A Complete Lavender Masterclass: From Sowing to Pruning—What's Often Left Unsaid
Lavender dies not from frost, but from improper pruning. We'll cover everything: sowing, seedlings, planting, care in spring, summer, fall, winter, three types of pruning with diagrams. Why you shouldn't cut into the woody zone and how to rejuvenate an old bush.
⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 — Why lavender dies beautifully — and one real reason
04:00 — Sowing: stratification, substrate, seedlings. Three mistakes that kill seedlings
09:00 — Planting in the ground: location, pH, drainage, mulch. Why gravel and not peat
13:00 — Spring care: when to start pruning and how not to cut off living parts
17:00 — Summer care: watering, fertilizing, harvesting inflorescences, summer pruning after flowering
21:00 — Fall and winter: to cover or not, with what and when. Why peat kills
25:00 — Master class on pruning: formative, regular, rejuvenating — three schemes
31:00 — Propagation by cuttings and layering. Varieties for different regions
🌿 Video highlights:
Sowing and seedlings:
✦ Stratification is essential — without it, germination rates are 5–10%. With it — 40–60%
✦ Refrigerator +2...+5°C, 30–40 days with moist vermiculite
✦ No peat in the substrate — only garden soil + coarse sand in a 1:1 ratio
✦ Supplementary lighting with a phytolamp for 12–14 hours is required
✦ Planting in the ground no earlier than the end of May
Planting:
✦ Full sun for at least 6–8 hours — no options
✦ Soil pH 6.5–8, acidic soils should be deacidified with dolomite flour 200–300 g/m²
✦ Mulch — gravel or crushed stone, not organic matter
✦ Do not bury the root collar
Three types of pruning:
✦ Formative — the first 2–3 years, pinching the tops, removing buds in the first year
✦ Regular pruning after flowering — A third of the green growth, avoiding the woody zone.
✦ Rejuvenation: gradually apply one-third of the bush per season, only into the green bark.
⛔ The main rule that must not be broken:
Lavender does NOT produce new shoots from old woody wood. A cut below the green zone means the shoot is dead forever.
Winter protection:
✦ Lavandula angustifolia (Hidcote, Munstead, Vera) — up to -25°C without cover under snow cover
✦ Lavandula stoechas — must be covered or grown in a container
✦ Cover only after the soil has frozen to a depth of 2–3 cm, not earlier
✦ Do not use peat or sawdust — only spruce branches, oak leaves, and 60 g/m² agrofibre
Cuttings:
✦ May-June or August-September
✦ Cutting length 8–10 cm, cut at an angle below the node
✦ Substrate: sand + perlite, no peat
✦ Rooting: 3–6 weeks at +20...+24°C
📚 Sources:
— Tucker A.O., DeBaggio T., "The Encyclopedia of Herbs", Timber Press, 2009 — Lavandula species, biology, and varieties
— Blamey M., Grey-Wilson C., "Flora of Britain and Northern Europe," Hodder & Stoughton, 1989 — lavender's origin and natural range
— RHS (Royal Horticultural Society), "Encyclopedia of Garden Plants," Dorling Kindersley, 2003 — cultivation techniques, winter hardiness of varieties
— Upson T., Andrews S., "The Genus Lavandula," Kew Publishing, 2004 — the most comprehensive monograph on the genus Lavandula, classification, and variety breeding
— State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation — winter hardiness of varieties for temperate climates
— Brickell C. (ed.), "The RHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants," Dorling Kindersley, 2008 — planting, care, and propagation
— Norfolk Lavender Ltd., Agronomic recommendations for commercial cultivation and pruning of lavender, UK
⚠️ Disclaimer:
This video is for educational and informational purposes only. The effectiveness of fertilizers depends on soil composition, pH, climate, crop, and application method. Before applying any fertilizer, it is important to consider the characteristics of your site and the needs of your plants.
💬 Tell us in the comments: what lavender variety do you grow, in what region, and what challenges did you encounter? I answer everyone.
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