- Lavender, valued for its scent and insect repellent properties, needs proper care to bloom profusely.
- Eggshells are an excellent homemade fertilizer that provides lavender with calcium and other microelements, improving its condition and changing the soil reaction.
- Regular pruning of lavender twice a year and moderate watering are the key to its healthy growth and abundant flowering.
- Do you want your lavender to bloom until autumn? Discover the secret of fertilization and care that will ensure its lush growth!
Crumble and scatter around the lavender bushes. It will bloom continuously until autumn
For many people, lavender is a must-have in the garden. Lavender has an intense scent that is liked not only by people. This plant attracts bees to the garden, and its flowers are rich in pollen and nectar. Additionally, lavender belongs to a group of plants that repel insects, including ticks and mosquitoes. It releases strong chemicals such as linalool acetate, linalool and ocimenes, which have repellent properties. Lavender in the garden is a perennial plant and, if properly cared for, can grow and bloom for many years. Its care is not complicated, but it is worth remembering a few basic rules. . It prefers fertile, sandy soil with an alkaline reaction. It should be watered regularly, taking care not to overwater and rot the roots. An important element of lavender care is fertilization.
A botanist friend told me that home-made conditioners would be perfect. One of them made of egg shells. In the lazy version, just crush them and mix them with the soil around the lavender bushes. If you have more time, you can prepare a liquid conditioner based on egg shells. How do I do it? Peel 4 eggs, dry them and crush the shells. Then pour boiling water over them and set aside for a few days to allow the shells to soften. After this time, strain the decoction through a sieve, dilute it with water in 1:1 proportions and water the lavender with it once a week. Egg shells perfectly loosen the soil and make it rich in many nutrients. They provide, among others, calcium, iron, zinc, silicon, sulfur and fluorine. These ingredients improve the condition of plants and are necessary for their proper growth. Additionally, the eggshell conditioner changes the soil reaction to alkaline, which lavender likes. It is worth fertilizing lavender bushes intensively in spring before the flowering season, and then providing preventive doses of fertilizer throughout the summer.
How to care for lavender so that it blooms for many years?
this is the key to their healthy growth and abundant flowering. Lavender grows best in sunny positions, in well-drained, slightly alkaline soil. Regular pruning is essential – it’s best to do it twice a year. The first, gentle cut should be made in spring, after the frosts have subsided, to remove damaged shoots and stimulate the plant to grow. The second, more intensive, procedure is carried out after the flowers fade, shortening the shoots by about 1/3 of their length. Thanks to this, the lavender will maintain a compact shape and bloom profusely in the next season.
Watering lavender should be moderate, as this plant does not like excess moisture. However, during drought it is worth watering it, especially young bushes. It is not necessary to fertilize lavender, but you can use a low-nitrogen fertilizer to encourage flowering. It is also important to remove weeds around the bushes so that they do not compete with the lavender for nutrients and water. In regions with harsh winters, it is worth protecting lavender against frost, e.g. by covering it with spruce branches or agrotextile.
