Grow Lavender From Seed for a Fragrant Home and Garden

Lavender is a hardy perennial in its native areas. Once established, this beautiful perennial herb is drought and heat tolerant.

A healthy lavender plant will easily grow for five to 10 years. 

However, growing lavender from seed requires a little patience. If you are used to quick sprouting seeds, you may wonder, “Why isn’t my lavender sprouting?” 

Lavender seeds know how to conserve energy. They wait for the right environment before they use all that potential for growing. These smart little seeds will wait for winter to be over before they send out new growth. 

So to successfully germinate lavender seeds, we have to mimic nature.

There are two simple ways to replicate nature and increase lavender seed germination - Cold Stratification and Winter Sowing.

Cold stratifying is a way to force a winter season. To mimic winter, sprinkle lavender seeds onto a wet paper towel. Make sure the seeds are spread apart. Fold the towel and place it in a plastic bag. Then put the bag in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks. Once the seeds have had their winter season, there are a couple of ways that you can get them to germinate. 

Option 1 is to place the plastic bag of seeds in a warm and sunny location. Once the seeds start sprouting, carefully take them off the paper towels and place the sprouts into the soil. Keeping the top green leaves above ground. 

Option 2 is to take the cold seeds and plant them directly into pots. Just barely cover the seeds with soil. This is important. Lavender seeds need light, and if they are buried too deep, they won’t come up. Only 1/8” is needed. You can even just press them lightly into the soil. And then, be patient. Lavender seeds can take 18 to 28 days to germinate. And they won’t all sprout at the same time. 

In addition to cold stratification, the other way to replicate nature and increase lavender germination is to use the winter sowing method. This method lets you put seeds out in the coldest part of winter while still protecting the seeds. 

You can also plant lavender directly into the soil in the fall and wait for it to sprout in the spring. Just remember to mark where you put the seeds, so you don’t mistake them for weeds.

Once the seeds have sprouted, they need to stay warm and have lots of light. Grow lights can help. They need to be close, so hang them just a few inches above the seedlings. To keep lavender seedlings warm, place them near a heater or use a heating mat for a soil temperature between 70 and 80 degrees. 

Although lavender grows well in arid climates, the seeds and seedlings need to stay moist until a more mature root system has developed. To keep in moisture, place clear plastic film or a dome over the pots. 

Lavender seedlings can be transplanted outdoors when they are around 3 inches high and all danger of frost has passed. First, acclimate them to outside temperatures. This hardening-off period will help them adjust to life outside. 

Once outside, lavender thrives in a hot, arid climate. Make sure you have well-drained, moderately fertile soil and a sunny location. Full sun of 10 hours a day is optimal. 

Lavender doesn’t need a lot of nutrients and doesn’t like clay or heavy soil. Use sandy, light soil that drains well. In humid locations, make sure to give your lavender plants enough room for good air circulation. 

Lavender can grow well in a xeriscape design. Consider planting in a rock garden with other Mediterranean herbs with similar growing conditions. Sage, rosemary, oregano, and thyme are all good companion plants for lavender. 

Since lavender repels pests from brassicas, it’s also a good companion plant for cabbage and broccoli.

Containers are also a good choice as long as they drain well. Growing lavender in pots allows you to bring plants inside if you live in colder climates.