How to Grow Lavender From Cuttings

You may be familiar with lavender as an essential oil, but did you know you can grow it yourself? Learn how to grow lavender from cuttings here.

Lavender is a perennial flowering plant that has a long history of use in herbal medicine. Lavender is native to Europe and grows best in a Mediterranean-type climate with hot summers and mild winters. It has been used for culinary and medicinal purposes since ancient times. The Greeks were noted for their use of lavender oil as a perfume, and Roman soldiers wore lavender garlands to protect them from the harsh winter weather.

Can lavender be grown from cuttings?

Yes, lavender can be grown from cuttings. You may find that it takes longer to produce a crop than you’re used to, but if you start with healthy cuttings and give them some time, you’ll eventually have beautiful lavender blooms!

What should I expect when I take a cutting?

Cuttings will form roots within a week or two of being removed from the mother plant, and this time period is ideal for starting your new rosemary plant.

The best cuttings are taken in late fall and early spring before the plants begin to flower.

A good rule of thumb is to take the top 5-6 inches of stem on your rosemary plant, because these tend to grow roots the quickest.

How can I make sure my rosemary cuttings don’t dry out?

Many of us don’t water our rosemary cuttings, but it’s a good idea to wet the soil around the cutting every day. This will help the cuttings get a good start and encourage root formation.

Rosemary is one of the most drought tolerant plants you can grow

How to grow lavender from cutting

This is a great technique if you want to save a single plant for its fragrance and do not want to plant it in the ground. You can also use this method to propagate plants such as basil in the fall to grow again in spring.

Lavender is often grown from cuttings because it has a long flowering period. Make sure to keep the cuttings clean and moist. To do so, wrap the bottom of the cuttings in moist paper towels and set them in a tray of water.

Place the tray near a sunny window and let the cuttings air dry for a day or so. Once cuttings appear to be almost dry, remove from water and allow to dry further on the plant. You want the leaves to stay attached to the stems. If you notice leaves loosening and falling off, you may have used too much water.

Remove the lower leaves. You can clip or pinch them off or, with lavender, they easily come free by running your fingers down the branch.

Insert the cuttings into holes that are about half an inch wide, then fill the hole with soil. You should be able to get two to three cuttings into each hole. The plant’s growth will depend on its natural tendency, but be sure to give it enough room to develop roots and stems.

Keep the cuttings well watered until they root. A healthy cutting is easily recognizable when it starts to show the first signs of roots; that is, a little ball of soil starting to form. Once the roots are long enough to support the cutting, place the plants in a sheltered spot with bright light and lots of moisture.

After the initial rooting, you can use a plastic cup or small saucer to help hold the cutting in place. Be sure the cup is large enough for the cutting to grow into. Place the cup around the plant’s root ball, then place a second layer of plastic on top of the first to keep the cuttings in place.

You’ll need to repot your cuttings into bigger pots after they start producing flowers, but do this gradually. Don’t add too much soil, because you want to keep the plants compact and bushy.

To start your lavender from cuttings every year, take a piece of lavender from your previous year’s crop, and grow new cuttings from it. You can use any part of the plant.

Be aware of the fact that your lavender cuttings may flower more quickly than the parent plant, but the cuttings will continue to produce flowers for a longer period of time.