Lavender Planting Guide for Growers – From Small-Scale to Commercial Operations
Why Grow Lavender?
Lavender is an adaptable and profitable crop, ideal for farms of any size. Whether you’re starting a small-scale operation or growing commercially, lavender offers multiple product options—from essential oils to dried flower bundles, culinary lavender, and more. With increasing demand both in the U.S. and globally, lavender farming is an opportunity worth pursuing. This comprehensive planting guide from Great Lakes Lavender Farm covers every step, from soil preparation to harvesting and distilling essential oils.
Understanding Your Soil
- Soil Testing: Lavender thrives in well-draining, alkaline soils with a pH between 6 and 8. Use an affordable soil testing kit like the Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest from Amazon or Home Depot to assess your soil’s pH and nutrient levels.
- Lime and Phosphorus for pH Balance:
- Apply lime from Tractor Supply Co. or FarmTek if your soil is too acidic (pH below 6.0). Lime increases soil alkalinity, which lavender requires.
- Use Espoma Rock Phosphate or bone meal from Gardener’s Supply to lower pH and add phosphorus, which encourages root growth, especially in alkaline soils (pH above 8.0).
- Drainage: Ensure proper drainage with French drains or by laying DeWitt Pro 5 Landscape Fabric. Secure the fabric with 12-inch Ashman Online Galvanized Staples for hilly or windy areas, and use 6-inch staples for flat fields.
Choosing the Right Lavender Varieties
- Lavender for Landscaping: Choose Lavandula angustifolia varieties like ‘Hidcote’ or ‘Munstead’ for compact, hardy plants, perfect for landscaping and smaller-scale projects.
- Lavender for Essential Oils: For high oil yields, select Lavandula x intermedia varieties such as ‘Grosso’ or ‘Phenomenal’, ideal for large-scale oil distillation.
- Lavender for Culinary Uses: Opt for sweeter varieties like Munstead or Hidcote, which are well-suited for culinary applications like teas, baked goods, and infusions.
Preparing the Plants – Potting Up for Success
- Propagation Plugs: Purchase 72-cell and 20-cell plug trays or bare root plants from Great Lakes Lavender Farm. Pot them up into larger containers like 3.5-inch or 1-gallon pots to strengthen the roots before transplanting.
- Potting Up Techniques: Potting up helps establish stronger root systems, crucial for field planting success.
- Timing: Pot up 6-8 weeks before planting, whether for spring or fall, to give young plants enough time to establish healthy roots.
Seasonal Planting Considerations
- Spring Planting: Spring offers rapid growth, but you need to ensure proper irrigation. Install a Drip Depot irrigation system to deliver consistent water without overwatering your plants.
- Fall Planting: Fall planting allows lavender to focus on root development before winter, reducing stress on the plants in regions with mild winters and wetter fall seasons.
- Plant Spacing: Space your plants around 3 feet apart if you do not want to create a hedge. Compact/dwarf varieties can be spaced closer while larger Lavandula x intermedia varieties may need to be spaced closer together.
- Row Spacing: Space your rows 5 feet apart to ensure air circulation and ease of maintenance, especially important for large fields.
Essential Weed Control Methods
- DeWitt Pro 5 Landscape Fabric: For effective weed suppression, use DeWitt Pro 5 fabric. This ensures your lavender plants receive all the available nutrients without competition from weeds.
- Staples for Fabric: Secure the fabric with 12-inch Ashman Galvanized Staples in windy areas or 6-inch staples for less challenging terrain.
- Weed Torch: Use the Bluefire 32″ Propane Weed Torch from Amazon to burn clean planting holes in the fabric, preventing fraying while maintaining the fabric’s integrity.
Irrigation Techniques for Optimal Growth
Lavender is drought-tolerant once established, but young plants require consistent moisture. Avoid overwatering, as it can lead to root rot.
- Overhead Watering: For the first year, overhead watering is suitable for 2-inch and 3.5-inch plants. However, after the first year, switch to drip irrigation to avoid fungal growth, especially during flowering.
- T-Tape Drip Irrigation: T-Tape Drip Tape is a cost-effective solution for small to medium-sized lavender farms. Ensure emitter spacing is 36 inches and provides 0.33 GPH. Purchase from Drip Depot or Sprinkler Warehouse for easy installation.
- Mainline Tube Irrigation: For larger farms, use 5/8″ or 3/4″ polyethylene hoses with 1.5 or 2.0 GPH emitters spaced 36 inches apart. This system ensures precise water delivery and durability for long-term use. You can find the necessary equipment at Drip Depot or Irrigation Direct.
- Watering Frequency: Once lavender is established, water only 10-15 gallons per plant per year, split into two or three deep waterings if natural rainfall is insufficient.
- Backflow Prevention: Install a backflow prevention device from Drip Depot to protect your potable water supply from contamination if it is used for irrigation.
Digging the Perfect Hole
- Hole Size:
- For 72-Cell Plugs, use a 2-inch power drill auger from Amazon to dig 4-6 inch deep holes.
- For 20-Cell Plugs, use a 6-inch auger from Home Depot to dig holes 6-8 inches deep.
- For bare root plants, dig 8-inch deep holes using the 8-inch Earthquake Auger, available at Tractor Supply Co..
- Manual Tools: Smaller farms can use a Fiskars Long-Handle Digging Shovel or a True Temper Post Hole Digger for digging planting holes.
- Commercial Tools for Large-Scale Farms: Larger lavender operations should consider a powered auger, like the Earthquake E43 1-Person Earth Auger, for faster and more uniform hole digging.
Planting Lavender
- Handling Plants: Gently remove plants from their containers and tease apart the roots to encourage outward growth.
- Bone Meal: Add Espoma Bone Meal from Amazon to each planting hole to boost root development and plant health.
- Watering: Water deeply after planting to help the soil settle and to ensure the plants are well-established.
- Mulching: Apply a light layer of mulch or gravel around the plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Lavender Maintenance and Care
- Pruning: For smaller plants, use Stihl Hedge Trimmers, while larger plants benefit from hedge trimmers with pole extensions, which prevent back strain.
- Watering: Once established, lavender requires minimal watering. Use the Drip Depot system to ensure deep, infrequent watering every 10-15 days during dry spells.
- Fertilizing: Apply Dr. Earth Organic Fertilizer in early spring to provide essential nutrients without overstimulating the plants.
- Pest Control: Use Dyna-Gro Neem Oil, available on Amazon, to control pests like aphids and spider mites. Apply in the early morning or late evening to avoid harming beneficial insects.
Harvesting Lavender
- When to Harvest: Harvest lavender for oil when 50-60% of the buds have opened. For dried flowers, wait until most of the buds are fully open.
- Tools: Use Corona Bypass Pruners or a sickle for harvesting larger fields efficiently.
- Drying Lavender: Hang lavender upside down using link chains and clips to ensure even drying and the preservation of color and fragrance.
- Distillation for Essential Oils:
- Small-Scale Distillers: For small growers, a Copper Brothers Copper Still is an excellent choice for producing high-quality artisanal lavender oil. Copper enhances the fragrance and removes impurities.
- Commercial Distillers: Larger operations can benefit from Vevor Stainless Steel Stills, which are durable, easy to maintain, and perfect for high-volume oil production.
- Copper vs. Stainless Steel: Copper stills improve oil purity and aroma, ideal for high-end oils but require more maintenance. Stainless steel stills are durable, more cost-effective, and better suited for larger-scale distillation.
The Business of Lavender
- Product Diversification: Produce essential oils, dried flower bundles, and culinary lavender. Create value-added products like soaps and lotions using Soap Making Resource Kits.
- Wholesale from Great Lakes Lavender Farm: Purchase wholesale lavender plants, plugs, and products for your farm store or larger-scale lavender expansion.
- Agritourism: Offer lavender festivals, U-pick days, and distillation workshops to attract visitors. For larger farms, offer experiences using Copper Brothers Stills or Vevor Stainless Steel Stills.
- Marketing: Build your lavender brand through social media engagement, direct customer interaction, and by offering unique experiences on your farm.
