How do you winterize lavender?

If your plant will be inside for the winter, keep it in a cool, non-freezing location with sunlight and air circulation. Slow down watering of plants. Lavender prefers a dry soil, and the amount of rain that naturally falls will be sufficient for the plant.

Does lavender have to be cut back in the winter?

Unpruned lavenders tend to become woody and have decreased blooms. However, lavender should not be pruned during the winter. Unlike many perennial plants and shrubs that can be pruned now, it is best to wait to prune lavender until after bloom in spring or in early fall before any danger of frost.

How far back should I cut lavender for winter?

Remove any dead wood and winter damage and shape the plant. If the plant is old or overgrown, cut back by two-thirds, being careful not to cut off new growth. To prevent spreading disease from other plants to your lavender, be sure to disinfect your pruning shears before cutting back or harvesting lavender.

Can you keep lavender over winter?

Lavender plants that are hardy for your climate can overwinter pretty well on their own in their container as long as it is not sitting under a pile of snow, tree leaves or ice. Depending on the size of the growing container larger pots can usually remain outside but do keep an eye on them.

How do you winterize a potted lavender plant?

Okanagan Lavender Gardening Tip: How to Winterize Lavender in Marginal Areas

Will potted lavender grow back?

Key Takeaways: Lavender does come back after Winter if they are planted in the appropriate climate. French and Spanish lavenders are not cold hardy and may not come back after a cold Winter with freezing temperatures whereas English lavender can tolerate cold climates and grow again in the Spring.

Does lavender look dead in winter?

Herbaceous perennials die back to the ground in the winter and come back to life with the bright, warm days of spring. Lavender (​Lavandula spp. ​) is a woody perennial, so it does continue to grow from year to year, but the stems remain upright through the winter in preparation for new spring growth.

What month do you prune lavender?

“Ideally, you should prune your lavender twice in a growing season — once in early spring and once in late summer, after it's done blooming,” she says. In early spring, Fedele suggests waiting until you see new growth before you prune. Then in late summer, after the plants have stopped blooming, prune again.

What happens if you don't prune lavender?

An annual pruning is an important step for long-lasting lavender (Lavandula spp. and hybrids) plants. Without it they grow a large, lanky, woody base that can split open — it looks bad and shortens the plant's lifespan.

Should lavender be deadheaded?

Cutting the dead flowers off your lavender plant (​Lavandula​ spp.) is a good habit. Deadheading cleans up the appearance of the lavender plant, prevents the seeds from spreading and may prompt reblooming depending on the variety.

Can you prune lavender in February?

Our school of thought on Lavender clipping is to do it twice a year: A light trim in late February / early March - right about now at the time of posting. A hard trim after flowering, sometime in August.

Should lavender be cut back in the spring?

All lavenders bloom on the stems that grew in the current year. This means pruning can be done in early or mid-spring without sacrificing the current year's flowers. Pruning in spring can delay flowering—which might be your preference—and it's a good time to take down dead portions and shorten growth to the buds.

Why does lavender go woody?

Any Lavender that has any age at all tends to get woody at the base. It's just the nature of the beast. Proper pruning can slow this tendency and limit or control it to some extent. Well maintained plants can live for 10 years or more if they are happy where they are planted and conditons are right.

How do you maintain lavender?

Lavender Care

Plant lavender in full sun and well-drained soil (add organic matter to improve heavy soils). Starting with the proper conditions is essential for successfully growing lavender. Water plants deeply but infrequently, when the soil is almost dry. Prune every year immediately after bloom.

Why is my lavender turning GREY?

The lavender plant often turns gray due to fungal infections. Make sure to not overwater them. This Mediterranean plant grows best in warm conditions. During winter when it is exposed to cold weather, it turns gray as a result of frost damage.

How far back do you cut lavender in the fall?

Cut back by about 1/2 of the height of the plant leaving plenty of green leaves intact. Aim for a tidy, rounded mound of foliage (that looks good in winter, too).

Should you cut down lavender in the fall?

You want to heavily prune and shape young lavender plants for two reasons: 1) It helps develop a tight, compact, shaped base that will keep the plant healthy for years to come, and 2) Pruning in the fall drives energy away from the plant surface and down into the roots, which is what you want for the winter.

Can lavender be an indoor plant?

Plant Type

Choose smaller lavender varieties for indoors. They adapt better to pot growing and also fit beneath a grow light. French lavender (Lavandula dentata) varieties grow well indoors. They're not as fragrantly potent as English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), but they adapt better to interior conditions.

How much should you cut back lavender in the spring?

Pruning lavender in spring

How much wood there is depends on the plant's age, and how well it has been pruned. 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. Do not cut into wood below.

Can you plant lavender in pots?

Any lavender variety will grow in a container and can be clipped in decorative balls and cones, but some are better suited than others. They produce flowers fast and maintain a manageable size in pots.

Can I split a lavender plant?

A: It's fairly easy to transplant a lavender plant, but you can't divide them. Lavenders are woody shrubs and if you split one down the middle, it will die. The best time to move lavender is in late winter and early spring.

What can I do with lavender branches?