One of the most common lavender growing questions is about pruning — how, when, etc. Pruning is absolutely essential for good flower development and to prevent overly woody stalks. It's an easy step in caring for your lavender plant, let's get to it.
When to prune lavender
We find the best time to prune lavender is in fall, well before the first frosts come. In your own garden, as you are preparing your other plantings for the winter, add "prune the lavender" to your fall gardening checklist.
The best tools for pruning lavender
Garden clippers, hedge shears or powered hedge trimmers are ideal tools for pruning lavender.
How to prune lavender
Cut the flowers and stalks down to within 2 leaf nodes above the grey/brown woody part of the stem at the very base of the plant (leaving approximately 2-3 inches of green stalk). To determine where this is on your plant, hold back some stalks so that you can see into the woody base of the plant. Count 2 leaf nodes or 2-3 inches above the woody transition. This is your pruning marker.
Once you have established your pruning marker, grab your tool and get at it. As you do so, try to maintain a compact hemispherical shape. This will help maintain the shape of the lavender plant the following season. When you are finished the lavender plant should look like a little grey/green hedgehog.
Avoid cutting into the woody base of the plant. Lavender does not tolerate pruning like many rose varieties that you can prune right down to the base of the plant. Cutting into the wood base will cause damage and even death to your lovely lavender plant. So remember, keep your pruning in the green stalks.
Once pruned the plants enter their winter dormancy until the new growth appears in the spring. After you have pruned all your plants, you'll have quite a collection of clippings. These clippings make a wonderful mulch or, at the very least, addition to the compost bin.
What if I haven't ever pruned my lavender
If your lavender plant has been deprived of its annual pruning for some years, it's likely become quite leggy and the woody base has begun to sprawl and will be quite top heavy when in bloom. Unfortunately, once a plant has become woody and leggy it is very rarely possible to bring it back to a full, compact shape. We suggest replacing the plant at this stage and starting your pruning rhythm at year one.
With these pruning tips at the ready, mark "prune the lavender" on your calendar this fall well before the first frosts arrive. You'll thank yourself in the spring when the new growth comes bursting forth, energized from a long winter's nap. Enjoy "tucking your lavender in" for the winter.
If you have any lavender pruning questions, contact us. We're always here for you and your lavender plants.