Content
- When can you harvest lavender?
- Harvest lavender before it blooms properly
- Lavender is pruned during harvest
- Harvest lavender properly
- Dry lavender
- Tips & Tricks
When can you harvest lavender?
Lavender is about getting the right time for a harvest. This point can, depending on the variety, already appear in the early summer. For the highest possible quality of lavender flowers, it is also important that they are properly dried. Lavender bushes in the first year do not produce too many flowers, the growth is usually only really lush from about the third year. Then you can win up to 10 - and sometimes even more - lavender bundles per shrub.
Harvest lavender before it blooms properly
It is considered a lavender waistband, which fits comfortably in your closed fist. Lavender should be harvested before it reaches its full height. The correct time of harvesting is recognized by the fact that the flowers in the middle of the panicles have already opened, while other buds remain closed. This is usually the case between mid-July and early August. Lavender flowers should best be cut in the midday sun, as any morning moisture has already evaporated by then. In particular, moist leaves can cause the lavender to mold rather than dry.
Lavender is pruned during harvest
When you harvest the lavender, you do not need to prune it - after all, it is one and the same process. However, you should cut the inflorescences not later than the beginning of August, because then the lavender needs his power to survive the winter. The lavender cut in summer often develops a second flower, but in our latitudes the lavender lacks the time from August - the cut surfaces of the removed shoots then simply freeze.
Harvest lavender properly
When harvesting the lavender, proceed as follows:
Dry lavender
To dry, tie the lavender into bunches and tie them tightly with a gum. Finally, hang the bundles upside down in a warm, dry and above all dark place - an attic or garden shed are ideal. Alternatively, you can spread the stems on lattices - the important thing is that the air can circulate well. The sunlight should not be high, otherwise the volatile essential oils evaporate. To dry, leave the stems still on it. The flowers are well dried as soon as they can be easily rubbed off.
Tips & Tricks
Not only the flowers, but also the delicate lavender leaves can be used to spice up numerous, above all savory, dishes. However, if possible use only the very young leaves, because the older ones have a rather unpleasant-soapy aroma.
IJA