Lavender
Start
Starting a Lavender Farm
Spacing between rows 5', weed cloth, between plants 1 foot, drip irrigation to prevent splitting, alkaline soil up to 7, look for species suited for your area, direct sunlight, well drained soil. Watering needs to be only minimal. Use of weed-barrier cloth for weed control is recommended.
Lavender Guide : Caring for Lavender
Caring for 'Grosso' lavender involves watching out for field pests who eat the roots, pruning each plant once a year and improving air circulation around the plant by clearing away sticks and leaves. Good air circulation and a minimum of 6 - 8 hours of sun per day helps reduce the chance of fungal infection on the lavender plant. Too much heat and humidity may cause fungus on the plant. Care for lavender plants with tips from a lavender-farm owner in this free video on lavender.
Lavender Guide : Planting Lavender
Planting lavender requires a Mediterranean-type climate with full sun, well-drained soil and ample room to grow. Plant lavender at least 24 inches apart with tips from a lavender-farm owner in this free video on lavender.
A short tour of some popular lavender plants with Bill Merrill
Choosing Lavender
Plant list
Mountain Valley in Oregon
https://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/herbplantlist.htm
Cross ref names
https://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/herbcrossref.htm
GUIDE FOR ORDERING
Mountain Valley in Oregon
https://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/herborderinfo.htm
Chart List
| Name | Zone | Size | When | Location | About | | Name |
| Lavandula 'Grosso' | 5 - 7 | 30-32" tall x 3-4' wide | mid-summer flowers | well drained soils | About abundant harvest, wands, sachets, potpourris, culinary use, honeybee | Lavandula intermedia 'Grosso' (lavandin variety, widely used for commercial productions of lavender oil) |
| Super French, Lavandula x intermedia 'Super' | Zone 5 - 11 | 30-32" tall Spread 36-48" wide | When | Location Well Drained, coastal | Drought Tolerant, Full Sun, Low to No Irrigation, Low Maintenance, Low Water Use, No Irrigation, Tolerates Light Frost, Tolerates Dryness, Wind Tolerant | | Bee Friendly, Rabbit Resistant |
| ENGLISH LAVENDER | Zone 5 | 2 to 3 feet | When | Location | Medium Purple | Lavandula angustifolia |
| Twickel Purple English lavender | zone 5 - 11 | Size: 12 inches (a dwarf lavender) | June and July flowers, in coldest climates | Very cold-tolerant | Some believe Twickel is a variety of a cross between L. angustifolia & L. latifolia (lavandin variety), and this cross is known as L. intermedia. The scent of Twickel does not have the camphor odor, whereas the Grosso lavender has a strong camphor odor. The scent is best when the plant is grown in poor soil (lacking fertility). Its strong fragrance is used for lavender-scented candles. | Lavandula angustifolia 'Twickel Purple'; aka L. angustifolia 'Nana Compacta' or 'Twikkel' or 'Twickle' |
| HIDCOTE LAVENDER | Zone 5- 11 | 18 inches | When | Location grows better where summers are in the 80's rather than 90's. slow growing. | Dark Purple | Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' |
| JEAN DAVIS LAVENDER | Zone 5- 11 | 18 inches | When | Location | Culinary, Dried Flower, Fragrant Ornamental, Medicinal pale pink flowered | Lavandula angustifolia 'Jean Davis' |
| Name | Zone | Size | When | Location | About | | Name |
| 'Willowbridge Snow' | Zone 6 - 11 | Size: 40 inches tall | When | Location | About: White-flowered Italian lavender;. This variety suffers when temperatures fall into the teens or stay long in the twenties. | Lavandula stoechas 'Willowbridge Snow' |
| Viridis Yellow | 8-11 | Height: 3 Feet | When | Location | Cream with Yellow Flower; attracts bees; prolific regenerating by seed; A variety (L'Her) of Viridis contains an anti-fungal oil (for topical use, at least), and it is adverse to Candida sp. | | Lavandula viridis |
Super French, Growing Conditions: Coastal Conditions, Drought Tolerant, Full Sun, Low to No Irrigation, Low Maintenance, Low Water Use, No Irrigation, Tolerates Light Frost, Tolerates Dryness, Well Drained, Wind Tolerant
doen to Zone 4
Pruning
Pruning English lavender.
You prune English lavender by cutting it back by two thirds in the second half of August, and you can cut into the bare wood, if needed (although it is best not to do so). New shoots will quickly appear at the base of the bush, and these will have enough time to grow and harden up before winter comes.
Pruning lavender is important in keeping a lavender plant producing the type of fragrant foliage that most gardeners seek. If lavender isn’t pruned regularly, it will become woody and leggy and produce fewer fragrant leaves and flowers. If you’re wondering how to prune lavender and when to prune lavender at the correct time, have no fear. All of this information is listed below.
Start trimming lavender in the second year that it is in the ground. Newly planted or very young plants need a chance to establish their roots.
After the first year you’ll need to prune your lavender every year. The best time for when to prune lavender is in the spring just as the new growth is starting to come in. At harvest, you will prune off two-thirds of this year's shoot. The goal is to keep the shrub compact. Either in the fall or in the spring, shape the shrub into a mound; leave one inch (1") of the most recent year's growth (cut 1 inch above the woody portion of the twig).
Start out with a sharp, clean set of pruning shears. Wipe down the blades of your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol or bleach to make sure all bacteria and potentially harmful germs are removed from the blades. Frequently clean the cutting tools, so that you do not spread germs from one plant to another.
In cold climates, one third of this year's new growth needs to remain on the plant through the winter. Most of this needs to be pruned off in the spring, and this will force the lavender to stay compact and it keeps it from going woody too quickly. Harsh cold winter winds may desiccate the outer portions of the one third growth remaining; these twigs serve to protect the producing part of the plant. Spring pruning is an important strategy to increase the lavender bloom, later in the season.
In milder climates, leaving one third of the growth through winter is not recommended, and spring pruning is not recommended.
Properly pruning lavender will help your lavender produce more and stay healthier and uniform.
The speaker in the second video is from Downderry Nursery.
OIL
How It's Made - Lavender Essential Oil 5:00 https://youtu.be/Cz_jYx4dF0U
Discovery and Science Channel's How It's Made Lavender Essential Oil episode.
Mike's Essential Oil still
Mike demonstrates how quickly and easily it is to set up and operate his essential oil still. Able to extract essential oils in a third of the time it takes other stills on the market. As it has been designed to work with essential oil extraction on a personal scale so even the hobbiest can use it, yet the speed at which it extracts the oils attracts "production level" attention. http://www.mikesstills.com/
How to make essential oil using steam distillation Watch as Laura explains the process of how to use steam distillation to make essential oil. In this video she uses juniper for the demonstration. 18:43 Basics small glas system
3 Methods
Distillation, Expression Extraction
How to Make Essential Oils, solvent Extraction
http://www.waysandhow.com Tutorial on how to make essential oil.
How to make essential oils: Strictly speaking, essential oils are not oils (they don't contain fatty acids), but highly concentrated plant essences. Everything that is good about a certain plant is basically reflected in its essential oil. 5:47
Cuttings
Propagating and Growing Lavender From Cuttings
http://www.growyourheirlooms.com Lavender has many wonderful uses. People use it for tea, essential oil and fragrance. I love the lavender plant for its shear beauty. The plant attracts lots of beneficial bugs to your garden. Propagating lavender is very easy. In the video I'll show you just how simple it is.
Alan Gray tells you everything you need to know to take cuttings from lavender! Thanks to Emma for asking us the question...if you have a horticultural conundrum you'd like help with, get in touch: Twitter: @getgardeningnow Facebook.com/getgardeningnow https://youtu.be/jR9g-B8_EnE
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