How to Grow Lavender From Seed

Lavender is a hardy Mediterranean perennial, but it is slow from seed, so start early and be patient. Sow indoors 8 to 12 weeks before your last spring frost, since the seeds germinate slowly and unevenly. For the best results, give the seeds 3 to 4 weeks of cold stratification in the fridge first, which mimics winter and wakes them up. In mild-winter zones you can also sow outdoors in fall and let nature do the chilling. Transplant hardened-off seedlings out after the last frost, once the soil has warmed.

Lavender seeds need light to germinate, so surface-sow them. Scatter the tiny seeds on top of a fine, well-drained seed-starting mix and press them in gently, no deeper than an eighth of an inch, without burying them. Keep the mix lightly moist and warm at about 65 to 70F, ideally under a clear dome for humidity and in bright light. Be patient: germination can take anywhere from 14 days to 6 weeks, and it is often patchy, which is completely normal for lavender. Once seedlings have a few true leaves, pot them up, then plant out 12 to 18 inches apart in full sun and gritty, sharply drained soil.

Lavender thrives on a little neglect. It wants full sun, lean, alkaline, sharply drained soil, and only occasional deep watering once established, as it hates wet feet and heavy clay. Skip rich feeding, since too much nitrogen gives you leaves at the expense of fragrant flowers. Prune lightly each year after bloom, trimming back about a third and never cutting into old bare wood, to keep plants compact and long-lived. In colder zones, a little winter mulch and a sheltered, sunny spot help it come back year after year. Climate decides how you grow it: English lavender is reliably hardy in about USDA zones 5 through 9, so gardeners across the Midwest, Northeast, and Pacific Northwest can leave it in the ground with a little winter mulch and a sheltered, sunny spot. In cold, wet-winter regions like the upper Midwest or New England, winter wet kills more plants than cold does, so sharp drainage matters more than any blanket.

Lavender loves the same hot, dry, sunny conditions as many garden favorites, and its fragrant flowers pull in bees and butterflies while its scent helps deter aphids, moths, and deer. These four make especially good companions, and you can add any of them in one click:

Harvest lavender for the strongest scent just as the flower buds show color but before they fully open. Cut the stems long in the cool of the morning, gathering a handful at a time. Bundle the stems with a rubber band and hang them upside down in a warm, dark, airy spot for a week or two to dry. Regular cutting also keeps plants tidy and encourages more blooms.

Cut lavender stems just as the buds show color but before they fully open, when the scent is strongest, then hang small bundles upside down to dry for sachets and everlasting bouquets. Tuck dried bundles in linen closets and drawers to scent them. For cooking, use culinary lavender with a very light hand, a pinch at most, in shortbread, honey, syrups, lemonade, and tea, since too much turns soapy. In the garden, leave some flowers standing, as the nectar draws honeybees and butterflies all summer.

• Slow, patchy germination: this is normal for lavender. Cold-stratify the seeds first, surface-sow in light, keep them warm, and be patient for up to 6 weeks.
• Root rot and yellowing: almost always caused by wet, heavy soil. Grow lavender in gritty, sharply drained ground and water sparingly.
• Woody, leggy plants: prune lightly every year after flowering, trimming about a third, but never cut back into bare old wood.
• Few flowers: usually too much shade or too rich a soil. Give lavender full sun and lean ground, and hold off on fertilizer.