Lavender Munstead Blue

What Lavender Munstead Blue is

Lavender Munstead Blue (Lavandula angustifolia) is a perennial herb of the Mint family (Lamiaceae). Lavender has been grown for centuries for its intensely fragrant flowers and beautiful appearance. It is a fixture of every sunny garden, and its dried flowers are widely used in potpourri and arrangements.

Fantastically fragrant and a winner in any garden, border or herb garden, especially as a mass planting.

Lavender is among the ten most-loved garden plants, both for its relative ease of cultivation, its beautiful appearance and fragrance, and, of course, its culinary uses.

Lavender is the symbol of the fragrant garden: for borders, dried bouquets, wardrobe sachets and oils. Attracts bees and butterflies.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 70%
• Pack size: 0.1 g
• Seed origin: Poland
• Sowing: April and May; seedlings
• Flowering: July – September
• Harvest: June – August
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow Lavender Munstead Blue

Lavender Munstead Blue seeds are sown in April and May. The plants flower from July to September. The harvest is gathered in June – August. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Lavender Munstead Blue

• Sowing method: seedlings
• Depth: on the surface
• Spacing: 40–50 cm
• Germination: 14–30 days at 15–20 °C
• Position: sunny spot

Sow the seeds in spring. Lavender seeds are very small and do not always manage to push through and germinate, so play it safe and put 3-4 seeds in each station/pot. Lavender grows best in dry, well-drained, sandy or gravelly soils in the sun. All types need little or no fertiliser and good air circulation. In areas with high humidity, root rot caused by fungal infection can be a problem. Organic mulches can retain moisture around the base of the plants, encouraging root rot, and gravelly materials such as crushed rock give the best results.

Cold stratification for 3–4 weeks in a refrigerator significantly improves germination. Plant in the sun in poor, chalky, well-drained soil; do not overwater.

Harvest and use

Cut the flower spikes when the first florets open, as that is when the fragrance is strongest.

Frequently asked questions

When should Lavender Munstead Blue be sown?

The recommended sowing months are April and May. Sowing method: seedlings.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 70%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.

Why do lavender seeds germinate slowly?

They need cold: keep the sown seeds in a refrigerator for 3–4 weeks, then move them to a warm place. Germination takes 2–4 weeks.

Does lavender flower in its first year?

With early sowing (January–February) some plants flower as early as the first summer; full flowering from the second year.