Getting lavender seeds to sprout and grow takes a little bit of know-how, but it’s so rewarding! If you want to fill your garden with that amazing scent, you’ve got to start with the right sowing technique. Here’s my guide on how to start lavender from seed and care for those little sprouts in their starter pots.
Prepping Your Seeds for Success
If you’re planning to grow lavender from scratch, you’ll need high-quality, mature seeds. One way to get them is to skip pruning your plants right after the blooming season. If you let the faded flowers stay on the stem, they’ll eventually produce seeds. Just make sure to wait until they are fully ripe before harvesting. Of course, the easier route is just to grab a packet of seeds from your favorite local nursery or an online shop.
Here’s the secret trick: lavender seeds actually need a “chilly period” to wake up. In nature, this happens over winter, but we can fake it using a process called stratification. Just pop your seeds in the fridge for about two weeks to trick them into thinking winter is over and it’s time to grow!
How to Stratify Your Seeds in the Fridge
- Fill a small freezer bag with a little bit of slightly damp sand.
- Toss your seeds in and seal the bag up tight.
- Keep the bag in the veggie crisper drawer of your fridge for two weeks.
Lavender Loves the Light
Once your seeds are prepped and ready, there’s one super important thing to remember: lavender seeds are “light germinators.” This means they need sunlight to trigger their growth. If you bury them deep in the dirt, they’ll just sit there and never sprout.
When you’re ready to plant, take your seed-and-sand mixture out of the bag. Fill a starter pot with a well-draining mix of potting soil and sand. Spread the seeds (and the sand they were in) right on top of the soil. Give them a very gentle misting of water, and keep watering them sparingly as they grow.
Find a nice, warm spot at room temperature for your pots. Since lavender actually hates being too soggy, don’t bother putting a plastic bag or dome over the pot to create a “mini-greenhouse.” It prefers the open air. Now, just be patient—lavender can take its sweet time to germinate, but it’s well worth the wait!
