Growing Lavender

Distance Learning

• Learn to Grow and Use Lavender; as a foundation for working with it   ....or perhaps to follow a passion
• Start a Lavender Farm, Produce Lavender Products, Start a business or build a career with lavender
• A very practical course read, propagate, grow, harvest, make lavender products, reasearch, all guided by expert tutors.

Lavender can be grown in most temperate and sub tropical climates; but you so need the right species for the right place; and if you want plants to live long; they need to be treated a particular way.

For the best commercial results, it may be better to have a temperate climate, relatively low humidity, and well drained alkaline soils.

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • Classification and identification of lavender
   • general characteristics of Lanendula
   • resources, contacts (ie: nurseries, seed, clubs, etc.)
2. Soils, Fertilisers and Nutrition for Lavender
   • Soil structure
   • pH
   • organic matter
   • ameliorants
   • organic growing.
3. Cultural Techniques for Lavender Growing
   • Pruning
   • water management (mulching, irrigation, drainage, etc.)
   • planting and establishment methods
   • crop scheduling
   • no dig gardening.
4. Lavender Propagation
   • Propagation from cuttings
   • propagation growth media
   • other propagation methods,
5. Commercial Alternatives
   • Managing a Market Garden
   • standards
   • mulches
   • problems and their control
   • weed control without chemicals
   • economic outlook for herbs.
6. Plant Variety Selection and Breeding
   • Breeding and selecting new varieties
   • lavender clone selection for essential oils in Tasmania.
7. Building Plant Knowledge
   • Lavender types and other varieties
   • advantages and disadvantages of different varieties.
8. Harvesting, Postharvest Treatment and Storage
   • Harvesting
   • distillation and oils
   • post harvest preservation of fresh product
   • drying lavender.
9. Processing and Making Lavender Products
   • Lavender crafts
   • using herbs in cooking
   • selling herb products.
10. Marketing Lavender Produce
    • how to market your produce
    • considering your market
    • market research
    • selling successfully.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Describe the plant naming system and classification of plants
• Discuss the nature and scope of the Lavender genus.
• Describe the nutritional requirements of the lavender species.
• Explain the cultural requirements of the lavender species.
• Explain propagating techniques specific to lavender
• Describe commercial lavender growing operations.
• Select species appropriate to the climatic and soil conditions of a chosen locality.
• Describe of a variety of lavender species and cultivars.
• Describe the production processes on a lavender farm.
• Describe various lavender products and discuss the way in which they are processed.
• Explain the processes used in the marketing of lavender products.

What You Will Do

• Prepare a collection of 20 different types of lavender in the form of pressed, dried, labelled specimens
• Compile a resource file of contacts relevant to lavender and lavender growing
• Contact a number of lavender related organisations for information on their activities in the industry
• Collect and test at least three different soil samples
• Identify and (optional) manufacture a potting mix suitable for lavender growing
• Collect information on organic and inorganic fertilisers from fertiliser companies
• Research information on machinery used in horticulture by contacting the companies that produce it
• Produce a no dig garden or an organic garden
• Manufacture a propagating mix for lavender cuttings
• Take lavender cuttings for propagation
• Contact a herb nursery to observe their operation
• Research irrigation equipment by contacting irrigation suppliers
• Cross pollinate lavender and grow the resulting seed
• Compare various types of lavender
• Harvest a number of different types of lavender
• Produce a small quantity of lavender oil
• Produce two non edible and one edible product containing lavender
• Visit a shop selling lavender products to observe marketing procedures

LAVENDER TYPES AND CLASSIFICATION

Lavender is perhaps one of the most popular herbs grown worldwide. Thousands of acres of lavender are grown commercially, particularly in Europe, for lavender oil which is mainly used in cosmetics and soaps. The plants are ideal for hedges, garden shrubs and topiary. Dried flowers are used in potpourri, sachets, and other crafts. Dried flowers are also, sometimes used in cooking (eg. to flavour bread or biscuits).

Lavenders are in the genus Lavandula - there are approximately 30 species of lavender, many subspecies and numerous cultivars. Lavender species are divided into the following 6 sections: Spica (also known as Lavandula), Stoechas, Dentata, Pterostoechas, Chaetostachys and Subnuda. The first four sections are those most used in horticulture generally.

Spica (also referred to as Lavandula section)
Cultivars in this section are shrubs usually growing to 36” or more but also includes some dwarf varieties. The former name ‘spica’ refers to the spike-like nature of the flower heads.

• Lavandula angustifolia syn L.vera, L.spica, L.officinalis (English lavender). A shrub to 1 metre tall; leaves linear lanceolate to linear oblanceolate to 5cm long to 6mm wide, whitish when young, becoming green; flowers approximately 1cm long usually purple.
• Lavandula alba   no botanical standing.  This is a white flowering variety of L. angustifolia.
• L. angustifolia ssp. angustifolia.
• L. angustifolia ssp. Pyrenaica
• Lavandula lanata
• Lavandula latifolia syn L. spica

There are many hybrids within this section.
L. X intermedia (hedge lavender) is a known cross between L. angustifolia and L. latifolia. This sub group within the spica section has many cultivars; the name Lavandin applies to these cultivars.

Note: When the parentage of a cross is known; you should always name place the cross breed name before the cultivar name ie. L X intermedia ‘Grey Hedge’. This is not the case when the parentage or one of the parents is unknown.
Lavandula X intermedia and L. angustifolia are the only two species recommended for culinary purposes.

Stoechas
Plants grow to around 90cm. and have broad round fertile bracts.
• Lavandula stoechas ssp. stoechas (Spanish/Italian lavender)
• L. stoechas ssp stoechas ‘alba’,
• L stoechas ssp. pendunculata - syn. L. stoechas ssp. cariensis,
• L stoechas ssp. sampaiana – a shrub to 1 metre tall; leaves linear to oblong – lanceolate; flowers usually purple.
• L. viridis 1m green/cream flowers, narrow green leaves

Dentata (sometimes included in Stoechas)
Plants have toothed leaf margins, inflorescence have reduced sterile bracts compared with stoechas. Spikes are elongated and sterile bracts appear about 1/3rd of the way down the spike.
• Lavandula dentata (French lavender) - a shrub between 30cm and 1 metre; Grey green linear oblong leaves crenately toothed to pectinate pinnatifid; purple flowers.
• L. dentata var. candicans

Pterostoechas
This less commonly grown group is distinguished by "winged flower spikes".
Shrubs have heavily branched stems. The flower spike is compact and usually without stems.
• Lavandula multifida – a shrub to 70cm, grey tomentose, leaves pinnately or 2 pinnately dissected, to 1.5 inches long; flowers blue violet.
• L. canariensis
• Lavandula pinnata – a shrub to 1 metre tall, leaves pinnate, to 5cm long; flowers lavender colour.
• L. pubescens
• L. abrotanoides

There are also some intersectional crosses i.e. Lavandula x allardii, L. x heterophylla.
Note: Lavandula X allardii  (Mitcham lavender) is thought to be across between L. latifolia and L. dentata.

Chaetostachys
This section, plants of which are not very common in cultivation, consists of herbaceous plants with branched peduncles and spikes. Stems and leaves are thick and do not resemble other species of lavender.
• L. bipinnata
• L. gibsonii.

Subnuda
A rarely cultivated section; Plants are herbaceous; the fertile bracts are alternate or spiral in arrangement. Adult plants are often devoid of leaves.
The following are the three most important species in this section.
• L. subnuda
• L. macra
• L. aristibracteata

 Why study here? ....ACS is different in many ways

• Established since 1979, Internationally recognised (IARC)
• Support from an international team of highly qualified herb experts
• Courses are continually reviewed and revisions are happening every month of the year
• Courses are "experiential" based learning (This is different to many other schools)
• Member of International Herb Association since the 1980's
• Course developed by a team of more than a dozen herb experts (horticulturists and natural therapists) from the UK and Australia, headed by our principal, John Mason, FIOH, FAIH; author of several herb books, with over 40 years involvement with herbs.

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

Why Choose This Course

• Unique course materials (developed by our staff) and more current than some colleges (many reviewed annually); as a result, ACS graduates can be more up to date.
• We work hard to help you understand and remember it, develop an ability to apply it in the real world, and build networks with others who work in this field (It’s more than just serving up a collection of information –if all you want is information, buy a book; but if you want an education, that takes learning to a whole new level).
• Start whenever you want, study at your own pace, study anywhere
• Don’t waste time and money traveling classes
• We provide more choices–courses are written to allow you more options to focus on parts of the subject that are of more interest to you; a huge range of elective subjects are offered that don’t exist elsewhere.
• Tutors are accessible (more than elsewhere) – academics work in both the UK and Australia, 5 days a week, 16 hours a day. Answering emails and phone calls from students are top priority.
• We treat students as individuals –don’t get lost in a crowd. Our tutors communicate with you one to one.
• Extra help at no extra cost if needed. When you find something you cannot do, we help you through it or will provide another option.
• Support after you finish a course –We can advise about getting work, starting  business, writing a CV, etc. We can promote students and their businesses through our extensive profile on the internet. Graduates who ask will be helped.
• Support from a team of a dozen professional horticulturists, living in different parts of the UK, and in both temperate and tropical climate zones of Australia.

About ACS

ACS was started in 1979 by John Mason, who at the time was a gardening author, horticultural consultant and lecturer in horticulture at several colleges across Melbourne (in Australia).  Over the summer that year John discovered that there were thousands of applicants going to be turned away from horticulture courses at Burnley Horticultural College (now Melbourne University). There were simply too few courses being offered for the number of people wanting to study horticulture in Australia. This situation prompted a move to establish a correspondence course at Burnley; but after months of unsuccessful lobbying for support from government; John wrote a course, and with help from a colleague at Council of Adult Education, marketed it.

Standards were originally set in line with what were seen to be the standards of Australia's top horticultural college; and over the years, those standards have never been reduced. This makes our courses longer and more demanding than some other colleges; but it has also led to us building a credibility that stands tall in the horticulture industry across the world. 

In the early 1990's John started visiting the UK and becoming involved with the horticulture industry there. Around the mid 1990's ACS began offering RHS courses, and in 2003, John was formally recognised for his contribution to British Horticulture by being made a fellow of the Institute of Horticulture. ACS, as a school, established an office and staff in the UK in 2001, and has expanded considerably since then. Today it is formally affiliated with five other colleges in the UK (including Warwickshire College); all of who license and deliver ACS courses. 

A team of leading horticulturists work for the school's horticulture department, including 12 faculty members in both the UK and Australia

How You Study

• As soon as you enroll, we send an email to explain it all.
• We direct you to a short orientation video (downloadable over the internet) to watch, where our principal introduces you to how the course works, and how you can access all sorts of support services
• You are either given a code to access your course online, or sent out a CD or course materials through the mail (or by courier).
• Work through lessons one by one, each lesson typically having four parts:
• An aim -which tells you what you should be achieving in the lesson
• Reading -notes written and regularly revised by our academic staff
• Set Task(s) -These are practicals, research or other experiential learning tasks that strengthen and add to what you have been reading
• Assignment -By answering questions, submitting them to a tutor, then getting feedback from the tutor, you confirm that you are on the right track, but more than that, you are guided to consider what you have been studying in different ways, broadening your perspective and reinforcing what you are learning about
• Other - Your work in a course rarely stops at just the above four parts. Different courses and different students will need further learning experiences. Your set task or assignment may lead to other things, interacting with tutors or people in industry, reviewing additional reference materials or something else. We treat every student as an individual and supplement their learning needs as the occasion requires.
• We provide access to and encourage you to use a range of supplementary services including an online student room, including online library; student bookshop, newsletters, social media etc.
• We provide a "student manual", that is a quick solution to most problems that might occur

Recognition

• ACS has a highly respected international profile: by employers and academics alike. People are more aware of us than many other distance education schools –just do a search for “horticulture distance education courses” and see what comes up on the internet; or search for ACS Distance education on Facebook or Linked in, and see how many connections we have compared to other colleges.
• Recognised by International Accreditation and Recognition Council
• ACS has been educating people around the world since 1979
• Over 100,000 have now studied ACS courses, across more than 150 countries
• Formal affiliations with colleges in five countries
• A faculty of over 40 internationally renowned academics –books written by our staff used by universities and colleges around the world.

Extra Books or Reference Materials

• The course provides you with everything that you need to complete it successfully.
• Assignments may ask you to look for extra information (eg. by contacting nurseries, visiting gardens or searching the internet), but our school's resources and tutors are always available as a back up. If you hit a "roadblock", we can quickly send you additional information or provide expert advice over the phone or email; to keep you moving in your studies.
• Some students choose to buy additional references, to take their learning beyond what is essential for the course. If a student wants to buy books, we operate an online bookshop offering ebooks written by staff at the school. Student discounts are available if you are studying with us. The range of e books available is being expanded rapidly, with at least one new ebook being written and published by our staff every month. See www.acsebook.com

Learn How to Grow Lavender Plants by Home Studies -Garden School Training Program -UK College