Doesn’t lavender have the most beautiful fragrance of all? Relaxing, therapeutic, and of a vibrant, even spiritual shade, the flowers of this shrub have been grown and harvested for millennia to make soaps, perfumes, essences and to heal our stress. With a massive floral display, loved by pollinators, it may feel like a pity to pick the blossoms; but it is worthwhile, so you can preserve the scent and essential oils of this literally magic Mediterranean classic.
But how do you harvest lavender blooms? And how do you dry them? And when? If you want to save the essence of your Lavandula shrubs, extract it, or maybe make your own relaxing soap, here’s what you need to do.
Choose the Right Lavender Variety
First of all, you need to grow the right variety of lavender for your purposes. There are three main species on the market, Spanish lavender, or Lavandula stoechas, which is small, with big blossoms with “butterfly wings” on top – very common with florists, but with little fragrance. It is not suitable for harvesting. Moreover, it is not very cold hardy (USDA zones 8 to 10).
Next, we find French lavender, a.k.a. Lavandula dentata, with broad and lobed leaves, which has a strong fragrance, but, unlike the main variety they grow in the fields of Provence, it has a soapy scent – not the classic we all have in mind. For this reason, this species is good for soaps, not perfumes. This variety too is not cold hardy, to USDA zones 8 to 11.
But the queen of lavender is the English variety, Lavandula angustifolia, which grows into thick shrubs with thin, needle-like leaves, and it has that amazing fragrance we all love. This is ideal to make essential oils, perfumes, to keep your clothes smelling heavenly, but also for soaps. The good news is that it gives you insane blooms, and it is cold hardy to USDA zones 5 to 9.
Finally, we have a hybrid, Lavandula x intermedia, called lavandin, which is similar to English lavender, with a heavenly scent, and cold hardy to USDA zones 5 to 9 as well.
So, your best choices are English lavender and lavandin if you want to harvest the blooms and fragrance of this amazing shrub.
So, let’s start harvesting!
When to Harvest Lavender – The Seasons
Of course, you need to harvest lavender flowers when the shrub is in bloom, and this depends on the variety or species you grow.
- Lavandula dentata (French lavender) has an impressively long blooming season: it can blossom all year round in hot climates, but in colder ones, it can flower from late spring to fall. So, you have a marathon harvest!
- Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender) blossoms from late spring to mid summer, depending on the climate, usually peaking between June and July. It usually gives you a second and smaller wave of blooms in early fall.
- Lavandula x intermedia (lavandin) will flower from mid to late summer, sometimes pushing into early fall, but by then, it’s usually too late to harvest it.
You should always keep an eye out for flower buds with lavender though, because you need to act fast!
When to Harvest Lavender – Look at the Flower Spikes!
You must harvest the lavender flower spikes as soon as the very first little flowers blossom. What you want is to collect as many buds as possible, not the open blooms.
The reason is quite simple; when the flowers open, they start giving off their fragrance, while you want to keep it. This will also preserve as much of the essential oils as possible, so…
Keep checking your lavender shrubs, look at the flower spikes, and be ready to harvest!
How to Harvest Lavender Flower Spikes
No matter which lavender variety you grow, the way to harvest its flower spikes is the same. First of all, use secateurs or pruning shears; the stems are quite tough, and with a weak blade, you will rip them. You want a very neat cut instead.
Look down from the spike and find the first set of leaves, which depart from a node.
You should cut just above the node. Simple!
Then?
How to Dry Lavender Leaves Using a Food Dehydrator
If you have a food dehydrator, you can use it to dry your lavender. It’s quite simple…
- Arrange the lavender spikes in one layer on the dehydrator tray.
- Set the dehydrator to a temperature between 95° and 105°C (200° to 220°F).
- Wait for about 24 hours.
- Check the lavender spikes; break a big one, and if it’s fully dry inside, they are ready.
- Otherwise, wait another 6 hours, check, then add another 6 hours if necessary, till they are fully dry; it may take up to 48 hours.
- Finally seal the spikes in watertight containers.
But how about if you do not have a food dehydrator?
Drying Lavender Spikes – The Traditional Way
And how about if you don’t have a food dehydrator? No worry – nor did the ancient! There’s a simple, natural way to dry lavender spikes – the natural way!
- Find a sunny and well ventilated place.
- Hang wires or topes to a frame (it can be between posts, trellises etc). These should be quite high, about 6 to 7 feet from the ground (1.8 to 2.0 meters), so the spikes are off the soil (which can get humid) and you can walk under them.
- Take small bunches of spikes; about a dozen each.
- Tie them loosely towards the bottom of the stem.
- Try to keep the spikes as loose and open as possible, to allow good ventilation.
- Fasten them to the ropes or wires.
- Very importantly, let the spikes dry up head down. This will preserve the essential oils inside them!
- Cover the spikes and frame with a transparent plastic sheet, in case it rains.
Depending on the climate, this natural drying process can take from a few weeks to a month or more. So, keep checking that they are dry, and then seal them in an airtight container.
But how do you know?
How to Check If the Lavender Spikes Are Fully Dry
To make sure that the lavender spikes are fully dry, take a big one and do two things:
- Snap the stem, if it is brittle and it breaks, and it doesn’t bend, it is dry.
- Open the spike; check that it is dry in the center.
It is simple, and, in the meantime, enjoy the fragrance.
Which Is the Best Method to Dry Lavender?
To conclude, you may wonder which of these two methods is best. Most professional lavender growers use mechanical dehydration, to save time and money. But this fast process does affect the essential oils, and the flower spikes lose some of their fragrance. So, if you are in no hurry, the traditional, natural way of drying up lavender spikes is by far the best, and it’s cheaper too!
Written By
Amber Noyes
Amber Noyes was born and raised in a suburban California town, San Mateo. She holds a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco. With experience working on an organic farm, water conservation research, farmers’ markets, and plant nursery, she understands what makes plants thrive and how we can better understand the connection between microclimate and plant health. When she’s not on the land, Amber loves informing people of new ideas/things related to gardening, especially organic gardening, houseplants, and growing plants in a small space.