The lavender propagation methods include propagation from cuttings in soil and water, from seeds and by layering. In this article, I will outline the most common methods for propagating lavender. Lavender is a beautiful and fragrant herb that is used in cooking, aromatherapy and decoration. Lavender is also relatively easy to propagate, making it an excellent plant for beginners to multiply, reproduce and make more plants.
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| Lavender Plant |
You must plant at least one lavender plant in your garden to attract lots of bees to pollinate flower, fruit and vegetable plants. Lavender is a very good plant to propagate and can be done using various methods. Whether you propagate by cuttings, layering or seed, following procedure will help you to have a successful and thriving lavender garden.
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| Lavender plant attracts bees that are good for pollination. |
Propagate Lavender From Cuttings
Can you grow lavender from cuttings? Yes, growing lavender from cuttings is one of the easiest ways to propagate lavender. Also the lavender plant propagated by cuttings will reproduce or clone the plant, exactly similar to the parent plant.
Following steps to grow lavender from cuttings is good for propagating including French lavender, Spanish lavender, English lavender, Portuguese lavender, sea lavender, and all other types of lavenders from cuttings:
When To Propagate Lavender: Choose the Right Time
The best time to take cuttings from a lavender plant is in the early summer when the plant is actively growing. You can take lavender cuttings from May to September months (summer months) or from November to February months (summer months) in Australia.
Taking Lavender Cuttings
How to take lavender cuttings
- Choose healthy strong stems that have grown this year and have yet not flowered but have plenty of foliage. These are soft-wood cuttings, good for starting lavender from cuttings.
- Ensure that they are free from pests and disease
- Using a sharp, clean garden shears, take 4 to 6 inch cuttings. The cuttings should have at least two sets of leaves.
Prepare the Cuttings
Remove all the lower leaves from the cutting, and keep a few at the top.
Rooting Hormone
- Propagating lavender without rooting hormone: Lavender cuttings can grow roots without a rooting hormone, but if you use rooting hormone, it will speed up the rooting process and develop roots more quickly.
- Dip the cut end of the cutting into rooting hormone.
- You can use a chemical powder or liquid rooting hormone or use a natural rooting hormone like aloe Vera gel.
Planting the Lavender Cuttings
- Plant the lavender cuttings in a pot with a well-draining potting mix.
- The pot should have drainage hole to drain excess water.
- Water the soil thoroughly and place it in shade for half an hour to drain excess water.
- Make a hole in the soil by a stick and insert the cutting (with or without rooting hormone). Do not push. Press the soil to secure the cutting. You can plant more than one cuttings in the same pot.
- Enclose the pot in a polythene bag to maintain high humidity inside.
- Place the bag at a warm place, away from direct sun light. You can place the bag indoors if the outside temperature is less than 20°C (68°F).
- Open the bag after a week and mist the cuttings if the soil becomes dry. If you do not enclose your cuttings in the bag, then you will need to spray/water/mist the cuttings a few times a day.
How long do lavender cuttings take to root
- The cuttings will root in 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the temperature and humidity.
- Give a very gentle tug to the cutting check if it's taken root, the rooted cutting will offer some resistance.
- You will seed growth of new leaves on the cuttings and also some roots coming out of the bottom holes of the pot.
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| Propagated Lavender Cuttings showing growth of new leaves |
Lavender Cuttings Dying?
Your lavender cuttings may die if there is not enough water or too much water in soil. If you have planted your cuttings as mentioned above, then the cuttings will not die but root easily.
Propagate Lavender in Water
The question comes to mind, can lavender cuttings be rooted in water? The answer is yes, propagating lavender from cuttings in water is easy and quick, but because lavender is susceptible to root rot if left in water for too long, you should transfer the cutting to soil once it has grown roots.
Lavender Propagation by Layering
Another method for propagating lavender is by layering. This lavender layering method involves bending a low-growing stem down and bury a portion of it it in ground to grow roots there. Follow these steps to propagate lavender by layering:
- Choose a healthy, low-growing long stem.
- Bend the stem down to the ground and bury a portion of it in the soil after removing the leaves from that portion. Place a small piece of pabbleto hold the stem in place.
- After a few weeks, the buried portion of the stem will develop roots.
- Once the buried branch has developed roots, cut it and transplant it to a new location.
Video of Growing Lavender from cuttings
How to propagate lavender from cuttings youtube video
Lavender Propagation by Seed
Lavender can also be grown by seed, although this method can be more challenging than the other methods and requires more patience. Follow these steps to propagate lavender by seed:
- Collect the seeds from an established lavender flowers when they are ripe, usually in the fall.
- Fill a seed tray with a well-draining potting mix.
- Sprinkle the seeds on the surface of the soil and cover them with a thin layer soil.
- Spray water on the soil lightly, careful do not to disturb the seeds.
- Place the seed tray in a warm, sunny location and wait for the seeds to germinate.
- How long will lavender take to grow from seeds: This depends on the weather. The seeds will germinate in a few weeks depending on the temperature.
- Transplant the seedlings once they have grown several sets of leaves, transplant them to containers filled with well-draining potting mix.