Lavender magic: transforming Canadian gardens with ease
Lavender is a plant that is becoming increasingly popular in gardens thanks to its beautiful flowers, intense fragrance, and easy care. To keep it healthy and vibrant, it's important to ensure proper placement, watering, fertilization, and pruning.
Lavender (Lavandula) is a plant with a subtle charm that originates from regions with a warm climate, such as the Mediterranean Basin. Valued for its decorative and health benefits, lavender is becoming a popular feature in many gardens.
To enjoy its beauty throughout the season, it requires proper maintenance – from choosing the right location, through regular watering and fertilization, to precise pruning. It's worth learning the basic principles of caring for this plant to enjoy its beauty for a long time.
The ideal spot for lavender in the garden
Lavender grows best in sunny locations because full sun ensures abundant flowering. This plant prefers dry, well-drained, slightly alkaline soils. The soil should have a good structure, so it's worth enriching it with sand if it is heavy and moist. Remember not to plant lavender in shaded areas – the more sun, the better.
How to water lavender so it blooms continuously
Lavender doesn't like excess water, so water it sparingly and thoroughly, only when the soil is completely dry. Avoid wetting the leaves to prevent fungal diseases. It is best to water it early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
As for fertilization, lavender does not need large amounts of fertilizers. In spring, it's good to use a low-nitrogen fertilizer rich in phosphorus and potassium to support flowering. You can also use compost or manure to enrich the soil with natural nutrients.
Try a natural fertilizer made from yeast
To prepare a homemade fertilizer for lavender, you can use fresh yeast. Crumble 50 grams of yeast and put it into a container with 5 litres of warm water and mix it thoroughly until the yeast is dissolved. After an hour, the mixture will be ready for use.
Before using, the mixture should be diluted with water in the proportion: 1 cup of fertilizer to 10 litres of water. If less is needed, maintain the proportion: 12 grams of yeast to 1 litre of water. You can fertilize the plant with this solution once a week.
Pruning and caring for lavender
Lavender requires pruning to maintain a compact shape and health. Prune once a year – preferably after blooming, in early fall, or in the spring. Remove the dried flower heads and shorten the shoots, leaving about 5-10 centimetres above the base.
Too intensive pruning can weaken the plant, so it should be done carefully. It's also worth removing weeds around the lavender, which may weaken it, and protecting the plant for the winter, especially in cooler regions, using horticultural fleece, for example.
