Perennial plant narrow-leaved lavender - one of the oldest crops. Roman Aesculapius used grass in medical practice, perfumers procured oil from it. The plant does not lose its value in our days.
A bit of history
In ancient Egypt, lavender was called God's gift, endowing not only healing properties, but also mystical ones. If you believe the traditions, thanks to incense, Cleopatra seduced men. Lavender healed wounds and mental illness. Persistent esters were used for embalming - their remains were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Lavender in the landscape
Lavender came to Russia in the early 19th century, as a new plant for the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. Nowadays, culture is grown on an industrial scale on Crimean plantations.
What does Lavender narrow-leaved look like?
Some people know about the existence of a flower from the song of Sofia Rotaru, others by the pleasant aroma of perfume. Someone came across a plant in the wild, not knowing its name.
Representatives of the Labret (Iasnatkovye) botanists are called Lavandula angustifolia. People call the spikelet lavender, due to its appearance.
Note! In the description of the plant, lavender, some treatises are called grass, others are called shrubs. Both statements are correct - grassy numerous stems clearly "hold the bearing", forming a hemispherical bush 0.3-0.7 m high, up to 1 m in diameter.
Description of Lavender
| Characteristic | Features |
| Rhizome | Woody, powerful, with a developed core system of appendages located in the upper soil layer |
| Leaves | Opposite-sedentary, oblong-linear, with curled edges. Thickly pubescent grayish-green plates grow up to 6 cm long |
| Flowers | Spike inflorescences on the tops of the stems |
| Fetus | Quadriceps, complemented by a cup of flower |
Lavandula angustifolia
Lavender is characterized by a persistent pleasant aroma. In this case, all parts of the plant are fragrant.
Plant use
The habitual habitat of lavender angustifolia is the Mediterranean. The plant prefers to settle in the mountains, in the company of edelweiss. For example, in the French Alps you can find extensive bushes at an altitude of more than 1.5 m.
This indicates the frost resistance of perennials. Of the 25 species in Russia, it was Angustifolia lavender that was able to tolerate cold at 30 ° C. Therefore, culture can be found in summer cottages and in the northern regions of the country.
In Europe, lavender is mainly used in perfumes and cosmetics. Do not lag behind in the production of incense in the East.
Fragrant Lavender Sachet
For therapeutic purposes, use lavender inflorescences. In addition to persistent essential oils, the composition contains flavonoids, phytosterol, coumarins, resins, tannins and other useful substances.
In medicine, remedies from lavender are prescribed:
- in the treatment of neuralgia, as a sedative;
- externally and internally - with paralysis;
- in the treatment of traumatic injuries (dislocations, bruises).
Note! Popular practice contains recipes for the treatment of headaches, skin and nervous diseases with baths and compresses with the use of decoctions and infusions of grass (along with flowers).
The most popular varieties
Angustifolia is the common name for the English species of narrow-leaved lavender. Breeders managed to create several interesting varieties adapted to the Russian climate.
Varieties of Lavandula angustifolia
| Name | Description |
| Lavender Highcot | The most popular group of plants found in mixborders, hedges. It includes several varieties that differ in color shades. The most attractive is the compact purple-blue bush of lavender Hidcote Blue. Narrow-leaved lavender Pink Hydcot stands out with delicate pink inflorescences. |
| Lavender Manstead | Small bushes barely reach a height of 35 cm. Therefore, Munstead lavender is planted along the borders of garden paths, borders, framed by flower beds. This variety is characterized by resistance to strong winds. |
| Rosea | The height of the bush is within half a meter. Rosea's lavender is characterized by a mauve shade of petals in harmony with green foliage. |
| Dwarf blue | A bright representative of his species with fragrant purple inflorescences. Dwarf Blue is characterized by increased drought tolerance. |
| Nana alba | A characteristic feature of the bush, not tall at 30 cm, is white inflorescences, which makes the plant especially attractive for alpine hills. |
| Vera | Dutch breeders managed to bring out the highest bush of lavender - 1 m. During flowering, it is covered with a pale blue "hat". |
So different lavender
Among the spikelet holly lavender of Russian selection, one can distinguish varieties Bordyurnaya, Voznesenskaya 34, Record, Stepnaya. Bushes are not only a design solution for garden plots. Varieties are beneficial in the industrial sector due to the high concentration of essential oils.
How to breed
The culture is also popular among summer residents because it is easy to breed on a site using all known methods of reproduction.
Seeds
This option is the longest, but planting material does not require stratification and gives amicable shoots. Lavender is sown from the first days of spring, using seedling containers. The container is filled with peat or sand, on top of which small lavender seeds are laid.
Seed cultivation
The soil is moistened, the container is covered with polyethylene and taken out to a cool room or kept in the refrigerator. When seedlings appear, further germination is carried out at room temperature.
Note! When 4 real leaflets appear on the sprouts, the plants dive. Seedlings are transferred to open areas in May.
Stem layering
Despite the uprightness of the branches, they bend perfectly. Having torn out the strongest shoots, they are bent away from the bush like rays, laying in pre-dug holes. The branches are pinned and sprinkled with earth. Regular watering is required to quickly root layering. Cut off from the mother bush in the spring of next year.
Cuttings
The most favorite way to grow lavender attracts gardeners with its simplicity. The procedure is carried out in June-July, acting as follows:
- shoots of the current season are cut off on an adult bush;
- take the middle part from them and divide into cuttings of 12-15 cm;
- pieces of shoots with the lower end are buried in the ground of the greenhouse;
- watered and covered.
From time to time the film is removed to ventilate and water the cuttings. In a month, the seedlings will have strong roots, a new bush can be moved to a permanent place by September.
Features of gardening
There is nothing unusual about planting and caring for the lavender of Angustifolia. The observance of the rules of agricultural technology depends on how magnificently the bush will bloom and accumulate aromatic ethers.
Watering
Lavender can withstand drought, but this does not mean that the plant does not need watering. If under an adult bush it is enough to add water when the earth dries out a little, then young plants need watering every 7-10 days.
Spraying
In hot weather, bushes may lack root watering. Lavender leaves also need hydration. Therefore, it is reasonable to install an irrigation system with rotating sprayers in the garden.
Humidity
Water is an important element in the development of culture. High humidity is harmful to the plant. Therefore, you should not choose under the flower beds of the lowlands where moisture stagnates. Areas and areas with a high occurrence of groundwater are not suitable.
Priming
The more fertile the soil, the better the shrub develops. Lavender does not grow on acidic and clay soils. To the best of calcareous loose earth suits her. Therefore, for a flower bed, it is necessary to prepare in advance a mixture of sheet soil, humus, sand, supplemented with mineral water.
Top dressing
In order for the bush to gain green mass at the beginning of development, it is fed with nitrogen fertilizers. At the time of flowering, they switch to a potassium-phosphorus complex.
When and how it blooms
Lavender flowers are irregular in shape, collected in false whorls and form inflorescences in the form of spikelets on the tops of stems. Corollas of flowers are colored in all shades of blue. They are pubescent and reach a diameter of 1 cm.
Flowering begins in the second half of June and lasts 1 month (in some varieties and longer). At this time, the garden is filled with a tart aroma that extends over a considerable distance.
Note! During flowering, sanitary pruning is carried out: wilted spikelets and dried shoots are removed. This stimulates the formation of new inflorescences.
Transplant after purchase and during reproduction
Lavender seedlings are usually sold in flower pots. If the plant was purchased in the spring, it can immediately be transplanted into the open ground, transshipped with an earthen lump.
In the shipping pot
They also do transplants when they share the old bush. Anti-aging reproduction gives delenki strength for new shoots and abundant flowering.
Additional Information! Despite the winter hardiness of the culture, some summer residents prefer to return the lavender to the pot in the cold and keep it at home until spring.
Possible problems in growing
Difficulties in caring for the culture of experienced gardeners do not arise. Beginning summer residents need to consider the growing conditions. Otherwise, you will have to face a number of problems.
Diseases when growing lavender
| Problem | Features |
| Wither leaves | Sometimes this is a sign of a lack of moisture or nutrition. If a pinkish or white coating appears, we can talk about Fusarium wilting. |
| Yellowish spots on the shoots | Over time, the formations acquire a gray hue, the stems turn black and twist, which indicates fomosis. |
| Brown and gray raids on inflorescences | The gray rot fungus appears in cold, wet summers due to a sharp temperature drop. |
Lavender flavors attract pests: spider mites, pennies, rainbow beetle. They fight insecticides, and also use a mechanical method of destruction.
Improper care of lavender will provoke diseases of the bushes. Therefore, it is important to observe the irrigation regime, remove weeds on time, loosen and mulch the soil, carry out sanitary pruning and rejuvenation.
