Q&A for How to Dry Lavender

Properly dried lavender flowers will hold their scent for months after initial drying.

Yes, it probably would get mold or at least dampen some. Rather than risk rehydration or mold, bring lavender inside when it looks like it might rain, or keep your lavender inside to dry. Depending on the thickness of your juniper canopy, some water will still penetrate through the needles and might drip down the trunk and onto your bundle.

Keep your bunches around ¾” or smaller so that air flows to the middle of the bundle. If you want a larger bundle, combine small bundles after drying. Inside or outside your lavender bundle will need to be in a consistently dry place at all times. Any extra moisture in the air risks rehydrating your bundle. Be especially careful in damp humid climates. Using a fan or a dehumidifier inside the drying room will help keep bundles dry and mold free. When drying bundles outside, keep an eye out for rain in the forecast and bring inside to a sunny window.

Harvest lavender flowers before the buds open. Keep a close eye on maturing lavender flowers and cut bunches of flowers with deep purple, unopened buds. Rubber band 1"-1.5" bunches and hang upside down in a dark dry area for a few weeks until the flowers and stems are dry and brittle.

There are more than 400 varieties of lavender, and about 40 species. They do look different from one another, and the scents of their essential oils vary.

Strong sun rays and higher temperature make fragrant oils evaporate, so it would be best to cut your lavender in the morning in order to preserve the aroma.

No! If you do, be prepared to pick out a lot of flower bits after the spin cycle! Instead, use diluted lavender essential oil. If it's your machine that is producing the smell, run a normal cycle (without clothing added) on the hottest wash with a cup of bleach added.

Simply freeze the flowers (having removed flowers from stems; no need to dry them first) open on a tray, then pack in small airtight containers and store in the freezer. This method is perfect for use in baking, frosting, ice-cream making, etc.

Unfortunately, you did. Try planting some more lavender and cut it earlier.

Harvest the lavender on the stalk above the woody/leafy central part of the plant. You could use screens or a sieve to clean the lavender buds.

A dark room would be ideal if you also want the bright color of the buds and petals preserved.

Unfortunately, there is no way to stop them from falling off. However, you can save the fallen flowers by placing a large cloth under the drying bundles to catch them, or create a small, square hammock under them.

You can use leaves if you're using the lavender for cooking, but use the buds for teas and herbal infusions.

You can! Just make sure that it's dried, and use the leaves more so than the buds, as it's the leaves that are used as a herb. Also, be sure to check that it has not been treated with pesticides.

Yes, you can. Dried lavender lasts about a year. Keep it in an air tight container. Make sure it smells good before using it. If it smells sour or bitter, it will taste that way too.

No. Lavender is a 'sub-shrub', and, therefore survives from year to year by virtue of its robust and energy-storing root system. The only plants which will reliably rebloom during the growing season are annuals (both hardy and half-hardy), which rely on flower (and thus seed) production to reproduce each year.

Yes, you can. They will dry out faster than the flowers.

It's preferable to wash lavender before drying so as to make sure that it is clean before use! Don't wash after drying, and don't use lavender before washing it, especially not in baking or cooking.

The scent of lavender can be relaxing to many people, and as a result, it can help some people sleep better. It's worth a shot if you have any trouble sleeping!

You can add it to cake icing, use it as a decoration, or even add it to some cake batter! You can also use it as a garnish, put it in smoothies, add it to chicken or dressings, etc. There are many options!

Yes; if you only use the cotton bag, the scent could escape through the fibers.

Yes, they will still have the fragrance of the lavender.

I would. The lavender leaves still have the lavender fragrance even after drying. You also would be stretching out your use of lavender!

Yes, you can! An easier method is, when sunny, spread it on a pan and leave it outside to dry; it will dry as fast as one or two days.

Put the lavender in a dark, warm space and hang it upside down In a spot where you won’t forget it. Make sure you only dry it for 2-4 weeks.

Yes. Buds of lavender are actually at the stage when you should dry them, before the little petals appear. If you wait for them to flower, drying won't work very well.

Yes, you can. The stem helps but it’s not that important. it just might not smell as strongly.

You can either leave as is or depending on what you’re using it for, you can add a few drops of lavender essential oil to give it a fresh lavender scent.

The scent remains volatile for up to a couple of months. You can freeze it or preserve it by infusing it in oil. Rubbing releases the scent again for up to a few years after.

Yes. Otherwise, they won’t look as vibrant or keep their scent for as long. Definitely harvest them before they fully bloom.