▷ When Is A Good Time To Cut Back Lavender?

Lavender is a beautiful plant that’s often used for its highly aromatic and medicinal properties. If you’re a lavender enthusiast, you’ve probably thought about how and when to prune it. Pruning lavender is an essential part of the plant’s care and will help keep it healthy and vigorous. In this article, we’ll be discussing when is the best time to cut back lavender to maximize its beauty and health.

Why Should You Prune Lavender?

Pruning is an essential task that helps promote healthy growth, improves air circulation, and prolongs the life of lavender plants. If left unpruned, lavender plants may become woody, leggy, and lose their vigor. In addition to that, overgrown plants may not produce as many flowers, and the stems may become droopy and floppy.

When Is The Best Time to Prune Lavender?

The timing of pruning lavender is critical to its survival and continued growth. The best time to prune lavender is right after the plant has finished blooming, which is usually in late summer or early fall. This time allows the plant enough time to recover from pruning before the winter and ensures it has enough time to produce flowers for the next growing season.

Spring Pruning

If you live in a warmer climate with mild winters, you can prune lavender in the spring, right before the plant starts to grow again. This type of pruning is known as pinching, and it helps promote a fuller, bushier plant.

The Importance of Deadheading Lavender

Deadheading is the process of removing spent flowers from the plant. It’s an essential task that helps redirect the plant’s energy from producing seeds to growing new flowers. Deadheading lavender in the summer also helps extend the blooming season and prevents the development of seed heads, which can make the plant look unsightly.

How to Prune Lavender

When pruning lavender, you want to remove all the woody, dead stems and flowers and cut back about a third of the plant’s overall size. It’s also crucial to avoid cutting into the woody base of the plant, as that could lead to stem rot and other diseases.

Tools You’ll Need

– Pruning shears

– Gloves

– Loppers

Pruning Tips

– Avoid pruning lavender when it’s wet, as that can lead to the development of fungus and other diseases.

– Use sharp pruning shears to make clean cuts and avoid crushing the stems.

– Cut back about a third of the plant’s overall size.

– Always wear gloves to protect your hands from the plant’s oils.

In conclusion, pruning lavender is an essential part of the plant’s overall care and will help keep it healthy and vigorous. The best time to prune lavender is right after it has finished blooming, which is usually in late summer or early fall. However, if you live in a warmer climate, you can prune lavender in the spring before the plant starts to grow again. Remember to avoid cutting into the woody base of the plant and always wear gloves to protect your hands from the plant’s oils. Happy pruning!

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Last update 2023-05-30. Price and product availability may change.

When Is A Good Time To Cut Back Lavender?