I don’t recommend pruning in the fall, because it will trigger new growth – which can be killed off by an early freeze. Do more extensive pruning early in spring as new green growth emerges at the base of the plant. How to prune lavender Growing lavender from cuttings is fun and easy! Dead growth can safely be pruned from the plant at any time during the year. Really pretty, blooms like crazy but has become a bushy mess. Your email address will not be published. When pruning lavender, it’s important to start out with a sharp, clean set of pruning shears. Examine the shrub in early spring, before it begins producing new shoots. Our lavender was one year … The technique in this post is for English lavender, not French lavender but the method is similar. Ideally, pruning lavender in spring and fall is a great idea, if you can squeeze that into your garden chore schedule. Hard pruning over several years is one way to succeed. Once your lavender plant has had one year to establish itself, you’ll need to prune it once a year. Prune your Lavender plants just as the new growth begins, cutting back as to leave some new shoots at the base of each branch. Prune deciduous plants during the winter months while they are dormant to encourage new growth in spring. Draw a large imaginary circle around the center of the plant. Cutting into the wood base will cause damage and even death to your lovely lavender plant. Just remember to always prune lavender above the leaves. Plus, cutting back lavender plants in the summer after they’re done blooming will likely give you more flowers. I know pruning happens in spring, but should it also be done late August if there are still blooms? When you’re pruning lavender plants that are established, aim to remove at least one-third of all growth. How to Trim a Lavender with Woody Stems. You want to avoid cutting into the woody base of the plant. Lavender can be very slow to get started in the spring. My green thumb comes from my parents, and I've been gardening most of my life. March through May, early spring is … Brown is bad, green is good! Here’s an article about how to care for lavender that you may also find useful. Season – Spring. English lavender is hardy, so there’s nothing special you need to do to prepare it for winter. I would wait until spring to prune your lavender, rather than doing it in the fall. Always be sure to leave some fresh green leaves on all of the stems. Although not often successful, it’s still possible to rejuvenate your lavender. You don’t have to be as precise with your cuts for summer pruning, so you can go ahead and use hedge pruning shears or even a electric hedge trimmer to make quick work of trimming lavender bushes in the summer. A frost can kill off new plant growth. How to Prune Lavender. Lavender is a strong durable plant for dry, warm borders and known for flowering from spring right though to autumn. One of Europe’s favourite lavender is the ‘Munstead’; a semi-shrub attractive in pots or containers. Prune these lavender in spring when all frost is finished for the season. Spring pruning is much more precise of a job than pruning lavender in summer. Of the different types of lavender, the one that responds best to hard pruning is a type of French lavender called Lavandula dentata. I am not sure what to cut to reshape this plant. All content found on this website is copyrighted materials and any form of reproduction is strictly prohibited. Step 1: Find the fresh new leaves on the stem – To figure out where to make the cut on each branch, find the spot where the new leaves are growing. Related Post: How To Harvest Lavender Fresh From The Garden, Wait for new growth before cutting back lavender plants in spring. That way, you will know exactly where to make your cuts. Before you start cutting back lavender plants, take a close look at your plant to make sure there is plenty of new growth. Summer pruning is good for shaping lavender plants, keeping them full and compact, and it helps to delay woody growth. Properly pruning lavender will help your lavender produce more, stay healthier and more lovely. Read More... I’m not sure what type of lavender that I have but it is very overgrown. So remember, keep your pruning in the green stalks. To deadhead lavender, simply remove all of the dead flower spikes, cutting them down to the tops of the main branches. Find the woody base of your lavender plant - that's the spot where soft green growth meets woody stem. The new leaf buds are very fragile and can easily break off when mishandled. So, to avoid over pruning lavender, I recommend leaving the branches that you’re not sure about on the plant until it’s time for summer pruning. What is more, the woody stems will be more prone to frost or water rot damage and disease, and can crack or break more easily. You’ll start trimming lavender in the second year that it is in the ground. Pruning lavender is not hard, but it’s important to know what you’re doing before you start in order to avoid over pruning. Remove … You don’t have to be as precise with your cuts for summer pruning, so you can go ahead and use hedge pruning shears or even a electric hedge trimmer to … How do you prune lavender? We have English Lavender in our new home in Denver, CO. I’m a bit confused about difference between harvesting and pruning. Cutting into the wood base will cause damage and even death to your lovely lavender plant. With older plants, you can cut back to a point that’s three leaf pairs above the woody stem area. Season – Spring. Pruning in spring can delay floweringwhich might be your preferenceand is a good time to take down dead, winter-killed parts and shorten growth to the fat, vigorous … Twice a year pruning will keep your plant healthy and compact. Since they are starting to go dormant, you don’t want to encourage new growth in the fall. All of this information is listed below. Pruning Lavender in autumn or early spring . Once lavender plants are established in the garden, they should be pruned well … It isn’t hard to learn how to trim a lavender with woody stems. Pruning lavender not only gets rid of the ugly dead growth, but it also helps to trigger bushy growth, and gives you tons of flowers too. Cutting back lavender is easiest with a pair of handheld … It’s definitely something you need to keep up on. This has worked well for me in my location, but not everyone growing lavender in different climates in Oregon will prune their lavender … 🙂. When to Prune Lavender Bushes. Typically pruning should take place during the harvesting of lavender bundles. It’s important to get into the habit of cutting back lavender plants on a regular basis. Wipe down the blades of your pruning shears … When you’re pruning lavender plants that are established, aim to remove at least one-third of all growth. If you pruned your lavender, but it still has failed to flower, the most likely reason is that the lavender plant isn't getting enough sun. My lavender plant before pruning in spring. But try to resist the urge to prune too early. This usually means waiting until late spring or early summer to prune lavender. If you do not harvest the flowers, then cut off the long stems of lavender flowers, with some of the leaves, after the flowers lose their color. Ideally, pruning lavender in spring and fall is a great idea, if you can squeeze that into your garden chore schedule. Prune these lavender in spring when all frost is finished for the season. 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The reason you want to wait until you see new leaves on the plant before trimming lavender in spring is because that way you will know exactly where to make your cuts. Stems that are pruned down too far will never grow back. Unpruned lavender plants become woody and often split open in the middle. Hard pruning over several years is one way to succeed. You’ll usually find … As I mentioned above, trimming back lavender in summer is totally optional. Then get into the habit of pruning your lavender bush every year, and it should eventually fill back out again. I am new to gardening. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees through links to Amazon.com. Pruning lavender regularly keeps them looking nice, encourages flowering, and prevents them from getting too woody or growing scraggly and sparse. Next up, learn exactly how to grow lavender in our detailed lavender plant care guide! Although you may be tempted to prune earlier, it is best to wait until you see a little green before removing the dead tips of branches and old … Pruning once a year is great. Don’t wait too long to prune, though. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This will force the lavender to create new and more growth, which will not only keep the bush from going woody, but will also help to increase the amount of lavender available for harvest later in the season. The toughest semi-shrub around, every sunny garden needs this heavenly scented staple. In areas with freezing winter temperatures, you should hold off doing any hard pruning to your lavender plants until you see new growth starting, in the spring. Your email address will not be published. Step 3: Cut off any dead branches – You can cut any dead branches all the way down to get rid of them. Start your spring lavender pruning by removing any dead wood or branches that are damaged or diseased. If you prune lavender too early, you could be cutting off the new growth before it starts, or worse – you might end up over pruning the plant. If you cut back lavender in its first year, it will put energy towards growing leaves rather than roots and this will make it a weaker plant in the long term. Sign up for our newsletter. The next step for trimming lavender is to prune one-third of the plant. Prune for healthier lavender plants. For pruning lavender in spring, you’ll want to use precision pruning snips or small pruning shears so that you have full control and know exactly where you’re making the cuts. The best time for when to prune lavender is in the spring just as the new growth is starting to come in. If you only have time to prune one time, then try to do the major pruning in the spring and summer months. You don’t notice it unless you get right up around the bush. Trim the lavenders when you have noticed that the flowers are blooming, this typically occurs in the spring or summer season. Go Back To Lavender Care Search. But before you grab your pruners, it’s important to understand exactly how to prune lavender plants, because over pruning can end up killing your plant. Now that you know exactly how and when to prune lavender, your plants will live a long and healthy life. Pruning lavender at the end of the growing season, in late summer to fall, can help open the plant’s interior to allow good air circulation. Then cut back the plant by removing 1/3 of the length of each branch. In late summer or early fall, after the last flush has faded, prune your Lavender stems down to an inch … Once your lavender plant has had one year to establish itself, you’ll need to prune it once a year. Get up close and personal with the lavender plant that needs pruning; First, look it over closely to observe new growth as well as where to prune woody lavender stems; Notice the exact point where there are green lavender leaves but there are brown stems just below; Never cut into a brown branch below the green shoots; If you’re not sure a stem is alive, lightly scratch the surface and see if … Share your tips for pruning lavender in the comments section below. This will give you a fuller plant, and keep your lavender from getting too woody. Cut off about 2/3 of the plant’s height or to just above the bottom two sets of leaves on each stem. Pruning lavender is important because a lavender shrub that is left unpruned will become more woody more quickly. So, if you only have time to prune lavender once per year, do it in the spring. Learn more on pruning Lavender and how to prune Lavender like a pro. Step 3 (prune sides): Prune back/shape the plant so that the branches are evenly extended from the actual base/center. Valued for their easy care and profuse floral displays, spireas (Spiraea spp.) Prune the soft growth. The best time for when to prune lavender is in the spring just as the new growth is starting to come in. The best time to prune subshrubs that bloom in spring and early summer is when leaf buds emerge in spring. The only difference is that English lavender can handle a harder pruning in the summer than French or Spanish lavender can. Pruning lavender. Spring pruning is usually a light trim that is undertaken in order to remove any foliage that is frost damaged or untidy after winter. So you might find that those branches that look dead in early spring may end up growing in the summer. This may not be necessary, though it can help to keep … Step 2: Prune lavender right above the new growth – Cut the old stem back to just above the top of the new growth. Follow the instructions above in the section titled “Tips For Pruning Lavender In Summer”. I’m not sure how the weather is in your neck of the woods, but pruning encourages fresh new growth, which can be killed off by freezing fall/winter temps. If you leave the dead stems too long, you might see them sticking out all summer, which doesn’t look very nice. Pruning lavender in spring is always sometimes necessary in colder regions to remove stems that suffer winter damage to stems. A frost can kill off new plant growth. If not, then give it a little more time to grow. Be careful when you’re cutting so that you don’t accidentally cut or break off any of the new leaves. Whether you need your trees pruned, bushes pruned, or a tree transplanted, owner Michael Morgan and the 2 experts he employs can help. 2. There are many woody branches so what do I cut and whastays? So, you can follow these steps whether you’re pruning English lavender like mine, or if you have Spanish or French lavender. 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