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Do you cut back lavender in the spring


Pruning Lavender: A Step-By-Step Guide

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Pruning lavender is not hard, but it’s important to know what you’re doing before you start in order to avoid over pruning. In this post, I will tell you when to cut back lavender plants, give you tons of tips, and show you exactly how to trim lavender step-by-step.

Before we get started, I want to mention that there are a few different kinds of lavender plants.

English lavender is the most common (and the hardiest), and it’s the variety that I grow. But don’t worry, the basics of pruning are the same for all types of lavender, both in the garden or in pots.

So, you can follow these steps whether you’re pruning English lavender like mine, or if you have Spanish or French lavender.

The only difference is that English lavender can handle a harder pruning in the summer than French or Spanish lavender can.

 

Table of Contents

Why Should Lavender Be Cut Back?

If you’re new to growing lavender plants, you might not know that pruning is a very important part of lavender maintenance.

Pruning lavender regularly keeps them looking nice, encourages flowering, and prevents them from getting too woody or growing scraggly and sparse.

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.

Don’t worry, cutting back lavender plants is not as scary as it sounds, and you’ll get the hang of it in no time!

My lavender plant before pruning in spring

What Happens If You Don’t Prune Lavender?

If you do not prune lavender, the plant can become overgrown, scraggly, and it might not bloom as profusely.

So, if you want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to your plant, you should get into the habit of trimming it regularly.

When To Prune Lavender Plants

Ideally, you should prune lavender twice a year – once in the spring just as the fresh growth starts coming in, and once in the summer right after it’s done blooming.

Summer pruning, which helps to keep the plant looking nice and encourages more flowers, is optional.

But spring pruning is very important to get rid of the ugly winter damage and encourage fresh lavender growth.

So, if you only have time to prune lavender once per year, do it in the spring.

It’s best to wait until you see leaves growing before cutting back lavender plants in the spring. That way, you will know exactly where to make your cuts.

This usually means waiting until late spring or early summer to prune lavender.

I know it can be hard to wait so long before pruning lavender after winter, especially when the plant looks so ugly. But try to resist the urge to prune too early.

Related Post: How To Harvest Lavender Fresh From The Garden

Wait for new growth before cutting back lavender plants in spring

Tools For Pruning 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.

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.

It’s also important to use clean, sharp pruning tools whenever you trim plants, so be sure to clean and sharpen your pruners before starting.

Lavender Pruning Techniques

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.

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.

Spring pruning is much more precise of a job than pruning lavender in summer. When trimming back lavender in the summer, you can focus on shaping the plant, rather than worrying about exactly where to make each cut.

One important thing to keep in mind whenever you’re pruning lavender is to never cut the woody stems below the leaves.

Always be sure to leave some fresh green leaves on all of the stems. Stems that are pruned down too far will never grow back.

Related Post: How To Dry Lavender From Your Garden

How To Prune Lavender In Spring

Before you start cutting back lavender plants, take a close look at your plant to make sure there is plenty of new growth. If not, then give it a little more time to grow.

If you see lots of fresh growth on the plant, then it’s safe to start pruning.

Here are the steps for trimming lavender plants in spring…

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.

Many times this will be towards the bottom of the stem, so carefully move any debris or other branches out of the way until you find it. The new leaf buds are very fragile and can easily break off when mishandled.

If there’s a bunch of scraggly new leaves at the top of the stem, find the spot where the thick fresh growth starts to get rid of all the scraggly bits on top. This will give you a fuller plant, and keep your lavender from getting too woody.

Find new leaves before cutting back lavender plants

Step 2: Prune lavender right above the new growth – Cut the old stem back to just above the top of the new growth. Be careful when you’re cutting so that you don’t accidentally cut or break off any of the new leaves.

Try to make the cut as close to the new leaf buds as you can. If you leave the dead stems too long, you might see them sticking out all summer, which doesn’t look very nice.

Just remember to always prune lavender above the leaves. Never cut lavender back to wood below all of the growth, because lavender will not grow back from old wood.

Cut back lavender just above the new leaves

Step 3: Cut off any dead branches – You can cut any dead branches all the way down to get rid of them.

However, I would strongly urge you to wait before you cut off any branches that look dead, especially if you’re new to pruning lavender.

Lavender can be very slow to get started in the spring. So you might find that those branches that look dead in early spring may end up growing in the summer.

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.

If there’s still no growth on them by then, it’s safe to say they are dead, and you can remove them. Dead growth can safely be pruned from the plant at any time during the year.

Related Post: How To Grow Lavender From Seed & When To Plant

New growth after pruning lavender

Tips For Pruning Lavender In Summer

As I mentioned above, trimming back lavender in summer is totally optional. Summer pruning is good for shaping lavender plants, keeping them full and compact, and it helps to delay woody growth.

Plus, cutting back lavender plants in the summer after they’re done blooming will likely give you more flowers.

After the plant is done blooming in the summer, cut back 1/3 to 1/2 of the new growth, being careful not to cut any branches down to the leafless wood.

If you’re too nervous to cut it back that far, then you can try deadheading lavender instead. To deadhead lavender, simply remove all of the dead flower spikes, cutting them down to the tops of the main branches.

If you want to grow more plants, be sure to keep some of your lavender cuttings from your summer pruning. Growing lavender from cuttings is fun and easy!

If you’re interested in trying that, here’s my tutorial for how to grow lavender from cuttings.

My lavender plant after spring pruning

It’s important to get into the habit of cutting back lavender plants on a regular basis. If you never prune lavender, the plant will grow to be woody and scraggly looking, which is not very pretty.

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.

Now that you know exactly how and when to prune lavender, your plants will live a long and healthy life. And you will get to enjoy all those yummy smelling lavender flowers year after year.

Next up, learn exactly how to grow lavender in our detailed lavender plant care guide!

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More Posts About Pruning Plants

How do you prune lavender? Share your tips for pruning lavender in the comments section below.

How to prune lavender: and when to, for the best results

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Knowing how to prune lavender will keep these gloriously scented plants in good condition for years to come, and ensure their structure remains neat and dense, too.

Learning how to grow lavender from cuttings and seed is not difficult. However, if not properly pruned, the plants will become woody and unattractive after a couple of years, requiring replacement. 

‘Annual pruning will improve flowering and prevent lavender becoming woody,' says plant expert Sarah Raven , who suggests pruning lavender immediately after flowering has finished. 'Remove shoots to within one inch (2cm) of previous year’s growth,’ she says.

As well as being an essential plant for adding fragrance to the garden, lavender has long been prized for its therapeutic and culinary properties. It’s also one of the best plants for pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, and is one of the best fly repellent plants, too. 

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Bear in mind that there is more than one kind of this aromatic herb to enjoy in your garden. English lavenders, such as Hidcote and Munstead, are the most popular, and the hardiest. 

Other European varieties – namely French and Spanish lavender – are less hardy, and so you will need to take extra care when pruning. However, if you stick to a few golden rules, you can apply them to all of your lavender plants.

How to prune lavender – an expert guide

Many gardeners are overly cautious when pruning lavender, as they worry about cutting too far into the stems, which can harm the plant. However, knowing how to prune lavender the right way will prevent this from happening.

‘Don’t be afraid to prune lavender – the plants can become leggy and woody very quickly, and effective pruning will prolong their lives,’ says gardening expert Leigh Clapp.

Follow our simple step-by-step guide, and your plants will flourish for years to come.

What time of year should you prune lavender?

There are two times of year that you should prune lavender: in fall after flowering and in spring. And though you may have heard different opinions about when to prune lavender, and how often to do it, it is best to tackle the plants in two stages: ‘Trim after flowering in fall, then prune in the spring,’ says Clapp.  

Don’t prune lavender too hard after summer ends, or the plant may struggle to survive the onset of colder weather. Instead, think of fall pruning as a way to harvest lavender for drying and scenting your home. Knowing when to harvest lavender really does depend on what you are planning to do with it; some uses require lavender to be cut as the blooms open, others as they begin to fade.

If you forget to prune your lavender during the summer, then it’s best wait until the following spring, especially for less hardy French, Spanish and Italian lavenders.

And when you do prune lavender in spring, only do so after you see new growth begin to appear.

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Where do you cut lavender?

When pruning lavender, it's important to cut it in the right place to ensure future healthy growth, and this is a smidge above side branches or leaf nodes. This part of the plant tends to be green. Go any lower and you'll be cutting at the woody part of the plant, which isn't always advised, though some garden experts say you can do this – more on that below.  

'Sometimes you may want to cut into the woody growth simply to tidy up the structure of an older lavender plant,' says Homes & Gardens' Gardens Editor Rachel Crow.

How to prune lavender in its first year

Lavender only requires a light trim in its first year, but to avoid the plants from becoming leggy in future, it’s important to get them off to a good start. Make sure you know when to plant lavender for plant health, too.

Tackle pruning new lavender during the summer, after the plant has flowered.

At this early stage, pruning is about encouraging new growth, and developing a nice mounded shape. If you have grown the lavender from seed or cuttings, then it is beneficial to pinch out new growth tips to help the plant become bushy.

There is no need to follow up with a spring prune when lavender is only in its first year.

  1. Using a clean, sharp pair of secateurs cut each stem back by up to a third, to remove the flowers and some of the green stem growth.
  2. Do not cut the plant back ‘hard’ by going near the woody base of the stem – it is essential to leave plenty of green on the stems when the plants are young.
  3. Try to make an even dome shape by leaving the stems longer in the middle, and gradually going shorter as you move to the outer edges of the plant.
  4. After trimming your lavender, you may get a second flush of flowers. Prune these the same way once finished – but do it well before the cold fall weather sets in.

How to prune mature lavender plants

Lavender plants will establish quickly, so from their second year you will need to follow a simple – but thorough – pruning regime to keep them in shape.

Start by giving your lavender plant a good trim in the summer. Prune plants by about a third into the foliage to maintain their attractive domed habit when in flower. To do this, grab handfuls of the stems and, using clean, sharp secateurs, snip them off.

‘Stems at this level are about drinking straw thickness and regenerate well if there are plenty of small nodules or shoots below the cut,' says master grower Simon Charlesworth, of Downderry Lavender .  

'By the time they go dormant in the fall the lavenders should have re-clothed themselves with fresh young shoots that will harden off before the vagaries of the winter weather.' 

Try to maintain a good rounded shape to the plant, but do not cut too close to the woody base of the stems, or the plant might struggle to overwinter.

Follow up with a harder prune in the spring.

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Pruning lavender in spring

Spring is the time for pruning your lavender harder to minimize the development of woody stems and encourage fresh new growth. You should do this early in the season, to give the plant plenty of time to reestablish itself.

However, it's vital that you do not cut the stems too far down into the old wood.

‘If you crop the entire plant back to old wood it can mean big trouble,’ says celebrity gardener Monty Don in his book The Complete Gardener .

‘If you cut into the old wood, which does not have any leaves, and new leaves do not grow, then it will not survive. ’

How much wood your lavender plant has depends on the plant’s age, and how well it has been pruned in the past.

  1. Take a stem and examine it – you’ll notice it has a woody base set below the leafy section. 
  2. Using a clean, sharp pair of secateurs, cut the stem around 2-3 inches above the woody base, into the leafy section of the stem. Avoid cutting into wood below.
  3. You can prune handfuls of stems at a time, and for hedges you might find it easier to use shears.
  4. Try to create a nice rounded shape to your lavender plant by pruning the outer stems a little shorter than the inner stems.
  5. Where there are dead, frost-damaged or diseased branches, these should be completely removed.

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

How to prune lavender that is woody

When lavender is a few years old, it can develop long, ‘woody’ stems that look unsightly. However, if you know how to prune lavender like the experts, then you should be able to rejuvenate the plants.

‘‘The normal advice is to replace plants when they become leggy, usually after three to five years. But I avoid having to do this by cutting right back into the wood,’ says Judith Hann, author of Herbs . ‘I have not lost a lavender plant yet in the 20 years they have been growing in my garden.’

Though usually avoided, cutting lavender into the old wood can be a good way to renovate them. The trick is to make sure you can still see some signs of life in the form of growth nodes below the cutting point. If you cut beyond this, the stems are unlikely to recover, so examine them closely.

Bear in mind you are taking a risk, so before you attempt to hard prune woody lavender, take some semi-ripe cuttings, so if your plant dies, you can grow a new one.

(Image credit: Raquel Lonas / Getty Images)

Should lavender be deadheaded?

There is no need to deadhead lavender; if you prune lavender properly in spring and fall, you shouldn't need to anyway. However if you love a pristine border and want to encourage a few new flowerheads, deadheading won't hurt the plant. 

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

How to prune Spanish and French lavender

Spanish and French lavender are particularly attractive varieties, with distinctive 'butterfly' shaped upright flowers that may be purple, pink or even white.

The plants require full sun in order to thrive, and are not quite as hardy as English lavender. However, they are no more difficult to prune and maintain.

As when pruning other lavender varieties, simply trim around a third of the plant's growth after flowering in summer. However, do not cut the stems back too far, as this will expose them to too much frost over winter.

Follow up with a harder prune in early spring, taking care not to cut into the dead wood.

How do you cut back lavender for winter?

While you only need to prune lavender in the summer and spring, Monty Don suggests a third trim in the fall, to help it ‘hold a tight pebble shape’.

Cutting back lavender before winter will create a tidy mound that will give structure to the garden over the coldest months. Lavender is an evergreen shrub, so it retains foliage year round.

Leaving faded blooms on the plant can also provide food for seed-eating birds, so it’s not always necessary to remove the flowers straight after blooming.

It’s still best to do your first prune before the end of summer, but hardier varieties can respond well to a light fall pruning before the winter. 

Make sure there is plenty of green left on the plant, to keep it looking good over the colder months.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

How do you cut lavender so it grows back?

To cut lavender so it grows back, it's important to avoid cutting into the ‘dead’, woody growth. If you harvest lavender just as it is flowering, you might get a second flush of flowers.

What happens if you don't prune lavender?

If you don't prune lavender, the plant will quickly become leggy and woody, and won't be able to hold its own weight very well.  

This means the stems will flop over when heavy with flowers, causing the plant to spread out and exposing more of the old wood in the plant.

As editor of Period Living, Britain's best-selling period homes magazine, Melanie loves the charm of older properties. I live in a rural village just outside the Cotswolds in England, so am lucky to be surrounded by beautiful homes and countryside, where I enjoy exploring. Having worked in the industry for almost two decades, Melanie is interested in all aspects of homes and gardens. Her previous roles include working on Real Homes and Homebuilding & Renovating, and she has also contributed to Gardening Etc. She has an English degree and has also studied interior design. Melanie frequently writes for Homes & Gardens about property restoration and gardening.

Lavender spring care: how to care for lavender in spring

Lavender is still quite a rare guest in summer cottages. Dense, globular shrubs, completely covered with blue-violet flowers, exude a pleasant, recognizable fragrance throughout the area. However, in order to maintain a neat appearance of the plant, it is necessary to take care of it after the winter. How to care for lavender in spring?


In the spring, care for lavender in the garden will be required for both young and adult bushes. After wintering, the plants are very weakened. They need to be prepared for the new season, pruned, fertilized and treated for fungal diseases. Such simple activities will support the beauty and health of the plant.

Lavender pruning

After the snow melts, the overwintered bush should be properly formed. Without annual pruning of lavender in spring, the plant will quickly lose its decorative effect: stems bare from below and an untidy, uneven appearance of lavender will not add to its attractiveness.

In addition, the formation stimulates flowering: the more shoots are formed, the denser the inflorescences will be.

Trimming lavender when grown in cold regions in the fall is not recommended as the plants may not overwinter well. Lavender seedlings are especially sensitive to pruning, not narrow-leaved, but more exotic varieties, for example, French lavender.

When pruning lavender, it is important to feel the measure. If you cut the bushes too much, almost to the base, then this will greatly weaken the plant and lead to its death. However, too little pruning is also ineffective: single flowers will rise above the bare stems.

If the bush has not been formed for several years, it is necessary to cut it in stages. After the snow melts, the lavender is radically cut from the south side, leaving shoots 5-10 cm long. Only after the appearance of fresh shoots on the cut half, the northern part of the bush is shortened.


Top dressing

Spring care for lavender in the open field necessarily includes top dressing. After wintering, the bush is weakened, it needs nutrients for quick recovery and active growth.

Immediately after the snow melts, the plant is especially in dire need of nitrogen fertilizers. You can add humus around the plant or use complex mineral fertilizers.

They need to be applied only on moist soil:

Before starting to lay buds, lavender is re-fertilized, potash-phosphorus compounds are added.

Pest and disease control

Lavender is rarely affected by pests or diseases. However, wet, warm weather and poor ventilation can cause gray mold or other fungal diseases to appear on the plant.

To protect the bush, you can carry out preventive treatment with the onset of sustained heat (above +5 degrees). Any fungicide or potassium permanganate will do.

Reproduction of lavender

Spring is a good time for lavender to grow. It can be propagated by seed and vegetative methods.


Seeds

Ripe seeds collected from their own bushes are sown in open ground in autumn. This is due to the peculiarities of the seed: to increase the germination of the culture, stratification is necessary - cold treatment.

You can grow lavender through seedlings if you sow seeds at the end of winter and beginning of spring at home. For this, they are sown in a common container, watered, covered with a film and put in a refrigerator or cellar for 30-40 days.

During this time, the embryo is activated, the seeds will give friendly shoots. They dive in the phase of 2-3 pairs of true leaves, and in April-May they are planted in a permanent place.

Shanks

In May, when the lavender is sufficiently overgrown with green shoots, cuttings can be prepared for propagation. The length of the cutting is about 10 cm, all the leaves are cut from the bottom, and the buds (if any) are removed from the top.

Harvested shoots are planted in pre-prepared separate containers with a nutrient substrate. For rooting, a ready-made substrate is suitable, disinfected and flavored with vermiculite, river sand or perlite. You can plant lavender in a greenhouse.

Planted cuttings are watered regularly, not allowing the soil to dry out. After 1-1.5 months, the plants will begin to grow roots. It is too early to transplant them to a permanent place: young lavender should take root well before autumn.

Layers

The easiest way to propagate lavender is by layering. In this case, in a year you can get several independent, stronger plants. They will develop faster than the cuttings "brothers" and will be covered with a hat of flowers earlier.

To obtain layering from an adult bush, several shoots are bent in different directions. They are laid horizontally in grooves up to 5 cm deep and covered with soil. The top of the shoot should rise above the ground.

As a rule, young plants are ready for transplanting the next year in spring. They are carefully separated from the mother plant with a sharp knife and transferred to a permanent place.


Caring for lavender in the spring will not make it difficult even for a novice gardener. Already in summer, the bush will be covered with numerous spikelets-inflorescences, which can be used to decorate the interior or flavor the premises.

Lavender pruning. How and when to prune lavender?

Annual pruning of lavender will allow the plant to grow abundantly and maintain the correct shape. This is a must when growing lavender. Lack of pruning lavender causes the bushes to quickly lose their attractive appearance, emptying themselves in the middle and lying on the ground. See how and when to prune lavender, so that it blooms profusely every year and remains beautiful and compact. Here are all lavender haircut secrets !

Lavender pruning keeps the plant in shape.

When to cut lavender

We cut lavender twice a year and there are 3 dates to choose from:

day. This haircut is very important to maintain the correct lavender color and prevent the formation of so-called. bald nest inside a bush. During spring pruning, we also remove all shoots damaged in winter.

2. The second pruning date for lavender is summer , namely the period from July to September, when it blooms. He suggests pruning of withering inflorescences . This encourages the lavender to bloom again.

3. The third lavender pruning date is early autumn (mid-September). This cut can be made alternately with the spring cut. Autumn cutting of lavender helps to harden it and helps to preserve it for the winter. We perform autumn pruning of lavender on a warm, cloudy and rainless day. Autumn pruning should not be delayed, as young lavender shoots can be damaged by frost after pruning.

Worth knowing! Caring for spring pruning of lavender carries the risk of damaging newly set flower buds. As a result, lavender blooms will be much weaker. Therefore, autumn pruning is more often recommended. However, if we forgot to prune the lavender in the fall, be sure to prune it in the spring.

How to prune lavender?

During spring and fall pruning , trim the young, non-woody shoots of lavender to half length. When cutting the shoots, try not to cut the lignified parts of the branches, which branch very slowly and weakly. Too low pruning of the shoots also contributes to diseases of the vascular bundles and can lead to the loss of the entire bush. After cutting off the branches, we form a lavender bush in the shape of a ball . This shape of the bush provides air access to the inside of the bush from all sides, which prevents heating of the inner branches and provides sufficient lighting for all shoots (Fig. 1).

Lavender summer pruning is the pruning of the faded flowers . After or during flowering, cut off all inflorescences along with leafless stems. This results in better compaction and triggers the lavender to bloom again in the same season. When cutting the shoots of inflorescences, we also try to keep the shape of the ball (Fig. 2).

If we have a very neglected or lost lavender bush, we can do a rejuvenating haircut. For this , cut lavender very drastically, even down to 1/3 of the length of the shoots. Such pruning should be done in the spring every 4-5 years. This improves the condition of the entire bush and prevents branches from being torn off.

We must start the formation of lavender after planting . Halve young, non-branching plants. This will cause the lavender to sprout many new shoots at the base. We cut the next lavender in the spring of next year.

Worth knowing! If you bought a lavender seedling while it is in bloom, remove all flowers after planting. This procedure will facilitate the rooting of the seedling.

How to become confident in pruning?

If you don't know how to cut, or are just afraid to do it, the fantastic book "Cutting School" will help you.

Learn more