dentata or L. latifolia (Spike lavender
Lavandula
Lavandula is a genus of 47 known species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the Old World and is found from Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, Europe across to northern and eastern Africa, the Mediterranean, southwest Asia, China to southeast India. Many …
Full Answer
Can you grow lavender in Ontario?
Two main types of lavender can be grown in Ontario - Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender) and Lavandula x intermedia (lavandins or French lavender) (see Figure 2). L. angustifolia will be called "angustifolia" in this factsheet to reduce confusion with other types and cultivars of lavender.
What is the Ontario lavender Association?
The Ontario Lavender Association (OLA) was established in 2010 to represent the interests of Ontario lavender growers. The Association's vision is to increase the demand for lavender in Ontario. Being a member of the OLA is a good way to work with other producers to enhance the industry and to learn strategies from existing growers.
Is lavender a perennial?
While lavender is considered a relatively low-maintenance perennial, it still needs proper preparation leading up to winter so that it can thrive. This is especially true if you don’t live in the traditional environment where lavender grows.
When should you prune lavender in Ontario?
Pruning lavender is very important for ensuring a healthy plant that does not collapse under the weight of the flowers during bloom. Experience shows that pruning is best done after flower harvest in Ontario. If there is significant regrowth, a second, lighter pruning can be done in late summer.
Does lavender survive winter in Ontario?
Lavender grows in zone 5, which is common in parts of Ontario. It can tolerate winter temperatures as low as -16 degrees C but this number would be affected by the amount of snow cover, wind and moisture in the soil. Lavender thrives best in full sun.
Can lavender survive Canadian winter?
How to Protect Lavender from the Cold Canadian Winters? You can prune the Lavender into late September and the first week of October. If you want to keep the plants outside, you can cover the plant to keep it protected from the harsh winter winds and keep out the winter moisture.
Does lavender come back every year?
Lavender is a Low-Maintenance Perennial And this beauty will come back to your garden every year, for about 3-5 years, so it's a great investment. What is this? Before you make any plant purchases, however, I want to remind you to always choose plants that thrive in your plant hardiness zone.
Can you grow lavender in northern Ontario?
latifolia (Spike lavender) are not hardy in Ontario. Angustifolia lavender is hardy to Zone 5. It may be possible to grow it in colder zones with winter protection and/or consistent snow cover.
How do you winterize lavender in Ontario?
If your plant will be inside for the winter, keep it in a cool, non-freezing location with sunlight and air circulation. Slow down watering of plants. Lavender prefers a dry soil, and the amount of rain that naturally falls will be sufficient for the plant.
Can I leave my lavender plant outside in the winter?
English Lavenders are cold hardy and can be left outside over winter. Non English lavenders will only survive winter in mild climates and need to be transferred into pots and brought inside over winter. Prepare your lavender for winter by pruning them into a mound shape that resists winter weather and tidy away leaves.
What does a lavender plant look like in the winter?
Examine the branches of lavender during the winter to determine if the plants have gone dormant. Dormant plants will turn brown along the branches, while non-dormant lavender foliage will remain green and may boast their characteristic purple flowers.
How do you cover lavender for winter?
If you don't get a good reliable snow cover, cover your plant bases with a well draining mulch, such as pea gravel, and/or cover the plant itself with a breathable fabric cover (like burlap or gardening blanket fabric), to protect from wind and freezing temperatures.
Should lavender be cut back before winter?
Cut back lavender before winter to create a tidy mound that will give structure to the garden over the coldest months. Lavender is an evergreen shrub, so it retains foliage year round. It's best to do your first prune before the fall, but hardier varieties can respond well to a fall pruning before the winter.
What happens to lavender in the winter?
Herbaceous perennials die back to the ground in the winter and come back to life with the bright, warm days of spring. Lavender (Lavandula spp. ) is a woody perennial, so it does continue to grow from year to year, but the stems remain upright through the winter in preparation for new spring growth.
Is lavender a perennial in Canada?
Lavender plants are the perfect addition to the lazy gardener's yard. Read how easy lavender is to add to your garden decor. Hardy noninvasive perennials, lavenders suit both informal and formal gardens.
Is lavender cold hardy?
Cold hardy lavender does actually exist. The English varieties can withstand temperatures of -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-29 C.) while the French can only withstand temperatures of 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 C.) or higher.
Does lavender flower all year?
It depends on the specific species or variety of lavender. Some will begin blooming as early as May, while others might not flower until July or Au...
How do you cut back lavender?
Cutting back, or “deadheading” lavender is actually much simpler than it sounds. Simply take a pair of gardening shears and cut back the spikes tha...
How long can a lavender plant live?
While most lavender plants can live at least 3-5 years, some species will go for even longer. With proper maintenance and care, you may see your la...
How long does lavender live outdoors?
Spanish, Italian and French (and all other species of non English lavender) will live for several years but they will only survive outdoors if they are planted in a mild winter climates such as those experienced in the Mediterranean region of southern Europe where temperatures rarely go below 50 ºF (10ºC ) at night.
Why are lavenders considered annuals?
However they are often considered annuals or treated as annuals by some gardeners. The reason for this is usually because the non English lavender species are not cold hardy and therefore do not survive winters frosts.
How long does lavender last?
Some lavender plants are often mistaken for annuals as they only last one season in certain climates or poor conditions. Lavenders however are not annuals but perennial plants that can live up to 15 years (depending on the cultivar) with the right care and protection over winter. Lavender is a semi-woody perennial sub-shrub ...
How long does it take for lavender to grow?
Lavender propagation is best explained visually so take a look at this YouTube video for an easy to follow guide on how to easily propagate lavender: lavenders are considered annuals as they can grow and flower in one year then die often due to the effects of winter.
How to stop woody growth in lavender?
To limit the woody growth all you need to do is prune the lavender every year. This will slow down wood from forming, extend the life of the lavender and stimulate growth that will support the seasonal, fragrant blooms. For more information, check out my article on how to prepare lavenders for winter. 3.
Why is my lavender spruce splitting?
Poor drainage is a problem for lavenders all year round but becomes noticeably worse in winter due to typically higher rainfall and slower rate of evaporation. Snow and ice can damage the weaker, more vulnerable woody base of the lavender causing it to split. The wood doesn’t usually rejuvenate.
Why do lavender plants die?
If the lavender roots are in cold damp soils then they will develop the fugal disease root rot and die after the first year, which can give gardeners the wrong impression that lavender are annual plants. 2.
Where does lavender grow?
Lavender is a bushy, strong-scented perennial plant from the Mediterranean. In warmer regions, its gray to green foliage stays evergreen throughout the year, and the herb thrives in some of the toughest of garden conditions. Here’s how to plant, grow, and harvest lavender in the garden!
When was lavender first used?
Lavendar’s first documented use was by the Romans in 77 A.D. for repelling insects and soothing insect bites. Add a lavender sachet to your towels, sheets, or cloths to repel moths.
What to do with lavender sachets?
Use your lavendar sachet to keep your sheets or towels smelling sweet, to repel moths and insects, and even under your pillow for a restful night.
How to store lavender?
Store them in a lidded jar somewhere cool and dark, or pop them straight into a sachet to keep towels, sheets or clothes smelling sweet and to repel moths.
How to dry lavender bundles?
Gather into bundles and secure them with rubber bands. Dry the bundles of lavender by hanging them someplace sheltered , ideally a cool, dark place where there is good air circulation. After a few weeks the flowers will have dried fully, and can be shaken gently from the stems into a lidded jar.
How to keep lavender plants from freezing?
Another option for cold areas is to grow lavender in a pot, keeping it outdoors in the summer and indoors in winter.
How often do lavender plants bloom?
Lavandins ( L. x intermedia )—a hybrid of English and Portuguese lavender (L. latifolia )—are generally larger plants that bloom only once per year, later in the summer. ‘Phenomenal’: Vigorous variety that is highly tolerant of heat and humidity and resistant to common root and foliar diseases. Long flower spikes.
When does lavender bloom?
• 'Hidcote Blue' forms compact plants with green foliage and deep blue-purple blooms that flower from June to August.
What color is lavender?
And lavender's not just blue – you can choose a plant that flowers in white, pink or pale purple through to inky, intense blue or violet. In a flowerbed, the blooming plants provide a cloud of hazy colour that softens the contours of leggy companions such as roses.
What is the best plant to plant in a lazy garden?
Lavender plants are the perfect addition to the lazy gardener's yard. Read how easy lavender is to add to your garden decor. Hardy noninvasive perennials, lavenders suit both informal and formal gardens. Mature lavenders form dense mounds of foliage, ranging from grey to green and from 30 to 60 centimetres tall – beautiful even when they're not ...
Can you plant lavender in a row?
Perhaps the best part? Once you plant lavender, you can enjoy its fragrance – and its flavour – long after summer is gone.
How long do perennials live?
Some perennials live for a few years while others, like peonies, can live for decades. Their hardy roots let them regenerate and return each season.
When was the last frost in Ontario in 2015?
As mentioned above the 2015 average last frost date for Ontario is May 9th, but below we outline average frost dads for various areas in Ontario: Northern Ontario – May 24th – June 10th (North of Sudbury) Kingston to Sudbury – May 5 – May 24th. South of Kingston until Windsor – April 15 – May 5th. You can see that this year’s last frost date is an ...
Table of Contents
Introduction
Marketing
The Business of Lavender
Sourcing Plants
Growing Lavender
Harvest and Postharvest
- Flower and bud harvest
Lavender typically blooms from mid-June to late July in Ontario. The timing of harvest will depend on the end use of the lavender. Fresh and dried lavender bundles, including those bundles that will be stripped for buds, are best harvested right at the beginning of bloom when the first buds begi… - Harvest for oil distillation
Harvest for essential oil production usually occurs after peak bloom but can occur later to extend the period the flowers are in the field for agri-tourism activities. Lavender oil quality will gradually degrade after peak bloom, but marketable oil has been collected up to a month after bloom. Ho…
Pruning Lavender
Conclusion