Lavender Pruning – The Right Way to Care for Your Plants
First things first – Starting Lavender the right way
Most lavender bushes start from a cutting taken from a mother plant. This often works fine. Growing lavender from seed may seem like a good idea, but it can be difficult. Seeds are hard to find and have a short lifespan (even if you do find them, they may not grow). And it can take a long time to grow the seeds into sizable bushes. The most difficult situation is that the most popular lavender varieties do not produce seeds!
pruning lavender
Pruning lavender is important to maintain a healthy young shrub. When pruning lavender, the key is to start when the plants are young and still in pots. Pinch off new growth to support side branching. Cut back flower buds in the first year for a larger bush and more spikes in the second year.
Thin the plant back annually. If you prune the plant in the fall, do it well before a hard frost. You can easily use a weed killer or hedge trimmer to prune lavender. You can also prune the plant after it blooms in the spring or early summer. When you prune the lavender, make sure the leaves are still green.
Cut off about 1/3 of the plant and shape it into a mound. This encourages new growth. Doing this every year will ensure that your plants don’t get too woody and gnarled. You can start this pruning in the second year.
If you did not prune the plant when it was young, it may not survive significant pruning. If the bush is 3 years old or older and has never been pruned, it is best to replace it. If there is still young growth above the woody part of the plan, you can start with light pruning to encourage lower growth. Then continue each year by pruning a little more aggressively. But as close to the woody part as possible, but don’t cut through the wood. If you cut too much into the wood, the plant will die.
Cut used flowers to create healthy plants. Cut back dead branches in the spring, after your plant shows growth.
Lavender types of lavender plants, such as toothed lavenders, do not require much pruning unless you want to grow them as a hedge. In these cases, the best time to prune lavender is summer.
Harvesting Lavender
Cut lavender stems that have flowers on them and cut them back early in the morning after the dew has dried but before the sun dries the plant’s essential oils too dry. The essential oils create the scent and you want to preserve them as much as possible.
You can dry lavender in bunches or in screens and store it in a cool, dark place.
After pruning the lavender, you can use the pruning clippings as your crop. Lavender is wonderful for crafts and decoration.
interesting notes
Plant lavender bushes in full sun and only in well-draining soil. Water the bushes generously for the first year after planting, but don’t water the lavender from above – this can cause fatal fungus!
Don’t prune into old wood (where there are no leaves) or your lavender won’t grow back in that spot.