Indoor Lavender Growing Instructions
Incorporate this fragrant herb into your house to take pleasure in the flower arrangement while also reducing your stress levels.
It is beneficial to pollinators like as bees and butterflies to have lavender in the environment because it provides a plentiful supply of nutritious pollen and nectar.
Gardeners, florists, and aromatherapy aficionados all like the delicate blossoms, which have the extra bonus of containing beautifully perfumed essential oils, as do other people. Those in temperate climes enjoy this perennial herb in the garden year-round, but if you don’t have outside garden space or live in a chilly region, it is feasible to cultivate lavender indoors.
It makes a wonderful container specimen for patios and balconies, but it is not hardy enough to withstand prolonged exposure to cold. Bringing your lavender inside for the winter is a wonderful technique for overwintering the plant, but it may not be in the plant’s best interests if you keep it indoors all year. If you’re thinking about adding this popular low-maintenance herb to your plant collection, keep reading to find out more about lavender plant maintenance.
Care for Indoor Lavender in a Nutshell
Lavandula spp., scientific name: Lavandula spp., common name: Lavender
Soil: good draining
Luminous intensity: high
Water consumption is moderate to low; food consumption is gradual release or liquid plant food.
High humidity, low temperature (40 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit), low to moderate temperature.
Seeds or cuttings are used for propagation.
Animals are safe since there is little allergen and little toxin.
Characteristics of the Lavender Plant
Lavenders are herbaceous perennials that are members of the plant genus Lavandula. These plants are compact, spreading sub-shrubs with grayish-green leaves and long blooming stems, and they are a good choice for containers.
The stiff, thin leaves may be either simply lobed or elegantly lobed depending on their shape. The flower shoots are produced at the stem ends, and the blooms are available in a variety of colors including blue, purple, lilac, and white.
Lavender essential oil is widely used in aromatherapy, and with good reason. The oil’s sweet, pungent aroma helps to induce tranquility and well-being by calming the senses. It is intended to help people relax and unwind by reducing tension. Despite the fact that lavender has not been approved by the FDA as a medicinal therapy, the plant has shown usefulness in treating anxiety, fungal infections, wounds, and even hair loss.
More than 450 distinct types of lavender may be found in warm, temperate parts of the globe. There are at least 45 different species and more than 450 different variations of lavender.
Among the most widely available cultivars are those derived from the Mediterranean species L. angustifolia, L. stoechas, and the hybrid L. x intermedia, all of which have their origins in the area. Growth in hot, dry, or semi-arid environments with moderate winters and long growing seasons is ideal for these plants, which are also well suited for container gardening. Learn how to care for a lavender plant in the sections that follow.
Lavender Plants Come in Many Forms
Lavender enthusiasts will discover a wide selection of varieties to suit their climate or indoor circumstances. Similarly, some lavender plants are developed to produce blooms with a stronger perfume, while others are designed to produce blossoms with a deeper hue. Here are a few examples of popular types:
Lavandula angustifolia, popularly known as English Lavender or Common Lavender, is a flowering plant native to Europe.
‘Hidcote’ is widely regarded for its profusion of dark purple blossoms, which contrast well with the plant’s blue-green foliage.
Its small design makes it a good choice for areas with limited space.
Lavandula stoechas, often known as French Lavender, Spanish Lavender, or Butterfly Lavender, is a flowering plant native to Europe.
‘Anouk’ is a strong grower with a profusion of stunning purple blooms in the spring.
‘Ballerina’ produces big, purple flower heads with long-lasting white petals that are crowned with a purple stamen.
The plant ‘Regal Splendor’ has brilliant green leaves and stunning purple-violet blooms in the spring.
Lavandula x intermedia, popularly known as Lavandin, is a kind of lavender.
The strong growth, gray-green leaves, and dark blue blooms of the ‘Grosso’ cultivar are among its most notable characteristics.
It is one of the most fragrant lavenders available, and it has long spikes of lavender-blue blooms that are commonly used in cut flower bouquets.
A profusion of rich purple blooms appear on the stems of ‘Seal,’ which contrast beautifully with the plant’s gray-green leaves.
Indoor Lavender Plants: How to Choose the Right Soil
Container-grown lavender plants need a well-draining soil mix with an acidic or slightly alkaline pH to thrive. Make your own custom potting soil mix by combining high-quality general-purpose potting soil, perlite, and garden lime.
A soil structure consisting of three parts potting soil and one part perlite can keep appropriate moisture while also providing correct drainage and excellent root growth.
Add a few teaspoons of garden lime per gallon of soil/perlite mix to mildly alkalinize the soil/perlite mix pH scale in order to maximize nutrient utilization.
For the first year, start young lavender plants in 8-inch pots to ensure a successful harvest. Plants should be repotted in the early spring, right before they are moved outdoors to a patio or balcony for the growth season.
Lavender grows best in pots that are precisely the right size. When repotting, choose the next larger container size available. Avoid scaling up to a pot that is too large for the space available.
how to cultivate lavender in a container indoors
The Appropriate Lighting
For optimal effectiveness, lavender requires a lot of direct sunshine. A lack of sunshine will result in the plant failing to blossom, becoming weak and spindly, as well as being more prone to disease and insect infestation, among other consequences.
The greatest place for lavender plants to flourish throughout the growth season is in the open air, where they will get direct morning sunshine and possibly some afternoon shade. During the autumn, when the weather begins to chill, bring them inside.
Lavender should be exposed to as much light as possible when grown indoors. Ideally, the pot should be placed in front of a south-facing window that receives at least 3 hours of direct sunshine every day. Rotate the pot once a week to ensure that the plant receives direct sunshine on all sides of the container. Beginning with only an hour or two of direct outside sunshine each day for the first two weeks, then increasing to a half-day or more over the course of two weeks, the plant will be ready for its outdoor summer setting.
Lavender Plants Need Watering
The size of the plant, the size of the container, the temperature, and several other variables all influence watering requirements. Every few days, check the soil to see whether it needs to be watered. When the soil surface seems dry, water the lavender plants to keep them healthy. Do not allow the soil to dry out completely to the point where it begins to peel away from the pot edges.
When watering lavender, it may be beneficial to transfer the pot to a sink in order to keep the surplus water contained and contained. Make certain that the roots are totally submerged. Ensure that the soil mixture is thoroughly hydrated before allowing it to drain. Allowing water to stay in the plant saucer is not recommended. Root rot may occur as a result of overwatering or allowing the soil to stay too moist for too long.
Fertilizing Lavender Plants is a simple process.
Despite the fact that lavender plants do not need a lot of food, they still require certain essential nutrients to thrive. New potting soil often contains a tiny quantity of fertilizer or compost to aid in the growth of plants.
Make sure to fertilize your plants using either a time-release fertilizer or an all-purpose liquid plant food to ensure a healthy plant with gorgeous flowers. When repotting in the late winter or early spring, use a time-release fertilizer, and repeat the process in the midsummer. If you prefer liquid food, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for feeding once a month.
Choosing the appropriate temperature and humidity
The proper ventilation and air circulation are essential for indoor lavender plants, which should not be put directly in the path of forced-air heat or air conditioning.
For the winter season, the recommended overwintering temperature range is 65 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 45 degrees Fahrenheit at night during the day.
Indoor Lavender Growing Instructions
In the spring, wait until all threat of frost has gone before attempting to take the plant outside of the house. Then, gradually remove the plant from the water to prevent startling it. First, take the plant to a semi-shaded outside place for an hour or two to allow the roots to rest. During a 2-week transition phase, gradually expose the plant to outside circumstances by increasing the amount of time spent outside each day by a little amount each day.
Lavender Plant Propagation
You may propagate new lavender plants by starting with seeds that you have purchased or harvested from your own plants, or by taking stem cuttings from existing plants. Here’s how you go about it.
How to start a lavender plant from seed
For those interested in starting their own lavender plants from seed, it will need between 30 and 90 days as well as a warm indoor environment. Fill shallow seed trays halfway with seed starting mix that has been pre-moistened. Sow fresh lavender seeds on the soil surface and spritz them with water to ensure that they take root.
It is not necessary to cover the seeds with dirt. Cover the seed tray with a plastic dome and set it on a bright window sill to start growing. Remove and change the humidity dome on a regular basis to ensure that no stagnant air is present, and spritz the tray as required to maintain it thoroughly hydrated.
The seeds will germinate slowly, over a period of one to three months. Allow them to continue to develop for another 2 months before transferring them into separate pots to finish growing.
How to grow lavender from cuttings
Cuttings of lavender will root fast in water or soil. Fill a small glass or jar with 3 inches of water and place them in it to root them. For indoor lavender plants, prepare 4-inch pots with lavender potting soil according to the instructions in the Selecting Soil For Lavender Plants Indoors section of this guide.
In the late summer or early autumn, take 4-inch stem-tip cuttings from vigorous new growth to propagate. To begin, carefully remove all of the leaves from the lowest 2 inches of the stem and gently scrape some bark away from the stem’s surface. Place the prepared cuttings in water or dip them in rooting hormone before sticking them into soil-filled pots to start the process over again. Move the jar or pots of cuttings to a bright spot in the garden. Within 3 to 6 weeks, roots will begin to emerge.
Precautions Should Be Taken
Lavender plants are believed to be low in allergens and low in toxicity when it comes to human consumption. Some people with scent sensitivity may find the oils to be overbearing, in which case it is preferable to avoid the very fragrant hybrids altogether. However, just a few cases of human allergy or disease have been documented.
Pets should be kept away from lavender because of its low toxicity. A gastrointestinal obstruction in dogs and cats has been reported in cases when substantial quantities of the leaves have been consumed by these animals. When introducing a new plant into your house, proceed with care and use your best judgment as you would in any other situation.
Pests and diseases that might affect your crops
Diseases and pests do not cause significant harm to lavender plants when they are grown under the right circumstances. Root rot may occur as a result of chronic overwatering or compacted soil. Due to a lack of sunshine, plants have spindly growth that may attract whiteflies, aphids, or spittlebugs, which are particularly prevalent during the growing season.
Planting lavender in gritty, well-draining soil, watering only when necessary, and growing the plant in direct sunlight can help to avoid these difficulties.
how to cultivate lavender in a container indoors
Care of an Indoor Lavender Plant: Frequently Asked Questions
Are you still interested in learning more about lavender cultivation? Continue reading for additional information on some of the most frequently asked questions.
What is the length of time it takes to cultivate lavender indoors?
It takes 30 to 90 days for lavender seeds to germinate, and another 2 months for the plants to mature to the size required for transplanting. Lavender cuttings often grow roots in 6 weeks or less, depending on the variety.
Do you think a lavender plant would be a nice addition to a bedroom?
Lavender requires at least three hours of direct sunshine every day to thrive. If the bedroom has a south-facing window that is not blocked, the plant will thrive there. The presence of the plant or its cuttings in a room does not seem to be associated with improved sleep, although the plant may enhance the attractiveness and scent of the space.
Q: What is the best way to utilize lavender for anxiety?
The aroma of lavender oil, which is rich in the plant’s leaf, has been linked to a decrease in anxiety and tension in certain people. Because of the aroma, it is believed to be relaxing whether used in personal care items or essential oils.
Q: Is lavender considered to be a sedative plant?
In traditional Chinese medicine, lavender has been used to relieve uneasiness, restlessness, sleep difficulties, sadness and headaches by acting as a moderate sedative. Mosquitoes and other insects are said to be repelled by the plant when grown outside (but attract bees and butterflies).
Q: What is the best way to make lavender scent stronger?
When lavender grows in low-organic soil with poor fertility, the aroma of the essential oils produced by the plant becomes more noticeable.
Q: What is the best way to incorporate lavender into a room?
Lavender plants need intense sunlight for at least 3 hours every day, as well as a coarse, well-draining soil to grow well. Lavender should only be grown in a room with enough of natural light. Using lavender flower stems will allow you to enjoy the aroma for a longer period of time. Cut flower stems from the lavender when the majority of the stems have at least half of their buds open and are in bloom.
