Growing Lavender From Seeds

Prep the soil for seed sowing

• Fill your container with the seed-starting mix and wet it thoroughly.
  • Seed-starting mixes are usually dry. I often put some in a plastic tub, add water and stir the soil so it absorbs water faster.
• Add moistened soil to the container. You don’t need a lot; 1-1/2- to 2-in. of soil will work just fine.
  • If reusing a plastic container without drainage holes, carefully cut or punch small holes in the bottom.
  • I like small flat containers, the kind for growing microgreens.

Scatter and press seeds

• Scatter lavender seeds across the surface of the soil, then gently press them into it. Lavender seeds are tiny and barely need to be covered.
• Lightly spray the surface with water with a spray bottle or a sink spray nozzle.
  • I sow lavender seeds this way because germination can sometimes be spotty. I don’t want to put seeds in individual containers and be disappointed if they don’t germinate.

Add a label and cover the container

• Write the variety of lavender on a label and stick it on the container.
• Cover the container with a clear plastic lid and place it under the grow lights.
  • If using a recycled plastic container with no lid, put it inside a plastic bag. You don’t want the surface of the soil to dry out.

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Remove cover when seeds germinate

• Remove the cover once the lavender seeds germinate, but keep the seedlings under the grow lights.
  • It may take two to four weeks for lavender seeds to germinate, but eventually you’ll see little seedlings.
• Water gently as needed to avoid washing out the seedlings.

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Transplant seedlings to individual containers

• Transplant the lavender seedlings to individual containers with drainage holes once they grow their first true leaves, which will look less rounded than the first seed leaves. I use a seed starting tray with individual cells for this.
  • Fill the containers with potting soil.
  • Carefully dig out and separate the seedlings with a small dibbler tool made for handling seedlings. You can also use a small popsicle stick for this.

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• • Make a small hole in the soil of the container you’re transplanting into. Insert the seedling, then gently press the soil around the roots.

• Continue to keep the seedlings under grow lights. Be careful not to overwater them. Water when the top of the soil feels dry,
  • At this point, you can also add a general purpose fertilizer, diluted to half-strength.

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Harden off plants before putting outside

• Move your seedlings outside once temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees at night. Be sure to harden them off first.
  • Keep in mind that once outside, seedlings will dry out faster than indoors.
• You may want to transplant them one more time to larger containers to continue to grow before planting that long row of lavender you dreamed of.
  • Do this when you see roots growing out of the bottom of the container.
  • Transplant as you would any other small seedling.

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Planting and maintenance of lavender seedlings

Lavender grows best in full sun with well-drained soil. When you plant your seedlings in the ground, don’t mulch them; that may keep the ground too wet. Give them the equivalent of an inch of rain a week while they’re becoming established.

Also, you don’t have to plant them first thing in the spring. It’s fine to let them grow a bit in their pots. But remember to plant them no later than six to eight weeks before your predicted first frost, giving them time to become established before cold weather returns.

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