If you are interested in a lavender purple or some other variation of the plant, it is a good decision to learn how to grow lavender at home. Can you grow lavender indoors? Let’s find out in today’s definitive guide to growing lavender.
How Long Does Lavender Take to Grow from Seed?
How long to grow lavender from seeds?
Sprouting lavender from seeds takes an average of fourteen days or two weeks. If the conditions are less ideal or if you use a cultivar that takes longer to grow, it may take as long as 30 days to germinate lavender properly. Lavenders are warmth-loving plants, so sit would genuinely help if you germinated your lavender where there is plenty of natural sunlight and heat. A sealed plastic bag might help speed up the germination.
How to grow lavender indoors?
Growing lavender indoors can be done, as long as you follow the basic guidelines for cultivating lavender. There are more than a hundred known cultivars of lavender, and they have different growing needs. For the most part, lavender plants are heat-loving cultivars that enjoy the sun.
They must not be overwatered. When germinating lavender seeds, allow the topsoil to dry out a little before adding some more water to them if you do not want to stunt the seeds’ germination. Viable lavender seeds can be purchased from online gardening retailers like Burpee.
The temperature requirement for lavender seeds during germination is 70°F (21.11°C). Yes, lavender needs this kind of warmth to germinate. If you live in a cold locale, you may want to start thinking of investing in LED grow lights.
LED grow lights are a lower-cost alternative to halogen warming lights for horticultural use. They’re available on Amazon in different sizes and brightness levels. Do a little research and match the LED grow light with the plants’ requirement that you are planning to grow indoors.
Lavender seeds will sprout in about two weeks. Germinate your lavender seeds in growing trays that have good drainage. Lavender doesn’t thrive with lots of moisture, so use media like fine vermiculite or just light soil in general.
Regular watering is recommended but allows the topsoil to dry completely before watering again. Expose your growing trays to as much sunlight as possible. When done indoors, this should be the south-facing window, where most of the sunlight is. Having a rolling tray frame would be an excellent idea when you are germinating several trays of seeds. Â Â
Can I Plant Lavender Seeds Directly in The Ground?
Lavender seeds can be sewn directly to the ground. For the most part, however, it may be less successful because lavender seedlings can be quite selective with where they grow. Lavender seedlings are also sensitive to where they sprout, and it can take a full month before they sprout from the seed. It takes plenty of expertise to grow lavender ‘in the wild’ or outdoors, direct into the soil. There is less control over the different factors that will affect the germination of the lavender seedlings. Should harsh weather suddenly occur, you have to ensure that your sown seeds are in a safe spot where they won’t be too inundated with water or exposed to super harsh sunlight?
If at one point you want to plant your lavender plants outside instead of cultivating them indoors, you have to spend a little extra time in the process called hardening, which is exposing a young plant to outdoor conditions slowly, so you don’t end up shocking the plant. The exposure should be gradual and should be done in increasing durations and intervals. The hardening period should be done at about a week. This should give your lavender plants sufficient time to get used to the outside world.
After the hardening phase, you can transplant your lavender outside. We don’t recommend putting your lavender plant in a shaded region, as shaded regions tend to be moister and more prone to fungal attacks than spots in your garden that are exposed to full sunlight. Full sunlight is your best friend when growing lavender. If possible, check the pH level of your soil. Lavender thrives best in soils that have a pH level of 6.5 to 7.5. There may be some fluctuations in pH from time to time, but these fluctuations should be acceptable as long as you take care of your young lavender plants well.
Is Lavender Hard to Grow from Seeds?
Growing lavender from seed can be challenging, but not so difficult that you won’t be able to do it independently. You have to wait two weeks to a month for the lavender to sprout. Once sprouted, you can transfer the small lavender sprout into two-inch pots. Leave them here until the lavender begins producing a little foliage. The biggest threat to small lavender plants is a fungal infestation. Lavender grows so slowly that sometimes, fungi gets the best of the small plants. It takes around ninety days for seedlings to attain the right size for final transplantation to their final growing pot.
The challenging part here is making sure that there is sufficient circulation in the soil or medium while keeping the moisture level right. Lavenders love fast-draining soil. You can slowly acclimatize to outdoor conditions when they’re about three inches high already. It’s possible to germinate the plants indoors and then take them outside when they’re ready to acclimatize.
When you are ready to transplant your lavender, dig a hole that is twelve to twenty-four inches wide in the chosen spot. Space should be rough as ample and complete as the pot that you used for the hardening phase of the lavender. Use a trowel to gently dig out the plant, taking care not to destroy any thick roots. The root ball of the lavender should be intact.
What Is the Best Time of Year to Plant Lavender?
The ideal time to plant lavender plants is from March to May. The drier and warmer months are best for lavender because these easily succumb to being waterlogged.
