skip to main content
Software
Integrations
Mobile App
Expert Support
All-In-One Platform for Construction and Design
See Pricing
Schedule a Demo
Talk to Sales: (888) 316-4595
My builder uses Houzz Pro to plan the timeline and give detailed estimates and daily updates with photos of progress, and provide invoices at pre-agreed key points in the build. This made the whole experience much more efficient and stress-free.
Steve W.
Client of Cribbs Construction
Learn More
Ideas
Discussions
Houzz TV
Houzz Research
Sign In
Houzz Logo Print
Explore DiscussionsFeatured Home DiscussionsFeatured Garden Discussions
Oklahoma Gardening
chickencoupe1

Germinating Lavendar

14 years ago

I did it! *does a happy dance* I can't believe it! Only four days.

I read: "Place the seeds atop a moist towel and a plastic ziploc bag and put in a warm spot (like the top of a refrigerator)."

My frig top is full and dark so I placed it in a north window that gets sun (over my kitchen sink). We're not running the A/C so it's a steady 80 degrees or so.

I didn't have paper towels so I improvised with ... Eh hem.. apologies ... a clean feminine napkin knowing it would hold moisture well. I also did this for parsley (now germinating) and also for another I forgot which is. Why do I not mark these silly seeds? I spent two weeks desperately attempting to germinate sage as a highly desirable herb. All the while I had two sage seedlings growing well outside. ROFL!!

I realize the lavender may not grow true as the parent plant but as a newbie gardener to successfully germinate lavender? Now, if I can just keep from killing it throughout the process. I'll probably start some more as backups. I only have four seeds right now.

These are cheapo English Lavender herb purchased from Wal-Mart (Ferry-Morse).

I'm going to use this trick for many now. Baby diapers would work well, too. I'm getting the courage to try Rosemary again where I was successful before but watered too much not realizing Rosemary doesn't like to be wet. Lavender is pretty much the same?

Oh how I would adore lavender scent in my garden. I've the perfect spot for its requirements, too, upon a mound that stretches about 200 feet and stays very rocky and dry!

bon

Comments (2)

  • 14 years ago

    Bon, Congrats on germinating the seed. I've never found it hard to germinate lavender seed. For me, the hard part is finding soil that drains well enough for the plants to grow happily after they're transplanted. With our yucky old clay, I have better luck with it in pots that have a gritty soil-less mix in them than in the ground, even in raised beds. Even my raised beds hold more moisture during rainy periods than it likes. It should grow well for you up on your rocky area.

    Yes, lavender is a Mediterranean herb that prefers very good drainage and does not like to be too wet. Young plants will need a little more frequent watering than well-established ones because their root systems are so small, but be sure to give them less frequent, deeper watering and not very frequent shallow watering.

    I have better luck with L. angustifolia (Spanish lavender) than with English lavender in our climate, but Grosso does well for me here and so does 'Hidcote' as long as I can move the pot under the patio cover to keep it from getting too much moisture in rainy years. (Our rainfall here can be as little as 18-20" in a dry year, but as much as 48-52" in a very wet year, and the latter amount is too much for lavender.)

    I don't think that it is necessarily a disadvantage to have some variation in the size of the plants or the color of the flowers. (Sometimes, when grown from seed, you get both slight variation in the flower color and in plant size.) The plants are still pretty and look good and smell good. I guess if you were trying to grow a hedge and wanted it to look uniform, then seed-grown plants might not give you that look as well as cutting-grown ones would. But if you aren't trying to grow a hedge, I don't find that the variation in plant sizes or flower colors is an issue.

    I have one lavender plant in bloom right now in a container sitting next to the walk-in door to the detached garage, so we can inhale its luscious scent every time we are in and out of the garage (which seems like it is all day long some days to fetch the mower, string-trimmer, pruners, ladders, etc.).

    Dawn

  • 14 years ago

    OOh. That must be SO lovely. Just lovely! I hope ...

  • Related Professionals

    Tulsa Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Fort Collins Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Olympia Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Richmond Landscape Contractors · Joplin Landscape Contractors · Frisco Landscape Contractors · Aurora Landscape Contractors · Augusta Landscape Contractors · Escanaba Landscape Contractors · Portsmouth Landscape Contractors · Concord Accessory Dwelling Units · Grand Junction Accessory Dwelling Units · El Paso Accessory Dwelling Units · Idaho Falls Accessory Dwelling Units · Portland Accessory Dwelling Units
Related Stories
FLOWERSHerb Garden Essentials: Grow Your Own Fragrant Lavender
By Marianne Lipanovich
This do-it-all plant is ideal for almost any garden, and its uses are abundant around the home
Full Story
46
Sponsored
More Discussions
June Week 1 (tomorrow)
34
Second part of June 2026
33
August Discussion Thread 2026
53
October Discussion Thread 2026
45
November Discussion Thread 2026
11