Lavender Facts

Description

Small evergreen shrub growing up to 3 feet in height and spreading 3 feet wide. Leaves are green-grayish, linear, opposite and approx. 2.5” in length. The tiny purple/blue/pink/white flowers appear on stalks up to 15” tall and bloom in summer, and some in the fall. The water intake roots can penetrate down to 10” on a mature plant, making them drought tolerant. There is much confusion due to popularity and long history of cultivation and breeding; consequently accurate identification is often difficult. Most of the oil (for products and soaps) is harvested from Lavandin, a naturally occurring hybrid of the English (L. angustafolia) and Spike (L. latifolia) lavenders. The finer English oil is used in perfume.

Propagation

Cuttings root readily especially if exposed to bottom heat and misting. Tip cuttings are done in late spring before flowering, or in late summer, depending on your climate. They will root in 4 to 8 weeks and be ready for transplanting in about 12 to 16 weeks. Cuttings will die en mass if temperatures exceed 95 degrees F. So, in northern California we root cuttings in the fall, once the weather cools off, and over winter in a greenhouse. Because of ‘frost heave’ (an uplift in soil caused by the freezing of internal moisture), we find it is best to root cuttings in a greenhouse during cold winter months. Otherwise, there is another job: replanting the starts that have been forced out of their cells due to the frost!

Planting

The threat of extreme heat must be passed before taking cuttings, because the cuttings will die en mass if in temperatures above 95 degrees. In northern California, the cuttings are taken in August. Fall planting of rooted cuttings is okay and even preferable in the dry, warm parts of the west, where they will develop roots during the wet winter and spring and be more drought tolerant by the next summer. Here in northern California, we find the best results when planting in February and March. Prepare your beds before the rains in the early fall. Fertilization is very simple using organic chicken pellets and oyster shell lime, and if you really want to boost them, you can give them some high fungal compost tea.

Harvesting

Flowers are harvested starting in the 2nd and 3rd years. Harvest is done at different times of flowering, depending on their different purposes (dried and fresh bouquets, sachets, essential oil). Full flowering lasts usually 10 days with the English (L. angustafolia) varieties, but much longer with the Lavandin cultivars. Yields are about 150 to 250 pounds of dry flower per acre for L. angustafolia and 250 to 300 pounds per acre of Lavandins.

Processing

Lavender can be dried, and then crushed to separate the flowers from the stalk, then forced through a screen for further removal of the stalks.Lavender is 80-90% water and takes 7 to 14 days to dry. Lavender is steamed distilled to get its essential oils. Distillation can be done with fresh or dried lavender/lavandin. The yields for essential oil are 1% for English lavender and 2-3% for the Lavandins, depending on the variety. This means that 120-130 lbs. of English lavender flowers must be distilled to obtain 1 lb. of essential oil; whereas with Lavandin 35 to 70 lbs. would suffice. Also, because of the English lavender’s lighter vegetable mass, an acre would yield 13-18 lbs., while an acre of the Lavandin produces 90 lbs. per acre – with top yields in excess of 180 lbs.

Selling it

While the market for lavender is dominated by the French, new world markets are expanding all the time. Dried lavender can wholesale for between $10 - $15 per pound for top quality product. Depending on the variety, essential oil can wholesale for $2-10 per oz. or $32 – 42 per lb.

Uses

Lavender has been called the “Swiss Army Knife” of herbs because of its many uses. Lavender is a beautiful addition to any perennial garden. Its flowers are pretty in an arrangement, lovely in potpourri and yummy in your kitchen as a culinary herb. Medicinally, while it is both anti-septic and anti-microbial, its fresh, clean smell also has relaxing and spirit-lifting qualities. The essential oil is specific for insomnia, burns, insect bites, headaches and general nervousness, as well as muscle spasms. Because it is multi-purpose nature and since its safe to use with children and adults alike, the essential oil has become one of the most popular used in aromatherapy today.

_{Sources
Medicinal Herbs in the Marketplace; Lavender: Fragrance of France; Lavender: the Grower’s Guide; Herb Growers Marketing Network; Sequim WA Lavender Collective, Festival and Conference.}