From bare ground to first harvest.

Lesson 1 · 3 min read

Sun, air & slope

Lavender is a sun plant. Give it full sun — at least 6 to 8 hours of direct light a day, and more is better. Shade means fewer flowers, weaker stems and more disease.

Air matters almost as much as light. A breeze dries leaves after rain and keeps fungal problems down. A gentle slope is a gift: it sheds water and lets cold air drain away on frosty nights.

• Avoid low spots where water sits or frost settles.
• Avoid ground right up against woods or buildings that block the sun and the breeze.
• Look for easy access — you'll be driving in with plants, mulch and harvest crates.

Lesson 2 · 4 min read

The drainage test

More lavender dies from wet roots than from cold. Before you plant, find out how fast your ground drains. It takes an afternoon and a shovel.

1. Dig a hole about 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide.
2. Fill it with water and let it drain completely. This soaks the surrounding soil.
3. Fill it again and lay a stick across the top. Measure the water level every hour.

Heavy clay isn't a deal-breaker. Plenty of Michigan lavender grows on raised rows over clay. The rows just have to lift the crown above wet soil.

Lesson 3 · 4 min read

Soil test & pH

A soil test is the cheapest insurance on a lavender field. Your state's extension service can test a sample for a small fee and tell you pH, organic matter and nutrients, with recommendations.

Lavender likes neutral to slightly alkaline soil — roughly pH 6.5 to 7.5 — and tolerates higher. If your soil is acidic, the report will tell you how much lime to add. Lime works slowly, so apply it the fall before you plant if you can.

Lavender does not want rich soil. Go easy on manure and high-nitrogen fertilizer. Lush, soft growth flops over, carries less fragrance and is more likely to be hurt over winter.

Lesson 1 · 4 min read

The two families that pay the bills

Most lavender farms are built on two groups:

Other lavenders — Spanish, French, woolly and more — are beautiful, but most are tender in cold winters. In the north, treat them as container or annual crops rather than field plants.

Lesson 2 · 3 min read

Start with the end product

Before you pick a single cultivar, decide what you'll sell. The product tells you the plant.

Lesson 3 · 3 min read

Hardiness & trial rows

Know your USDA hardiness zone and choose cultivars rated for it with a margin to spare. In zones 5 and 6, English lavenders and hardy lavandins are the backbone of most fields.

Plant a trial row of several cultivars before committing an acre. Your soil, wind and winter will tell you what thrives — and it only costs you a season.

Mixing early-blooming English lavender with later lavandins spreads harvest over more weeks, so you aren't trying to cut everything at once.

Lesson 1 · 4 min read

Spacing that fits plants and tools

Lavender can stay productive for a decade or more, so design for the mature plant, not the little plug you put in the ground.

• In-row spacing: about 18–24 inches for English lavenders, 24–36 inches for lavandins.
• Row spacing: wide enough for how you'll work the field — a mower, a tiller, a harvest cart. Many small farms use 4–6 feet between row centers.
• Headlands: leave room at the end of each row to turn around with equipment.

Lesson 2 · 4 min read

Raised rows, fabric & drip

The most labor-saving setup for a lavender field is simple:

1. Shape raised rows — they drain better and warm faster in spring.
2. Lay drip line down the center of each row.
3. Cover the row with landscape fabric and cut or burn planting holes.
4. Keep the aisles in grass or clover and mow them.

Fabric cuts weeding dramatically in the first two years, when young plants can least afford competition. Drip under fabric puts water at the roots — not on the leaves and not on the weeds.

Lesson 3 · 3 min read

Plants-per-acre math

The formula is simple:

43,560 ÷ (in-row spacing in ft × row spacing in ft) = plants per acre

Add about 5% for replacements. Then turn plants into starts: one 72-cell tray plants 72 spots. Try the field calculator to run your own numbers.

Lesson 1 · 3 min read

When to plant

Spring is the safest time in cold climates: plant after the danger of frost has passed and the soil is workable and warming. In West Michigan that's usually mid-May into June.

Fall planting can work in milder zones if roots get about 6–8 weeks to settle before the ground freezes. In zones 5 and 6, spring planting gives young plants a full season to root in before their first winter.

Plan backward: we recommend reserving your starts about six months ahead, so a late-May planting means ordering around Thanksgiving.

Lesson 2 · 4 min read

Plugs, pots or bare root

Shipping note: live plants in soil can't ship to AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, UT or WA because of state plant rules. Bare root plants are soil-free and can ship to those states.

Lesson 3 · 4 min read

How to plant

1. Water your starts an hour or two before planting.
2. Dig a hole just big enough for the root ball.
3. Set the plant so the crown sits level with the soil — never bury the stems.
4. Firm the soil gently and water in deeply.
5. Plant on a cloudy day or in the evening if you can.

In the first season, many growers pinch off the first flower spikes. It pushes the plant to build roots and branches instead of blooms.

Lesson 1 · 3 min read

Watering the first year

New plants need regular, deep watering until their roots are established — usually through the first growing season. Water deeply, then let the top inch or two of soil dry before watering again.

Drip irrigation is ideal: water goes to the roots and the leaves stay dry. Once established, most lavender needs little extra water except during real drought.

Lesson 2 · 3 min read

Winning the weed war

Weeds compete hardest in years one and two, before lavender fills in.

• Landscape fabric on the rows does most of the work.
• Hand-pull weeds right around the crown.
• Mow aisles before weeds go to seed.
• Keep thick wood mulch away from the crown — it holds moisture against the stems. Light-colored gravel around the base works well.

Lesson 3 · 3 min read

Feeding — lightly

Lean soil makes tougher, more fragrant lavender. Base any fertilizer on your soil test.

• Compost worked in at planting is usually enough for the first year.
• Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer. It makes soft, floppy growth that carries less fragrance and suffers more winter damage.
• If plants look pale or stunted, test before you feed — the cause is often drainage, not nutrients.

Lesson 1 · 4 min read

Pruning after harvest

Prune once a year, right after bloom or harvest. Take the plant back by about a third, shaping a rounded mound so rain and snow shed off.

• Always leave green leaves on every stem. Lavender rarely regrows from bare, woody stems.
• Finish major pruning by late summer so new growth can harden before cold weather.
• Skipping pruning makes plants woody. They split open in the center and die young.

Lesson 2 · 3 min read

What really hurts lavender in winter

In the Great Lakes region, cold, wet soil and freeze-thaw cycles do more damage than cold alone.

• Good drainage is the best winter protection you can give.
• Snow cover insulates plants — it's your friend.
• Windbreaks help on open, exposed sites.
• Keep heavy, wet mulch off the crowns.
• Frost cloth can protect young plants during hard cold snaps with no snow.

Lesson 3 · 3 min read

Spring wake-up

Don't rush spring pruning. Wait until new growth shows at the base and along the stems — often late April or May in Michigan.

Then trim dead tips back to where green begins. Some plants look dead in March and fill out by June, so be patient before you replace them.

Not sure whether a plant is coming back? Run it through the Plant Health Checker.

Lesson 1 · 3 min read

Timing by purpose

Harvest in the morning, once the dew has dried. Wet stems mildew; afternoon heat wilts them.

Lesson 2 · 3 min read

Cutting & bundling

1. Gather a handful of stems and cut with a sharp harvest sickle or pruners, a couple of inches into the leafy growth.
2. Bundle by a consistent count or size so you can price and sell evenly.
3. Use rubber bands — stems shrink as they dry, and string lets them slip out.
4. Keep cut lavender out of direct sun on the way to the barn.

Lesson 3 · 4 min read

Drying & distilling

Hang bundles upside down in a dark, dry, well-ventilated space. Darkness keeps the color; airflow prevents mold. Drying often takes one to two weeks — bundles are ready when the stems snap.

For loose buds, rub dried bundles over a screen and bag them for sachets or culinary use.

Essential oil comes from steam distillation of fresh or lightly wilted flowers. Lavandins give more oil per acre; English lavender gives a finer, sweeter oil. If you sell culinary lavender, follow your state's food-safety rules.

Lesson 1 · 3 min read

Pick your channels

Lavender can be sold many ways: fresh and dried bundles, loose buds, sachets and crafts, culinary lavender, oil and body products, bouquets, U-pick days and farm events, and plants.

Most small farms do best with two or three channels they can staff well. Start with what you can harvest, process and sell with the hands you have — then grow into more.

Lesson 2 · 4 min read

Rules worth checking early

Before you sell, check the rules where you live. They vary from state to state:

• Plants — many states license nursery or plant sales.
• Food — culinary lavender and baked goods may fall under cottage food laws or require a licensed kitchen.
• Oils & body products — labeling rules apply to cosmetics.
• Visitors — U-pick and events raise questions about insurance, parking and zoning.

Your state department of agriculture and county extension office are the best places to start. This lesson is general information, not legal advice.

Lesson 3 · 4 min read

Know your timeline & numbers

Budget for plants, fabric, drip line, labor, drying space and packaging. Model it in Field Economics — or play a few seasons in the Farm Simulator — before you buy a single plant.