When should lavender be pruned?
Left to their own devices, lavender can become woody and ungainly, so to keep plants compact and attractive, it’s best to trim them annually in late summer, just after flowering has finished. Remove any spent flower stalks and about 2.5cm (1in) of leaf growth.
What part of the lavender do you cut?
Find the woody base of your lavender plant – that’s the spot where soft green growth meets woody stem. Follow the stem 2 to 3 inches up from the woody part of the stem that’s marked on the illustration and remove the rest.
How do you cut lavender without killing the plant?
As with harvesting, trim just above leaf nodes or side branches. Avoid cutting into the lowest bare woody growth. Take a peek around the base of the lavender plant: you’ll see tough woody growth close to the ground that has no sprouts or leaf nodes, and more tender growth (green or light brown) above that.
Can I prune lavender in October?
It is advised that you prune your lavender back at the end of September and beginning of October, before the first frosts start to appear. You also want to be pruning dead heads from old flower buds so more energy is put into growing new, stronger and more vibrant colored flowers for the next season.
Does lavender grow back?
Lavender will not grow back from old wood. This is a basic fact that makes it difficult to simply cut it short, since it won’t grow back. It’s very different from other plants. For instance, you can even sprout winter mimosa from a piece of bark!
Can you hard prune lavender?
Right after flowering, or by the end of September at the latest, give your plants a very hard trim, as shown in our lavender trimming video. Cut all the new growth back down to 1-2cms above the older, woody part of the stem, leaving between one and three leaf buds.
How do you prune lavender for first year?
Prune right after the first flowering and again in late August after the last flush has faded. Cut off about 2/3 of the plant’s height or to just above the bottom two sets of leaves on each stem. Take care not to cut into the woody part of the plant which can cause damage.
How much can you cut back lavender?
Renovation Pruning & Replacing Mature Lavender The consensus about clipping lavender is that the leafy, silver-green stems should be cut down to two or three buds above where it becomes hard and woody (leaving about 2cms of the year’s soft growth).
What happens if you cut lavender back too far?
If you cut back too far, you can kill the plant. These are best pruned right after bloom in late spring. If your lavender bush is looking ragged, it may not have been pruned for a few years. If it is several years old and has never been pruned, it may not survive heavy pruning.
When should I trim lavender?
Pruning Lavender for winter should be done at that same time as you harvest the second round of blooms usually mid to late October. Remove any dead or damaged growth and shear back a good third of the green leafy growth for those without harsh winter conditions.
Should you trim lavender?
When you’re pruning woody lavender plants, it’s also a good idea not to prune all of the plant at the same time. Instead, work slowing, trimming back each branch but never into the brown wood. You can trim branches back by one-third or one-half.
How and when to prune lavender?
When to Prune Lavender. As stated, prune early in the spring. If new growth has already come in by several inches, you may need to wait until harvest or risk losing many of your flowers. Do not prune too late in the year or the plant may die through dehydration over the winter.
When to cut back lavender for winter?
Pruning Lavender For Winter. For those of you who experience harsh freezing winter weather it is best to wait until spring to cut back your plant. Your plant will have a better winter appearance in your garden and will have a healthier start at new growth come springtime.