Lavender Fields Anew
- May 27
- 4 min read
The gardening team has been busy indeed, planting more rows at Wānaka Lavender Farm. A paddock that sat bare or used intermittently for the sheep to graze in has now been fully transformed into another field of lavender!
Here is our process of preparing the land and planting the herbs. We can't wait to witness the journey of these little lavenders' growth.
PLAN
As with any big job, planting on this scale needs to be planned out first or risk an unsuccessful execution.
Carefully selecting the best area that lavender will thrive in was the first step. Things to take into consideration included soil condition, drainage, full sun, no trees, and the general climate of the space. We already had this empty paddock in mind and knew it would be well-suited for rows of lavender, creating a seamless extension of the current farm layout.
We drafted a simple sketch of the field to work out the amount of rows that would fit here and to figure out the spacing measurements. This step is crucial, as we know from past experience.
Choosing the right variety of lavender to grow was also an important decision, but one that came easily this time around. Wānaka Lavender Farm could do with more Lavandula Angustifolia (English Lavender), so we decided on Pacific Blue and Violet Intrigue.
As you would with growing grapes in a vineyard, we are planning ahead with this project. It takes three years to establish the lavender plants and their root systems, a similar amount of time for a vine to produce its first vintage wine. For us, this means that when we do carry out the first harvest in a few years, we can meet the increasing demand for English Lavender.
PREPARE
To check the soil's quality we took a sample and tested its contents. The results showed that the soil wasn't quite in the optimum state for lavender plants, leading us to adjust the pH level by adding a natural element - lime.
After that, it was time to work the paddock!
The experts hopped on the tractor and turned the field over. This process uses a grubber, an implement behind the tractor designed to remove pesky weeds and loosen the soil. We did this in summer to be certain we had nice, clean soil. Soil that was then flattened and levelled with a grader blade.
Next, we marked out the rows. It was crucial to line them up with the existing rows ahead in the neighbouring field, which we achieved by using a string line. Once that was taken care of, weed mats were laid down and the irrigation (dripper lines) installed underneath.
PLANT
At this point, we've gotten through a lot of the hard work, but there's more to come.
Before the lavender could be placed in the ground, we needed to sow grass seed in between the rows. It was the end of summer when we carried this task out, to ensure the aid of natural rainfall to germinate and establish the grass and the lavender plants to follow.
Whilst waiting for the grass to grow, we got on with other tasks. We burned holes in the weed mat with a blow torch on a jig. This helped us evenly space and accurately position the holes to meet the required measurements for our English Lavender (500mm).
Next, we drilled down into the ground using an auger on a regular battery powered hand drill.
Finally, we were ready to plant the lavender.
One by one, we moved the young plants from their nursery pots into the ground, firmly pressing them down and compacting the earth.
We filled half the rows with Pacific Blue and the other half with Violet Intrigue. These two varieties are culinary lavender which can be harvested then dried for baking and teas, or be distilled into oil for food flavouring.
We didn't need to turn on irrigation and worry about the plants getting enough water at this point - there was plenty of rain falling down on the region. If we had carried out this job in spring or early summer, we would have needed to pay close attention to the moisture of the soil.
AND NOW WE WAIT... AND KEEP WATCH
From here on, it's a waiting game. The gardeners and the visitors must be patient as it can take about two years before we'll see a significant development. We'll check in on the plants' wellbeing every now and then and might even give them a trim after they first start to flower. Cutting the blooms during the early stages will promote better growth and help set roots. The lavender will need to be watered during the hot summer months, but otherwise we'll leave them to do their own flourishing.
Our only remaining job is simple: keep the rabbits away. We do our best to control pests accordingly or they'll chew the plants and all of our hard work will go to waste.
Make sure to check out the progress of this new field of lavender next time you're visiting Wānaka!
Thirsty for more lavender knowledge? Read this Farm Story to gain further knowledge on planting lavender. Or this one, where we've answered some of your most popular questions about our favourite plant.
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