Lavender Pruning Tips

By: Korshye Long 

Director of Agricultural Operations at Lavender Hill Farm

How do I prune my lavender?

If you decide to harvest your lavender, wait 2-3 weeks after harvesting the stems to prune your plant.  Using a pair of sharp scissors will work unless you have an actual hedge trimmer. The key to pruning is to stay within the green part of the plant and NOT to cut into the brown woody part. Shaping the plant into a round “mound” will train the plant to grow into a round shape for years to come. If you do not decide to harvest the lavender, then pruning the plant while the lavender buds/blooms are still on the plant will work just as well as pruning after harvest.

Only prune once in the fall, never in the spring!

 

When do I prune my lavender?

Prune in the fall 2-3 weeks after harvest or 2-3 weeks before the first frost date. This ensures that the plant has proper time for fall growth before dormancy.

In the spring when the plant is waking up from its long winters nap, you will start to see signs of life in the foliage. With warm weather and some rain, the foliage will turn green and shortly after you will see stems producing buds of purple.

Angustifolia varieties come out of dormancy in early-mid spring, while x intermedia varieties shows signs of life closer to late spring/early summer.

Once the plant starts to produce stems, you may notice some winter kill and can prune the dead portion out in order to focus the energy of the plant in the development of buds.

 

Can I transplant my lavender?

Lavender roots are very sensitive and do NOT like to be messed with – so transplanting your lavender after its been established is NOT advised. Transplanting can be done but it usually is not successful. If you want to transplant your already established plant, make sure you get a large amount of soil with the root ball and try not to disturb the roots! Water the transplanted plant for 1-2 weeks for proper establishment.