How to propagate lavender from a bush by cuttings
Content:
Lavender (lavender) is an evergreen herb with a beautiful flowering and a delicate pleasant aroma. This fragrant plant is native to the Mediterranean coast. Over the past few years, lavender has been gaining popularity among Russian gardeners for its high decorative qualities and pleasant aroma. To cultivate this culture in the garden, you need to know how lavender multiplies, and what care is required after transplanting young seedlings.
What does lavender look like?
Lavender looks like a miniature shrub, reaching a height of up to 1 m, covered with densely planted small, elongated, pointed leaves. Shades of flowers range from bluish to deep lilac, in some varieties pinkish or white. The flowers are collected in elongated inflorescences in the form of an unopened umbrella or spikelet. Flowering period July - September.
Lavender garden on the plot
How to propagate lavender from a bush
This herbaceous plant can be propagated in the following ways:
- cuttings;
- seeds;
- layering;
- dividing the bush.
How to plant lavender by dividing a bush
Despite the fact that lavender is quite difficult to tolerate the division of the root system, this breeding method is one of the most popular among gardeners. Subject to certain rules, parts of the mother bush take root well in a new place.
Propagation of a lavender bush by dividing the root
Soil selection and preliminary preparation of parts of the bush
An adult overgrown plant bush is prepared for division in the fall. After the complete cessation of flowering, the lavender is cut in such a way that the stems of about 10 cm remain. The cut plant is carefully spud. In the spring, the hilling procedure is repeated.
Over the summer, the bush will release many new young shoots, after which, in the fall, you can start reproduction of lavender in parts, each of which should have at least 4-6 living stems. The root system is divided by hands, in the case of strong and rigid roots, separation with a shovel bayonet is allowed.
Preparing the mother bush for root division
Lavender prefers slightly acidic soil, so lime or ash is poured into the harvested hole. The diameter of the planting hole should be twice as wide as the plant root. To create a nutrient medium and a porous soil structure, it is recommended to place rotted manure or compost in the hole. From above, the hole is covered with earth, compacted tightly to release excess air and watered with water.
Care after landing
Lavender does not tolerate excessive soil moisture as well as drought. Therefore, it is recommended to irrigate the plant as soon as the topsoil has dried. The irrigation system is installed so that the water droplets enter the plant itself.
Post-planting care - watering in the form of irrigation
Garden lavender needs pruning. From time to time, it is recommended to cut off those shoots that thicken the crown of the bush or spoil its shape.
When to propagate lavender by dividing a bush
In the spring, the division of the mother bush must be carried out before the appearance of pedicels. In the fall, this bush was previously pruned and huddled.Before planting, it is recommended to check the weather forecast so that the planted plant does not get stuck in the rain.
It is also allowed to divide the root system in the summer, but such seedlings will require more careful care - regular moderate watering, providing shade.
Autumn is the most optimal period for such breeding. The main condition is to have time to complete the procedure before October.
How to cut lavender
Young shoots that appear after hilling the bush are suitable for creating cuttings. The upper part of the young shoot is cut off with a sharp, disinfected knife at an angle. The stalk should be about 10-13cm and have. The cut on the bush is processed with activated charcoal or charcoal.
Propagation of a lavender bush by cuttings
It is recommended to carry out cuttings of lavender in summer or spring. It is in the warm season that the root system is able to form and get stronger. In autumn, plants prepare for dormancy, their internal processes slow down, which means that roots will take longer to form.
How to root lavender
Root the cutting by placing it in moistened soil and covering it with a glass or plastic cover. Every day, the cap is removed for 10 minutes to ventilate the seedling. The rooting bed should be in partial shade and protected from drafts, the soil is the same as for an adult plant (slightly acidic and fertilized).
The first roots hatch 3 weeks after planting, after another 3-4 weeks the seedling has an already formed root system. After that, the young plant is ready for transplanting to a permanent place in a pot or open ground in the country.
How to propagate lavender by layering
For layering, a young, flexible twig from the bottom of the lavender dwarf shrub is selected. Under it, at the foot of the plant, a small furrow is dug in the ground, into which the selected branch is carefully bent and immersed so that its leafy top peeps out over the far end of the recess. Then the groove is covered with earth, compacted and carefully spilled. For convenience, you can use special garden staples that will attach the branch to the ground.
Reproduction of an adult lavender bush by layering
It is recommended to water the layers in the ground regularly and thoroughly. Periodically mulch the soil above them, in especially hot weather, spray the foliage of the top sticking out of the ground.
After 12-16 weeks, the cuttings will form roots. To check this, in the fall they dig in the ground under it a little. The cuttings are ready for transplanting if the roots are holding a clod of earth. In this case, the branch is cut from the bush so that the roots are on its flowering part, and sits in a new place.
How to plant lavender: rules for caring for young bushes
Lavender needs care and good care. However, the rules are simple and include:
- regular moderate watering to exclude the possibility of drying out the soil;
- periodic hilling will hide the stem;
- regular pruning of excess shoots, that is, thickening the crown, spoiling the appearance of the bush.
Propagation of lavender by cuttings is the best way when you need to divide one plant into several new ones. Even a novice gardener can handle this business. In this case, the probability of harming the mother bush is quite low, and it is almost one hundred percent to get several new young plants.
