Sowing lavender
Lavender seeds germinate slowly. They usually take between 2 and 4 weeks to germinate, although the latecomers can wait until 2 or 3 months before germinating. The number of seeds which germinate can vary. Several factors influence the time and the rate of germination, of which the culture conditions. The seeds of lavender need a damp and warm environment to germinate but also special care, love and patience.
Soaking seeds & preparation
Soaking the seeds during 24 hours into a small bowl of warm water can accelerate their germination.
Use a 10 cm pot (4 inches). Your pot must be new or disinfected and provided with several drainage holes. Fill the pot with the growing media or sowing compost of your choice. Put aside 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of growing media or dry compost. Dip the pot or planter into warm water, until its content is wet.
Sowing
Place the seeds in the palm of your hand. Take a few seeds at the time with a small spatula or your fingers and scatter them on your growing media’s surface. Cover the seeds with 15 ml of the growing media that you put aside. Tap the surface with your fingertips to make sure that seeds are mixed with the compost or growing media. Write down the sowing date on a stick or on your pot. Cover with a wet newspaper or a dark plastic bag.
Care
Install your pot or planter in a warm place 20 °C day and night. You can also place it directly on a source of heat which will warm it from under. Uncover the pot every morning and every evening to aerate and verify the evolution of the seeds. If the compost is dry, spray warm water on it. As soon as the first plants appear, remove the newspaper or bag permanently and place it in light position – 12 hours a day.
Transplantation
When the first two real leaves appear – over the cotyledons which grew first – transplant carefully in individual pots. Wait in June to transplant outside your 12 to 16 weeks old plantation.