When to Prune Lavender? In Spring and After Flowering

Step by step

1. 1

   Spring pruning - hard and shaping

   Do the main pruning in spring, once new green growth stirs at the base of the plant, usually in April after the frosts have passed. Cut the whole plant back by one third to one half, shaping it into a compact mound. This cut decides how dense the plant stays and how much it flowers in summer.

2. 2

   Never cut into woody stems

   Like conifers, lavender struggles to regrow from old, leafless wood. Always leave a few centimeters of green growth with leaves or buds on every stem. If you cut the plant down to bare brown sticks, those spots may never sprout again and will stay bald.

3. 3

   Pruning after flowering - light

   Once the flowers fade, around August, remove the spent flower spikes along with a short piece of stem. Cut only into the current year's green growth, lightly evening out the shape. This keeps the plant compact and sometimes triggers a second, lighter flush of flowers.

4. 4

   Avoid hard pruning in autumn

   In a cold climate, hard autumn pruning weakens lavender. Fresh wounds and young shoots pushed into growth have no time to harden before winter and freeze, which can kill the whole plant. Finish shaping in summer, well before the first frosts.

5. 5

   Rescue old lavender gradually

   Rejuvenate an old plant that has gone woody and bald in the middle over 2-3 seasons. Each year cut a little deeper, but only where you can still see green buds on the stems. A completely woody, leafless lavender usually cannot be rebuilt, so at that point it is simpler to plant a new one.

6. 6

   Cut flowers for drying at the right moment

   For drying, cut the stems when the lowest florets on the spike are just opening, because that is when the scent and color are strongest. Cut in the morning, once the dew has dried. Tie the stems into loose bunches and hang them flowers-down in a dark, airy, dry place.

Why lavender is pruned twice

Without pruning, lavender quickly turns woody at the base, splays open and goes bald in the middle. Two cuts a year keep it a compact, rounded clump. The hard spring cut builds the shape and forces dense young growth, while the summer trim after flowering refreshes the plant and removes the spent spikes.

The key boundary is the green zone of the stem. As long as you cut where there are leaves and buds, the plant branches willingly. The moment you cut into bare, brown wood, you risk permanent bald patches. That is why you should start shaping a newly planted lavender in its first year, before it has a chance to turn woody.

Varieties and overwintering in a cold climate

In cold-climate gardens like Poland's, English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) performs best, because it is the most frost-hardy. French lavender and other species are far more tender and are often treated as container plants, overwintered in a cool, bright room.

Do not prune lavender hard for winter, but you can cover it lightly with evergreen boughs, especially in its first years and in regions with harsh winters. Plant it in a sunny spot in free-draining, fairly dry, alkaline soil - wet, heavy ground harms it more than the frost itself.

Common lavender pruning mistakes

The most common mistake is cutting into thick, woody stems in the hope of rejuvenation - a spot like that usually never leafs out again. The second is pruning too late in autumn, which sends the plant into winter weakened. The third is skipping pruning altogether, after which lavender falls apart and turns woody within a few years.

Cut with sharp, clean pruners or shears, because clean wounds heal faster. Do it on a dry, sunny day when the plants are not wet. The trimmed, still-green shoots are good for drying or for propagating from cuttings.

Frequently asked questions