although it's not really scientific, for lack of numbers and the right control groups, i decided to do a little experiment on lavender seen germination. i started with two varieties, Burpee True Lavender and Munstead, though i think i got some of the seeds mixed up, so i wouldn't take that part as being important. my test conditions are: soaking in a paper towel for two hours/not soaking, freezing overnight in a damp papertowel in a ziplock bag/not freezing and planting on a damp paper towel/surface of the soil. all of the seeds end up in a shallow dish with 50% potting soil/50% sand under a 20w lamp, misted often then covered with plastic wrap. i started on June 11, 2015 with these groups: 1)10 seeds, wet for 2hrs, frozen and sown on soil 2)10 seeds placed on a damp paper towel and immediately frozen then sown on soil 3a)10 seeds, true lavender, sown on soil 3b)10 seeds, munstead, sown on soil 4)20 seeds placed on a wet paper towel for 2hrs, then the PT placed atop soil in bowl 5)20 seeds wet for 2hrs, frozen for a day then the PT placed atop the soil today, on the 15th, i have 3 sprouts from group 4 and 2 from the mundstead that were place directly on/in the soil. i'll update in two days - science, y'all, cause it works.
It's difficult to grow lavender from seed so you are doing well with the seedlings you are raising. I'm sure many of our members will be interested in your updates and seeing photographs of how they grow for you.
well, i'd like to encourage people to do actual experiments and post the results. citizen science, as it's called. i'm hoping some who read this thread will be interested, maybe we can set up the experiment together.
lavender likes it to be dry-ish to germinate. I have tried and tried and that was the best tip I got form someone. Keep it on the dry side.
that does seem to be the case - the ones sitting on a slightly damp paper towel, which probably dried out between mistings, are doing best. any advice on how to transfer a naked seedling to a pot?
Pick it up gently with your finger and thumb but do not pull if it is attached to the paper. Take a pencil and tease the root away from the paper after you have dampened it a little. Then pot it up.
i transplanted the sprouts today. for those in soil, i used a pair of reverse forceps (squeeze to open) with the tips bent so they don't quiet meet. dug around them a bit with a mini flathead screwdriver first. i had jiffypots prepared, 1/2sand+1/2PS, made a hole as you mentioned and lowered the seedling into it. the ones on the paper had grown through it, so i just cut around them and planted them with little paper dresses. the count now stands at: 4)20 seeds placed on a wet paper towel for 2hrs, then the PT placed atop soil in bowl - 4 sprouts (embedded in PT) 3b)10 seeds, munstead, sown on soil - 4 sprouts 1)10 seeds, wet for 2hrs, frozen and sown on soil - 3 sprouts, all i believe to be munstead for lavender, that's outright prolific. but there's not really a clear trend in the data. i'll try a new set of conditions with the next set. btw, if i grow these for a month or two then put them out, will they survive the winter?
Yeah, they will survive. I grow them outside my front door and they have been there for several years. They are pretty hardy.
