About Lavender Cultivation:
- Lavandula (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.
- It is a small, perennial aromatic herb shrub.
- Appearance: The flowers may be blue, violet or lilac in the wild species, occasionally blackish purple or yellowish.
- These flowers grow in temperate areas and are drought-resistant crops.
- A single lavender plant bears flowers for up to 15 years, requires minimal maintenance, and can be harvested from the second year onward.
- It is a crop native to Europe but was introduced in the temperate regions of Jammu &Kashmir state by the CSIR Aroma Mission.
- Propagation: Propagation of lavender can be done by seeds, rooted cuttings, tissue culture, and layering.
- Required climatic conditions:
- Climate: It is a hard and temperate plant that can tolerate drought and frost conditions. The ideal climatic conditions are cool winters and cool summers.
- It requires a good amount of sunlight.
- Soil: It can grow well in light well-aerated soil rich with organic matter. It grows best in neutral to alkaline soil which is free draining.
- It is very sensitive to waterlogging however can go well with poor or eroded soil.
- Rainfall: It can produce well with an annual rainfall range from 300 to 1400 mm per year.
- Applications: Food and flavouring, Pharmaceutical and therapeutic, Cosmetic, and Industrial purposes etc.
