Growing Lavender

Become Skilled at Growing & Using Lavender

This course provides an array of information about lavender plant culture, varieties and harvesting practices. It is suited to people living in all sorts of climates since lavender is a hardy plant. Find out how to make use of this versatile plant whether for business or pleasure.  

• Learn how to Grow and Use Lavender Plants
• Correspondence course for the enthusiast or commercial grower
• Start a Business, Work in a Nursery or Lavender Farm, or pursue a passion

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • Classification and identification of lavender
   • general characteristics of Lanendula
   • resources, contacts (ie: nurseries, seed, clubs, etc.)
2. Soils, Fertilisers and Nutrition for Lavender
   • Soil structure
   • pH
   • organic matter
   • ameliorants
   • organic growing.
3. Cultural Techniques for Lavender Growing
   • Pruning
   • water management (mulching, irrigation, drainage, etc.)
   • planting and establishment methods
   • crop scheduling
   • no dig gardening.
4. Lavender Propagation
   • Propagation from cuttings
   • propagation growth media
   • other propagation methods,
5. Commercial Alternatives
   • Managing a Market Garden
   • standards
   • mulches
   • problems and their control
   • weed control without chemicals
   • economic outlook for herbs.
6. Plant Variety Selection and Breeding
   • Breeding and selecting new varieties
   • lavender clone selection for essential oils in Tasmania.
7. Building Plant Knowledge
   • Lavender types and other varieties
   • advantages and disadvantages of different varieties.
8. Harvesting, Postharvest Treatment and Storage
   • Harvesting
   • distillation and oils
   • post harvest preservation of fresh product
   • drying lavender.
9. Processing and Making Lavender Products
   • Lavender crafts
   • using herbs in cooking
   • selling herb products.
10. Marketing Lavender Produce
    • how to market your produce
    • considering your market
    • market research
    • selling successfully.

Aims

• Describe the plant naming system and classification of plants
• Discuss the nature and scope of the Lavender genus.
• Describe the nutritional requirements of the lavender species.
• Explain the cultural requirements of the lavender species.
• Explain propagating techniques specific to lavender
• Describe commercial lavender growing operations.
• Select species appropriate to the climatic and soil conditions of a chosen locality.
• Describe of a variety of lavender species and cultivars.
• Describe the production processes on a lavender farm.
• Describe various lavender products and discuss the way in which they are processed.
• Explain the processes used in the marketing of lavender products.

What You Will Do

• Prepare a collection of 20 different types of lavender in the form of pressed, dried, labelled specimens
• Compile a resource file of contacts relevant to lavender and lavender growing
• Contact a number of lavender related organisations for information on their activities in the industry
• Collect and test at least three different soil samples
• Identify and (optional) manufacture a potting mix suitable for lavender growing
• Collect information on organic and inorganic fertilisers from fertiliser companies
• Research information on machinery used in horticulture by contacting the companies that produce it
• Produce a no dig garden or an organic garden
• Manufacture a propagating mix for lavender cuttings
• Take lavender cuttings for propagation
• Contact a herb nursery to observe their operation
• Research irrigation equipment by contacting irrigation suppliers
• Cross pollinate lavender and grow the resulting seed
• Compare various types of lavender
• Harvest a number of different types of lavender
• Produce a small quantity of lavender oil
• Produce two non edible and one edible product containing lavender
• Visit a shop selling lavender products to observe marketing procedures

Lavender Can Be Grown and Used in Many Different Ways

Tips For Using Lavender

• A bag made from an open weave cloth and filled with lavender seeds will deter moths and other insects from your clothing and linen.
• In cooking, use the flowers to flavour bread, cheese, honey, and mustards.
• In the past, lavender oil was used as an antiseptic. Nowadays, it’s favoured medicinal use is to treat insomnia and relieve headaches and nervous tension, and also to soothe tired or strained muscles. While some herbs can cause allergic reactions in some people and can even be dangerous, most health professionals argue that lavender is safe to use, even during pregnancy. However, always seek professional advice before use.
• Sprinkle a few drops of oil over the pillow to promote sleep, or rub the oil directly onto the skin to soothe muscular tension.
• Lavender essential oil can be added to the bath or used in oil burners.
• Lavender water is made by adding lavender to alcohol. The mixture is then distilled and the preparation used for hair and scalp problems and as a treatment for rheumatism.
• Make Lavender a feature plant -as a topiary or standard

Growing Lavender as a Standard

If you like the idea of standard lavender plants (lavenders trained to grow as a ball on a stick), but you don’t want to buy an expensive one at the nursery, you can grow one yourself.

• Buy a small plant at the nursery, preferably in a 5 cm (tube) or 7.5 cm pot. Make sure the main growing tip is undamaged.
• Plant it in a larger pot and tie it to a strong cane to keep the stem straight.
• Pinch back the side-shoots as they appear, to encourage a single strong shoot.
• Repot, fertilise, etc. until the plant has reached the desired height. This may take a couple of years.
• Allow the leading shoot to produce several pairs of leaves, then pinch out the growing tip.
• Pinch out the tips of the new shoots that grow when they reach about 15 cm in length to encourage a bushy head to form.
• Keep pinching out the tips to maintain a dense, well-shaped ball, and rub out any shoots that appear lower down on the main stem.

WHAT YOU MIGHT ACHIEVE THROUGH STUDYING THIS COURSE

• Your knowledge and understanding of lavender will increase greatly.
• You will become aware of commercial career and business opportunities you may not have thought about previously.
• You will understand what lavenders to grow, how to harvest the plants, and how to produce different lavender products.

This is a course that can be of great value to:

• Lavender farmers
• Herbal Product Manufacturers or suppliers
• Landscapers, gardeners, horticulturists