Growing lavender

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At Dallas Lavender Lane Farm we cultivate different varieties of English lavneder. It is a bushy perennial that grows from 1 to 3 feet tall with tall blooms most often in shades of blue and purple. English lavender does well in USDA Hardiness Zones 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The farm is located in zone 7. 

Lavender does well in most soil qualities, from poor to moderately fertile, although it prefers soil which is neutral to slightly alkaline. You can add a little bit of lime to your soil if you need to raise the pH. Lavender is prone to root rot, so it requires soil that is well draining and will not tolerate standing water or wet areas. compost or aged manure can be added to clay soil to improve drainage. Plant your lavender in an area that gets full sun (at least 6 to 8 hours).

Lavender can be very difficult to grow from seed; we recommend purchasing a starter plant from one of our plant sales or finding one from a local garden nursery. 

Space your plants 2 to 3 ft apart in an area that receives full sun. 

We amend our soil with a mix of lime (to help raise the pH) and bone meal, which contains nitrogen, phosphorous, and calcium. These additives are optional and dependent on your soil conditions, they can both be found at most do-it-yourself or garden stores. 

Add mulch (we use pea gravel) to keep weeds to a minimum. Keeping the mulch away from the crown of the plant (where the stem meets the roots) can help prevent excess moisture and root rot.

Water your lavender once or twice a week after planting until your plants are established. In our area, mature plants don't often have to be watered, but you can water them every two to three weeks until buds form and increasing to once a week until harvest. 

We recommend cutting off any buds that grow the first year you have your plant. This allows the plant to focus all of its energy on developing a root system. 

The best time to harvest lavender is when about half of the flower buds have opened.

Cut the stems as long as possible without cutting into the woody part of the plant.

Bundle your lavender together with a rubber band and hang it upside down in a cool, dark area with good air circulation for a couple of weeks to dry. 

After the flowers have dried fully you can gently shake them from the plants into a lidded jar. Store in a cool, dark place.

If you do not harvest the flowering stems while they're in bloom, snip them off after the flowers fade to keep the plant tidy.

In our climate, all pruning can be carried out in the fall. Remove about one-third of the top to keep the plant from becoming leggy and bare at the base. Be careful you do not cut into old wood, as it will not regrow.

In colder climates, lavender should be pruned in the spring.