Propagating lavender and enjoying one of the best dry landscaping plants in Spain
Early autumn is the perfect time to strike cuttings
Lavender is one of the most important staples of Mediterranean gardening, the glorious vision of idyllic stone cottages drifting in an undulating sea of fragrant lavender a favourite choice for lifestyle magazines worldwide.
Whilst the hills of Southern France and the shocking red of Tuscany have long been the choice of the discerning artist, Spain is also an important lavender growing country, and has long produced lavender for medicinal, cosmetic and distillation purposes.
Lavender thrives in the hot sun and poor soil of many drier Spanish provinces and grows wild on hillsides amd scrubby areas, wild lavender sporting an extraorfinary spiral form, stocky and resilient in the most adverse of dry conditions.
Lavender is an infinitely practical plant for this climate, requiring virtually no summer watering and available in a multitude of options which can give deep vibrant colour interest, or cover large blocks of dry landscape gardening, just requiring a severe haircut once a year to keep it under control.
Its also extremely easy to propagate, and grows very rapidly, a tiny cutting will be a rampant, flowering mound within a year, and now is the perfect time to strike cuttings which can be planted out by early spring.
Following the first rains of autumn plants which have rested through the hot months of summer and were cut back a month or so before the heat turned on are now thrusting out vigorous new growth, forming strong young shoots which are perfect for striking now in the early autumn.
Start off with pieces about 15cm long, which have a greenwood tip, soft and bendy, turning into softwood below, the softwood being slightly harder, yet still very fresh growth, cut from the plant with the cut just below the bottom set of leaves.
Strip off all the lower leaves, leaving the greenwood tip and the last set of leaves which are on the softwood stem, before the stem becomes bendy and turns to greenwood.
The soft green tip can be pinched out at this point, which should leave a stem with 2 sets of leaves at the top, or you can leave the tip on and pinch it out later if the tip wilts .Some types of lavender are more robust and the tip can remain in place, but others, such as the French lavenders ( delicate, feathery leaves) are more difficult to propagate and it is easier to pinch out the tips on these as they wilt at the slightest excuse. Its very soon apparent if the tip needs to be removed, and dont worry about doing it, as whilst the remaining cutting looks a bit tragic, it roots very quickly and starts to put on new growth.
Once the cuttings are prepared, dip the bottom of the stem in water, dust the bottom with hormone rooting powder and pot into damp compost, ensuring that the cutting is buried to just below the first set of leaves.
Sticks are then stuck in the soil around the cuttings to ensure that the cuttings are kept dry and don´t touch the plastic, then cover with a plastic bag to minimize evaporation.
The bag is usually on for around 10 days, within which time it is very obvious if the cuttings are going to take or not, and if the leaves show any sign of rot, the bag comes straight off, along with the damaged leaves.Keep the cuttings well away from sunlight and direct heat, but also avoid deep shade.
Great care needs to be taken when treating cuttings in this climate as cuttings placed carelessly in the sunlight can cook inside their plastic bags, so as a precaution make sure there is a little hole in the bag and place in a light position, but out of direct sunlight.
Expect to lose a few, so its sensible to put three in a pot and be prepared to end up with one plant. Lavender dislikes being moved or transplanted although can take if moved at a younger age, so if all three strike, two can be moved once roots are appearing through the bottom of the pot.
Cuttings can be taken twice a year, those which strike taken in May/June can be planted out in December, in the middle of the rainy season, and will flower in their first spring, then rampage into an enormous plant by the following year, or the autumn cuttings can go out in the early spring, although may need some protection through their first summer if the heat begins early.
Cut bushes back hard every couple of years, or trim lightly after flowering to keep plants lower and in better shape.
And the best thing about lavender is that goats and sheep wont eat it, and even the chickens wont cross a barrier of lavender, so it ‘s an excellent way of keeping those destructive chickens out of a garden without making the place look like a concentration camp
Dry community gardens benefit from block planting of lavenders, and the best varieties for each job can usually be found growing in large blocks on the banks of urbanisations or council roundabouts, always the most tolerant of the local climate and the gardening conditions which vary so much from one area of Spain to another.
Lavender really is one of the Mediterranean gardeners very best friends and now is the time to get out those scissors and plan to fill a few gaps in the drier zones of the garden for next year.