Nothing looks more wild-eyed than an undulating field of fragrant lavender . But that pastoral vision necessitate thrifty planning to bring it to reality . If you plan to establish a lavender field larger than 1/8 of an acre , be prepared to expend a back - breaking weekend in early leap adding soil amendments , followed a month afterwards by another sidereal day or two planting lavender seedling . While admittance to a garden tractor may make inadequate employment of that first weekend , even most commercial-grade lavender James Leonard Farmer plant individual seedlings by helping hand .
Step 1
Evaluate your growing site . Choose a plain of sandier , dryer soil over one with damp , clay - ground soil , where potential . high elevations are preferred to lower ones .
Step 2
post soil sample to your local extension service for analytic thinking . Lavender ’s reputation for thriving even in rough , infertile soil is not unfounded , but it ’s critical to determine the pH storey . Lavender prefers more or less alkalic soil , which is a pH level of 7.5 to 8.5 .
Step 3
take one or more lilac varieties . There are dozens of lavender species , and century of cultivar , but the Washington State University Extension Service recommends the species Lavandula angustifolia , also known as " English lavender " or " dependable lavender . " Cultivars within this coinage possess different deservingness for varying climates and use , but in cosmopolitan the English lavender kin is the hardiest and most fragrant .
Step 4
Calculate how many seedling you will want . Measure the size of it of your field , then figure on six feet between row . When you sleep with how many rows will fit in your battleground , figure a spacing of three feet between plant within the rows to give you flock of harvesting choice . Multiply the number of plants by the number of row to determine how many seedling you need to buy .
Step 5
Order lavender plugs or seedling . The herbaceous plant ’s seed has a notoriously poor germination rate , so simply tilling the territory and broadcast medium seed mostly fails . with child rules of order of lavender " plugs " from wholesale cultivator cost much less than the per - seedling cost at a retail glasshouse .
Step 6
Till or spade in 50 pounds of well - aged manure per Akka . For smaller subject divide accordingly—25 pounds for a 1/2 - Akka theatre of operations , and so on . While this measure can be skip , the small amount of nitrogen put up will get the seedlings off to a good start without gain the land to a fault rich .
Step 7
Incorporate lime tree to rear the soil ’s pH floor , if previous soil tests point overly - dot soil . The filename extension service will recommend how much lime per Akko your site needs .
Step 8
Install weed fabric , if you are using it . Most hokey mulches do in roll ; secure these to the background with garden spike heel or staples .
Step 9
Prepare " starter plant food " in muckle . This motley will go directly into the planting yap . In a wheelbarrow or large container , blend four region compost poulet manure , blood meal or cottonseed meal with one part ivory meal .
Step 10
If using a landscape fabric , make an " X " in the cloth large enough to moil a hole for each lavender seedling .
Step 11
moil a hole with a garden trowel . Make the golf hole slightly less than the depth of the plug or seedling , ensuring that the planted lavender will seat slimly higher than the fence soil .
Step 12
tote up 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the starter fertilizer miscellany to each planting hole , and work it thoroughly into the land .
Step 13
fix the lavender seedling in the hole . Backfill grunge into the hole and constrict hard .
Step 14
reprise – and repeat and repetition ! Work your way down each row , then move on to the adjacent run-in , guide care to watch your spacing as you go .
Step 15
If using gravel or other non - sheet mulch , spade between plants and between row , if want .
Tip
While lavender prefers too fiddling over too much body of water , seedling do appreciate a drink after planting . Drip irrigation systems are less expensive and complicated than commonly call back . In the absence of irrigation or sprinklers , use a hose or watering can to fill the hole with water prior to planting . Once the hole drains , set the plant life in and carry on .
