Lavender is a plant that is part of the mint family, it produces small purple flowers and intense aromatic foliage; it grows best in sunny areas, with rocky soils and takes the form of a shrub that develops every year. With each passing season, it grows thicker and thicker and its stems can become thick, woody and heavy. When pruned properly, the lavender shrub produces lots of fragrant blooms and multiple times per season. Read on to learn how to trim lavender flowering shoots and prune the base of the shrub to prepare it for winter.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Prune during the Growing Season
Step 1. Wait for the second year before you start pruning a lavender shrub
This plant takes a few years to fully stabilize. During the first year you plant it, it may only produce a few flower stalks. In subsequent ones, it will produce an increasingly dense flowering bush. The first time you prune it, during its second year of growth, you can only get a handful of stems. In the third or fourth year of lavender, you should be able to get 5-8 bunches, which you can dry for various uses or to display as a decorative element.
Step 2. Cut the lavender as soon as the flowers open
Lavender is at its most fragrant stage when the flower buds are open. This should occur in late spring or early summer. Cut the shrub in the afternoon when the essential oils are strongest.
If you want, you can wait a couple of weeks after the buds have sprouted to enjoy their sight and scent in the garden, but if you wait this time, know that the oils will no longer be as intense. If you plan on using lavender to make an essential oil, it's best to cut it early
Step 3. Use very clean scissors
Make sure you use scissors or shears that have been cleaned of dirt and thoroughly disinfected in a bleach solution. This precaution ensures that the plant does not develop bacterial disease. You should also make sure that the shears are very sharp so that you make a clean cut that can heal quickly.
- Avoid using craft-specific scissors to prune lavender, as you may not get a clean cut.
- The best option is to use bypass pruning shears. This type of scissors is spring-loaded, with two curved blades.
Step 4. Grab the stems in large clusters and cut the shrub to a third of its length
With one hand, pick up enough stems that fit into a fist, then cut the stems with shears. Cut off the stems so that 1/3 of their length remains on the shrub.
- If your lavender is quite "old," you will probably need to cut more than just a handful of stems.
- Do not cut the woody part of the shrub. Make sure you leave any hardened, thicker area intact, as cutting here could damage the plant.
Step 5. Cut a second time at the second bloom
During the summer, late in the growth period, the shrub produces another set of flowers. You can also cut these in the same way you pruned the first buds: prune the stems by grabbing them in handfuls.
Method 2 of 3: Prune in Preparation for Winter
Step 1. Prune the plant 2.5 cm from the woody part
In the fall, after the second bloom has sprung and wilted, cut the stems up to 2.5 cm above the trunk. If you leave them too long, snow can build up on them until the plant becomes heavy and cracked, or the wind could blow hard and break the weakest branches. Proper pruning ahead of winter will make it much easier for the plant to survive during the harsh climate of the season.
Furthermore, this operation will prevent the plant from becoming too woody; in fact the parts of the shrub that become too big and thick do not produce new stems; the stems grow from the new shoots that emerge each year from the shrub. In addition, a large wood base is more prone to cracking or rotting, so the ideal is to avoid it taking on these characteristics
Step 2. Do not remove the wood itself
While you don't want the base to get too woody, you don't have to cut the old wood of the shrub. Some types of shrub plants invigorate and grow best when the woody part of them is cut, but this is not the case with lavender. The parts you cut do not grow again; therefore make sure not to remove the part of the shrub that has become woody.
Step 3. Prune dead or damaged parts in the spring
If you live in a region with heavy snow and a harsh climate, the lavender bush is likely to lose some branches during the winter. Examine the plant in the spring, before it starts producing new shoots. Remove any broken or rotten branches to facilitate new growth.
Method 3 of 3: Dry and Use Lavender
Step 1. Dry the lavender
After you have carefully pruned it, you can put it in a vase or dry it for further use. To dehydrate lavender, you have two options: you can tie it in bunches and hang it upside down, or expose it to the sun and let it dry completely over a few days.
- To hang the lavender and dry it, use a rubber band to join the stems. Hang the bunch upside down in a cool, dry place and let it dry for a week or more. This method allows you to preserve the color and scent of the lavender.
- To dehydrate it in the sun, place it on a panel that you will then go and place in a sunny place. The lavender will dry out over the course of approximately 5 days. Keep in mind that with this method it tends to fade and become a lighter color.
Step 2. Use lavender for craft projects
The relaxing and stimulating scent of this herb makes it a very popular ingredient in lotions, soaps and deodorants of all kinds. Detach the dried buds from the stems and use them to create an essential oil, add them to a homemade soap or mix them with rose petals and other dried flowers to create a potpourri.
Step 3. Use it for cooking
Lavender is an edible plant that lends a delicious flavor to many sweet and savory dishes. Season a cake with a teaspoon of ground lavender or add the sprouts to your plate when you're making roast beef. In addition, lavender also makes an excellent herbal tea.
Advice
- If your lavender shrub is very large and rather overgrown, you can prune it to half its original size instead of just a third. While lavender may look rather sparse and bare at first, it should become bushy and bushy again over the next season.
- It is best to cut it in the spring, before the blooms begin, although you can opt for autumn once the flowers have wilted. Regardless of when you decide to cut lavender, you should only do it once a year, otherwise you risk compromising its ability to produce flowers.
- Between annual pruning, if you wish, you can cut the flowers one more time, at the end of the flowering process, so that the plant gets the most benefit. This will result in further and subsequent blooms.
- Before pruning your lavender, purchase a pair of gardening gloves to protect your hands from blisters that can form using shears.
- Save the cut lavender pieces to use in dry compositions or to put them in bags. The fragrance will last a long time.
Warnings
- Do not cut the lavender bush when it is still young. You need to wait at least two years for it to settle well in the ground before you start pruning it.
- Do not cut the stems too close to the base. Leave some green zone, otherwise it will take a long time before they can regrow properly; in addition, the bush will have an irregular appearance; not to mention the fact that if you prune excessively, it causes a reduced flowering.
- Never cut the lavender with blunt scissors, as you will get an uneven cut at the tip and the bush will look misshapen and unattractive.
