This article focuses on lavender farming in Kenya. Lavender is a flowering plant and a medicinal herb belonging to the mint family. It is widely used to make cosmetics, essential oils, beauty products and medicine.
Lavender farming is not a common practice in Kenya even though it is a profitable agribusiness venture. It is done by small-scale farmers.
Varieties of Lavender Grown In Kenya
- Spike lavender.
- Wooly lavender.
- Lavandin.
- English lavender.
- Spanish lavender.
- French lavender.
Ecological Requirements for Growing Lavender
- Altitude of 1000- 1700 metres above sea level.
- Well drained and aerated soils with pH of 6-8.
- Enough sunlight.
- Enough water during growth stage.
- Soil rich in organic matter.
Land Preparation
Land should be deep ploughed and proper weeding done. Plough the land to a fine tilth and make raised beds. The raised beds play a role in ensuring proper drainage.
Once you have ploughed the land, apply well-decomposed organic manure or farmyard manure. Organic manure is necessary for improving soil fertility.
Propagation & Planting
Lavender can be propagated by seeds or cuttings from established plants. The best way is by using cuttings from established plants.
Most farmers prefer using cuttings compared to seeds as the seeds take a long time to grow. In particular, you will require about 5 weeks of cold stratification before planting and wait for another 5-6 months for the seedlings to grow to a desirable size for transplanting.
Transplanting is best done once the seedlings have developed strong roots.
Lavender plants require proper spacing to grow well. The recommended spacing within rows is 2-3 feet and 3-5 feet between rows. With this spacing, an acre can hold approximately 15,000 to 20,000 plants.
Pests & Diseases
Lavender plants are not easily susceptible to pests and diseases as long as proper farming methods and high level of hygiene is practised.
One common disease that can attack the plant is phytophora root rot.
Harvesting
Lavender is a slow-growing plant that takes 2-5 years to fully mature. Harvesting is best done early in the morning once half or 50% of the flower buds have opened.
The Market for Lavender in Kenya
Lavender is a high-value plant that fetches good prices in the local market. Prices depend on the size of the plant. For cuttings alone, one will fork out between Kshs 100-500 (depending on the sizes).
Lavender plants are commonly sold in flower markets, plant shops/ markets and online shops such as Amazon, eBay and many more.
Hotels, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and chemical industries are some of the biggest buyers of lavender plants and products.
