With lavender it is important to get the right time for a harvest. Depending on the variety, this point can appear as early as early summer. For the highest possible quality of the lavender flowers, it is also important that they are dried properly. Lavender bushes in the first year do not produce too many flowers, the growth usually only becomes really luxuriant from about the third year. Then you can win up to 10 - and sometimes even more - bunches of lavender per bush.

Harvest lavender before it really blooms

A lavender waistband is whatever fits comfortably in your closed fist. Lavender should be harvested before it has reached full bloom. You can tell when the harvest is right when 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 are best cut in the midday sun, as any morning moisture will have evaporated by then. Damp leaves in particular can cause the lavender to go moldy instead of drying out.

Lavender is pruned during harvest

When you harvest the lavender, you don't need to prune it afterwards - after all, it's one and the same process. However, you should not cut the inflorescences later than the beginning of August, because then the lavender needs its strength to survive the winter. Lavender pruned in summer often develops a second bloom, but in our part of the world lavender doesn't have time for this from August - the cut surfaces of the removed shoots then simply freeze away.

Harvest lavender properly

Proceed as follows when harvesting the lavender:

  • First, take a good look at your lavender plant. Where is the bush already woody, where do the green shoots begin?
  • Using a sharp knife or scissors, cut the stems just above the woody part, shortening the lavender by about a third.
  • The lavender is trimmed immediately so that it has an even shape.
  • Pruning is important to allow new flowers to form.
  • Lavender that has not been pruned becomes lignified over the years and produces fewer and fewer flowers.

drying lavender

To dry, tie the lavender into bunches and connect them tightly with a rubber band. Finally, hang the bundles upside down in a warm, dry, and most importantly, dark place - an attic or garden shed (€24.90) is ideal. Alternatively, you can also spread the stalks on grids - the only important thing is that the air can circulate well. The sun's rays must not be high, otherwise the sensitive essential oils will evaporate. Leave the stalk on to dry. The flowers are well dried as soon as they can be easily stripped off.

tips and tricks

Not only the flowers, but also the delicate lavender leaves can be used to flavor numerous, especially hearty, dishes. However, if possible, only use the very young leaves, because the older ones have a rather unpleasant, soapy aroma.

IJA

Category:

Herbs