Last summer I had a great idea to plant a wildflower meadow and have beautiful rows of deep purple lavender. Little did I know, lavender is not the easiest plant to grow from seed. After struggling with it the first year, I decided to do a little more research and try again. I changed a few things about how I started and cared for the seeds, and had much better results the second time around. If you’re thinking about starting lavender from seed, here are some of the things I learned along the way.

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Supplies for Growing Lavender From Seed

You don’t need a lot of supplies to start lavender from seed, but having the right setup can make the process a little easier. Here’s what I use:

• Lavender seeds
• Seed-starting trays
• Seed-starting mix
• Seedling heat mat
• Grow light or a bright, sunny window
• Small pots for transplanting seedlings as they grow
• Plant labels (especially helpful if you’re starting more than one variety)

First of all, why lavender?

I want to grow lavender because it has such a pretty purple color, it smells amazing, and I want to be able to dry the flowers to bring indoors. Lavender is also known for its calming scent… I can always use a little more relaxing. It’s a perennial, so with the right variety and growing conditions, it can come back year after year. I also thought it would be a beautiful addition to our wildflower meadow.

Choose the Right Lavender Variety

Before starting lavender from seed, do a little research to make sure you choose a variety that will grow well in your climate. Different types of lavender have different levels of cold hardiness, so check the growing zone for the specific variety you’re considering. Since I wanted my lavender to come back year after year, I needed a variety that could handle our colder winters. I also wanted something that would work well in the sunny, well-drained area where I planned to grow my wildflower meadow.

Will Lavender Survive in My Area?

Before choosing your lavender seeds, check the hardiness zone for the specific variety you want to grow. Some types of lavender are more cold-hardy than others, so choosing the right variety is especially important if you live somewhere with cold winters. Here is a map of the Hardiness zones for North America. With this, you can determine whether or not a certain lavender variety is suitable for your area.

 

When should I start lavender from seed?

Lavender seeds take some time to get established, so it’s a good idea to start them indoors well before you plan to move them outside. Where I live, our last frost is usually around mid- May, and I generally wait until the end of May to plant flowers outside. That means I start my lavender seeds indoors in late winter or early spring to give them plenty of time to germinate and develop before planting them outside.

How To Germinate LavEnDER SEEDS

Lavender can be slow to germinate, so be patient. Sow the seeds indoors in a seed tray filled with seed-starting mix and keep them consistently warm and moist while you’re waiting for them to sprout. I use a heat mat under my seed tray to provide gentle bottom heat. Once the seedlings begin to emerge, make sure they have plenty of light and keep the soil lightly moist without letting it become waterlogged. Don’t worry if your lavender doesn’t sprout right away. Germination can take some time and may be uneven, with some seeds coming up before others.

How should I care for the seedlings?

Once the seedlings emerge, give them plenty of light. A sunny window can work, but a grow light can be helpful if you don’t have enough natural light indoors. If your seedlings start leaning toward the window, rotate the tray every few days to help them grow more evenly. Water when the surface of the soil begins to feel dry, being careful not to keep the soil constantly wet. Lavender prefers well-drained soil and doesn’t like sitting in soggy conditions. As the seedlings grow, you can gradually prepare them for planting outside once the weather has warmed up.

Are there tips for  planting the seedlings outside?

n the spring, you can transplant the seedlings once they have developed a good root system and the risk of frost has passed. Before planting them in the garden, gradually acclimate the seedlings to outdoor conditions. Start by putting them outside in a shady, sheltered spot for a few hours. Over the next week or two, gradually increase the amount of time they spend outside and expose them to more sunlight. When it’s time to plant, choose a sunny location with well-draining soil. Water the seedlings after planting and keep an eye on them while they become established, but avoid keeping the soil constantly wet. Lavender generally does better in well-drained soil than in consistently damp conditions.

Growing Lavender From Seed Is Worth the Wait

Growing lavender from seed takes a little more patience than some other flowers, but I think it’s worth the wait. There’s something pretty satisfying about starting with a tiny seed and eventually having lavender plants you can enjoy in the garden year after year. Hopefully some of the things I learned along the way will help if you’re trying to grow lavender from seed too. Have you ever grown lavender from seed? I’d love to hear how it went.