Growing Baby Lavender

Propagating Lavender

Lavender is easy to propagate if you have a few plants to start with. Autumn cuttings work well, so this is the time to start preparing for any lavender propagation that you'd like to do before the cold weather arrives. Start by preparing a mixture of potting soil and sand. Cut a 2" - 3" lavender sprig from a main plant stem. Strip off any of the lower leaves. Dip the stem in rooting compound (hormone), but be sure to read the safety precautions first! (The rooting compound will speed up the process of propagation, but it not essential). Press the cutting into the potting mixture and place it in a warm, sunny room. It's important to keep the cutting moist, but not soggy. Once the plant has rooted, move outdoors for a few hours each day to acclimate it to nature. When the cutting has doubled or tripled in size, it is ready to plant in your garden in a well-drained location.

Another easy way to start lavender is to leave the stem right on the plant, but gently bend it down so it touches the earth. Secure in place with a rock or stone, and give it time to root. Once that happens, dig up the new baby plant and move it to where you'd like it to grow.

With the price of lavender plants, this is a simple and easy method of increasing your plant production --- while being easy on the pocketbook.

Photo: Purple Haze Lavender Farm