevant to lavender and lavender growing
• Contact a number of lavender related organisations for information on their activities in the industry
• Collect and test at least three different soil samples
• Identify and (optional) manufacture a potting mix suitable for lavender growing
• Collect information on organic and inorganic fertilisers from fertiliser companies
• Research information on machinery used in horticulture by contacting the companies that produce it
• Produce a no dig garden or an organic garden
• Manufacture a propagating mix for lavender cuttings
• Take lavender cuttings for propagation
• Contact a herb nursery to observe their operation
• Research irrigation equipment by contacting irrigation suppliers
• Cross pollinate lavender and grow the resulting seed
• Compare various types of lavender
• Harvest a number of different types of lavender
• Produce a small quantity of lavender oil
• Produce two non edible and one edible product containing lavender
• Visit a shop selling lavender products to observe marketing procedures

Introduction to Lavender Cultivation

Lavenders are generally hardy shrubs, whilst they tolerate a wide range of soil types and climatic conditions, being native to the Mediterranean area: they prefer warm summers and cool winters.    Soil should friable (ie. loose   certainly not rock hard), moderately fertile and ideally be slightly alkaline - pH between 6.4 and 8.2. An annual rainfall of around 900mm is ideal.

Good drainage and mulching are important; keep the soil moist in the warmer months, but not saturated.  Most lavender tolerates periods of dryness, but an extended drought can kill them. Despite lavender's ability to withstand dry periods - young plants do need soil to remain moist right through the first dry season. Lack of water or excessive heat can discourage flowering.

Lavenders do respond to feeding, and if they are having flowers picked continually, they require extra feeding to replace nutrients which are being taken away in the harvest. For best results feed in early spring with a general slow release plant food such as pellets of organic manure, slow release granulated fertiliser or blood and bone. 

How Do You Propagate Lavender?

Cutting propagation is the most common method of propagating lavender for field cropping or production of nursery stock.

Lavender may be propagated by tip cuttings. Take tip cuttings from vigorous new thick green growth. Tip cuttings should be between six to eight centimetres long and taken from mature plants before buds open. Remove the leaves from the lower half to seventy percent of the cutting. Cuttings can be soaked in an anti-fungicidal solution that contains 15ml chlorine bleach per 5 litres of water. Then dip the cuttings in a root stimulating hormone and pot into a propagating mix such as half perlite and half fine sieved peat-moss (or coco peat), or half coarse washed river sand and half fine sieved peat-moss (or coco peat). The best time to take most lavender cuttings is  in the early autumn.

Coarse sand or perlite on its own works very well too and seems to prevent fungal problems however more attention will need to be given to watering. About 70% of the cutting should be below the surface of the mix.   The propagating mix should be firmed down around the base of the cuttings and then thoroughly watered.

Cuttings should be protected from hot direct sun and frosts. Place in a warm, light position where the temperature will remain no less than 18ºCelsius and no more than 30ºC. A structure that ensures humidity would be ideal. You could also use a propagating box that has an underground heating element and this added warmth should speed root development.

The propagating mix should be kept moist but not wet the plants will develop roots in three to four weeks in warm temperatures, but may take many months if propagated late in autumn. Mist the cuttings several times a day, either with an automatic misting system or by hand spraying. If the cells in the leaves become damaged by wilting then disease will set in rapidly.

Uses For Lavender