Lavender vs Lavandin
There are many different varieties of lavender ranging from English Lavender to French Lavender, with various hybrid species that has been developed for specific climates or purposes. Lavandin, a hybrid plant developed in 1900 by crossing English lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)
with spike lavender or Portuguese lavender (Lavendula latifolia), are better suited to the warmer, drier conditions of the Little Karoo. This hybrid is also grown extensively in France and is often preferred by the perfume industry for its oil and the flowers for sachets, potpourri and craft work.
English lavender yields 8 to 30 kg and lavandin 40 to 220 kg essential oil per hectare, depending on the location, management and cultivar, however lavender oil is sold at almost 3 times the price of lavandin oil.
There are two schools of thought regarding
fertilisation of herbs: the one group believes in feeding the soil and the soil will feed the plant, while the other group believes in the benefits of foliar feeding.
Mark feels that if soil preparation were done
properly before establishing the plants, you
only need to apply foliar feeding. Most herbs don’t like wet feet, and flourishes in well-drained soil. Too much sodium in the soil also causes the soil to harden, and needs to be treated with either organic compost or adding Amino Acids.
A neighbour of Mark Walker, Mr. Lukas Liebenberg of Niqua Oils not only cultivates lavandin, but also Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), Cape Chamomile (Eriocephalus punctulatus), and Cape Snowbush (Eriocephalus africanus) for essential oil production. He installed a permanent
distillation plant in 2009. While Lavandin is harvested only once a year, in late December or early January, the other crops are harvested at other times, making better use of the distillation unit throughout the year. The flowers can be harvested with a hand-held tea picker or by hand.