It’s time to prune your lavender for winter! Follow these simple tips and your lavender will be looking great come spring.
Checkout this video:
What You’ll Need
Before you can prune your lavender for winter, you’ll need a few things. First, you’ll need sharp pruning shears. You’ll also need to know where to cut the lavender. You can either cut it back to the woody part of the plant or cut it back to about 6 inches above the ground.
Lavender plants
If you want your lavender plants to stay healthy and produce a good crop of flowers, you need to prune them regularly. Lavender is a woody herb that grows in Mediterranean climates. It has a strong, pungent aroma that is used in perfumes, soaps, and potpourris. The lavender plant is also used as an ornamental plant in gardens.
Lavender plants need to be pruned twice a year – once in the spring and once in the fall. Pruning in the spring helps to shape the plant and encourage new growth. Pruning in the fall helps to prevent the plant from getting too big and leggy.
You will need a sharp pair of gardening shears or pruning shears to prune your lavender plants. You should also wear gloves to protect your hands from the plant’s sharp leaves.
Start by cutting off any dead or dying stems from the plant. Then, cut back any lemon-colored or yellow leaves. Next, cut back any stems that are longer than 6 inches (15 cm). Finally, thin out the plant so that there is about 6 inches (15 cm) of space between each stem.
Discard all of the pruned leaves and stems in your compost bin or garbage can.
Garden shears
Good quality, sharp garden shears are a necessity for any gardener.
There are a few different types of garden shears on the market and the type you need will depend on the size and type of plant you are pruning. Lavender is a relatively small plant, so you can get away with using smaller shears.
Some garden shears have blades that are curved or serrated. These can be helpful if you are dealing with tougher plants or larger branches. However, for lavender, you will want to use a pair of straight blade shears. This will give you a cleaner cut and will prevent damage to the plant.
When to Prune
Lavender (Lavandula) shrubs are known for their colorful flowers and wonderful fragrance. These woody plants are easy to grow and require very little care. The best time to prune lavender is right after the blooming period. Read on to learn more about how and when to prune lavender for winter.
Late fall or early winter
Pruning lavender in late fall or early winter helps the plant to focus its energies on developing a strong root system. This is important because a strong root system will help the plant to withstand the colder temperatures of winter and the stress of being pruned.
How to Prune
Pruning your lavender plants is essential to maintaining their health and preventing them from becoming overgrown. It also allows you to shape the plants to your desired shape and size. Winter is the best time to prune lavender, as it helps the plant to produce more flowers the following season.
Cut off the dead flower stalks
Cut off the dead flower stalks (known as “lavender flowers”) at their base, about 1/4 inch above where they emerge from the stem. If you have lavender flowers that are still purple or blue, you can leave them on the plant. Once they turn brown, however, it’s time to snip them off.
Cut back the main stem by about one-third
Pruning is important for the overall health of your lavender plant and helps to encourage new growth. It also ensures that the plant will produce more flowers. To prune lavender, start by cutting back the main stem by about one-third using sharp pruning shears. Then, cut any remaining stems down to about 2 inches above the ground. If your plant is very overgrown, you can prune it back even further. Just be sure not to cut off more than one-third of the plant at a time.
Thin out the lavender plant by cutting away any dead or diseased branches
Pruning lavender is important to ensure the plant stays healthy and produces a good amount of flowers. It also helps to control the size and shape of the plant. Lavender can be pruned in early spring before new growth appears, or in late summer after flowering has finished.
To thin out the lavender plant, cut away any dead or diseased branches. Cut back any branches that are growing inwards towards the center of the plant, and trim any long, straggly branches. You should also cut back any branches that are crossing over each other, as this can cause the plant to become tangled and misshapen.
Tips
Knowing how and when to prune your lavender plants is important to keeping them healthy and looking their best. Lavender can be pruned in the spring or fall, but many people prefer to do it in the fall so that the plants have time to recover before winter sets in.
Be sure to wear gloves when pruning lavender plants
While lavender plants are beautiful and fragrant, they can also be quite sharp. Be sure to wear gloves when pruning lavender plants to avoid cuts from the sharp leaves.
Use sharp shears to avoid damaging the plant
Use sharp shears to avoid damaging the plant. Disinfect the blades with a household disinfectant or a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water between cuts to avoid spreading disease.
