lavender question

[weekendwellies]

Going on from previous query about lavender:

I went to the GC and looked at the lavender plants, £7 for one It was fairly big but I decided to go for the seeds. They germinated and I now have approx 40 tiny little seedlings out of what the pack says is approx 50 seeds. Pretty good, and they are so small still, I would think a few more may appear over the coming days.

Next question: how long before I need to pot them on, or should I put them straight into the ground (after hardening off of course).

[ginger ninger]

I personally would pot them on when the leaves were big enough to handle without squashing/damaging them. It can take up to 3 month's to grow a plant big enough to pot on and then it's usually just 1 stem, if you want lavender bush's you'll have to be in it for the long-hall. Have a look at the link below...it's full of good advice. Hope it help's.

LAVENDER: Choosing,Planting,Growing,Pruning,Harvesting and Using

[Alison]

I know it won't really help with this but I find it easier and quicker to propogate lavendar from cuttings and you don't really need to own the parent plant, it's amazing what you can pinch out on the way past public specimens. They take very well in autumn and I am intending on planting a few out on the plot at some point when I find the time

[Flummery]

A friend has just invited me to lift a few lavender seedlings from her gravel. Her original plant seeds every year and after the downpour we've had in the last day or so, I will gently tease a few out after our village Book Club meeting at her house tomorrow night. Free. I love the price!

[weekendwellies]

I personally would pot them on when the leaves were big enough to handle without squashing/damaging them. It can take up to 3 month's to grow a plant big enough to pot on and then it's usually just 1 stem, if you want lavender bush's you'll have to be in it for the long-hall. Have a look at the link below...it's full of good advice. Hope it help's.

LAVENDER: Choosing,Planting,Growing,Pruning,Harvesting and Using

the link isnt working for me gn.
I can wait quite some time for the plants to mature, time isnt an issue for me.

A friend has just invited me to lift a few lavender seedlings from her gravel. Her original plant seeds every year and after the downpour we've had in the last day or so, I will gently tease a few out after our village Book Club meeting at her house tomorrow night. Free. I love the price!

wish i had friends like yours flum, it could save a fortune.

[weekendwellies]

it's amazing what you can pinch out on the way past public specimens.

i now have this image in my head of you whipping bits of municipal plants off as you breeze through the town.

[Alison]

i now have this image in my head of you whipping bits of municipal plants off as you breeze through the town.

Yeah, that's pretty much it!

[Dottie]

I got 6 lavender plants for £4.98 (value range) at B&Q.

[Flummery]

i now have this image in my head of you whipping bits of municipal plants off as you breeze through the town.

I''m guilty too! I have a lovely Weigela foliis purpurea from a sleight-of-hand cutting in the park!

[craftsmaster]

Going on from previous query about lavender:

I went to the GC and looked at the lavender plants, £7 for one It was fairly big but I decided to go for the seeds. They germinated and I now have approx 40 tiny little seedlings out of what the pack says is approx 50 seeds. Pretty good, and they are so small still, I would think a few more may appear over the coming days.

Next question: how long before I need to pot them on, or should I put them straight into the ground (after hardening off of course).

This plant is drought-tolerant, making it easy to care for. Don't try to start this herb from seed, though. Your best bet is to go to your nursery to buy a flat of small plants that were cuttings from another plant.

If you insist on trying your hand at starting lavender from seed, then grow the seeds in small pots early in the spring. The drawback with this method is that the seeds may die before they fully germinate.

Happy Gardening!
Carmel

[zazen999]

This plant is drought-tolerant, making it easy to care for. Don't try to start this herb from seed, though. Your best bet is to go to your nursery to buy a flat of small plants that were cuttings from another plant.

If you insist on trying your hand at starting lavender from seed, then grow the seeds in small pots early in the spring. The drawback with this method is that the seeds may die before they fully germinate.

Happy Gardening!
Carmel

Why so? WW already said they had 40 plants out of a 50 seed packet. To buy 40 plants even small would have cost alot more than a packet of seeds.

[weekendwellies]

Why so? WW already said they had 40 plants out of a 50 seed packet. To buy 40 plants even small would have cost alot more than a packet of seeds.

And they're coming along lovely too, if I had a working camera I would show you all

[GreatBlah]

This plant is drought-tolerant, making it easy to care for. Don't try to start this herb from seed, though. Your best bet is to go to your nursery to buy a flat of small plants that were cuttings from another plant.

Why?

Much cheaper and easier to take cuttings from some plants in your local area in late summer whether it be a municipal area or one of your neighbours gardens.

[craftsmaster]

Next question: how long before I need to pot them on, or should I put them straight into the ground (after hardening off of course).

If you begin your first season by growing from seeds, germinate them for 10 to 14 days before you place them in the ground. Keep the seeds at room temperature. Transplant the seedlings to an area where they receive full sun and just partial shade. Keep the plants at least eight inches from each other, and preferably 12 inches.
__________________
Carmel Santos
CEO of Herb Gardening Guide
The Australian Guide to Herb Gardening

[grannymem]

Lavender question

[QUOTE=weekendwellies;690522]the link isnt working for me gn.

It worked for me so here's a little extract:

Starting Lavender from seeds sounds like a great inexpensive way to get all the lavender you desire but it can have some major drawbacks.

The first obstacle is finding the seeds. Even though Spanish, Yellow, and other species Lavenders can be started from seeds, it is usually only the Lavandula angustifolias--Hidcote, Vera, and Munstead-- that are available as seeds.

The second drawback is what we call 'low and slow' germination. Lavender seeds have a short shelf life, and therefore the germination rate (how many seeds out of 100 come up) is usually pretty low. They can also take a long time to sprout (two weeks or more) and this invites fungus to the seed tray, often causing the seed to rot before it can sprout. Seeds benefit from light, so cover lightly when sowing. The germination temperature should be around 70 degrees and spring seeding is more successful than fall seeding. Those seeds that do sprout will take one to three months before they have enough roots and top growth to allow successful transplanting. Adding fertilizer to the sterile medium used in the seed tray can help the little plants get off to a better start, but it can also invite fungus in cool, humid situations.

The third disadvantage is the time it takes for the seedlings to get to a good size. After they are transplanted into small pots, the plants will be about three inches tall and have a single stem. It will take another three months or more to make a plant substantial enough to transplant to a larger pot or to the garden.

The fourth inconvenience is the difference factor. Because little care has been taken over the years to insure that the seeds have not crossed with each other, the plants will be varying shades of color. They might also vary some in height and width. This was the surprise our customer had. The perfect hedge of Hidcote Lavender she had dreamed about and worked so hard to grow the plants for turned out to be more like a cottage garden: still beautiful, but irregular in form and color.

And, lastly, the most popular Lavenders (the Lavandula x intermedias; sometimes called Lavandins), either do not make seeds or the seeds are sterile, so you will never see a seed packet of these.

It sounds as if you're already proved the article wrong about teh germination so maybe it will be wrong about the other aspects!

Good luck