Second year pruning should begin after its first flowering. The danger is that if you cut too much, the new baby plant may not recover. Lavender plants need 3 years to hit maturity. Just grab what you can hold. Learn more on pruning Lavender and how to prune Lavender like a pro. The only downfall we have found is the reduced size, yield and second year growth from a lavender plant planted in the ladder part of the growing season. Spring pruning prevents flowering but encourages branching, allowing the new lavender to develop strong roots and a full framework of branches. A. Unpruned lavenders tend to become woody and have decreased blooms. Don’t try to do the whole plant at once. (see image) Following a harsh winter season as seen during the winter of 2013-14 (see 2014 Winter Blog) you may want to prune the entire lavender bush down to the bare woody hedge. An annual pruning is an important step for long-lasting lavender (Lavandula spp.and hybrids) plants. Deep pruning I recommend only during the early spring. Pruning in spring can delay floweringwhich might be your preferenceand is a good time to take down dead, winter-killed parts and shorten growth to the fat, vigorous buds. Don’t forget to clean up the sides, too. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place. Start your plants off right. Don’t wait too long to prune, though. After that, do not fertilize regularly. Take lavender cuttings from all your varieties every June and July. Plant your lavender in well-drained, rocky soil, on a slope (if possible) to ensure drainage. Don't be afraid to cut the leaves down to 2 inches above the woody base. Prune right after the plant flowers and at the beginning of fall. March through May, early spring is the best time to prune. In frost free areas, your lavender plants may remain evergreen. Therefore, to prevent leggy, woody growth over time for as long as possible, it's best to prune twice a year. Plan to prune your lavender plant once or twice per year. My lavender bushes are looking rather ragged. Pruning in late-summer or early-fall encourages good air circulation, which guards again… Prune for healthier lavender plants. The best time to prune is just as the flowers are starting to open. You can feel the  branches and notice if all the leaves are dry and falling off the branches. Smaller fall plantings experienced more soil wash around the plants base which resulted in uplifting of the root system. Q. There will probably be some winter die back, but if you wait until the new growth starts, you will be able to see which stems are dead and can be pruned out. They do very well outdoors and have long, slender blooms that occur late spring to early summer. Should I prune now so they will look good next year? Good pruning is key to keep growing lavender looking tidy and producing robust blossoms. ... Use your pruning shears to cut at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) above the woody part of the stalk to give the plant enough to work with for a new bloom. Join now. Look for where the woody section turns to soft green growth and then prune about 2 - 3 inches above that. The best time to prune lavender is after flowering, but this plant is forgiving. If you want to keep your plant healthy then you should prune it twice a year, every year. Don’t be afraid of this tough love. Pruning. SERIES 29 | Episode 09 When should I prune lavender? This also reduces the second and third year harvested yields and stunts overall plant growth. Pruning lavender every year will enhance blooming. To be honest, once a lavender plant is too leggy and woody, we think the best thing to do is to dig them out and replace with new young plants. Start pruning your lavender as soon as you have it, very young. This will make sure it stays compact and strong. The right time to prune lavender is after the blooming, at the end of summer. (If your lavender has a lot of woody growth, then read my guide on how to deal with it). Remember, lavender has a bushy growth habit, so trim regularly to keep the spaces between plants open. Snow will insulate lavender plants only if no ice has accumulated before the snow fall. If you get a second flush of blooms in the fall, you can go ahead and cut them back. English Lavender should be pruned right after it its first flowering and again in late August, right after the last flush has faded away. Then all the new growth would go into the foliage, not the flowers, to produce less woody looking shrubs with more growth at the base of the plant. They will grow healthier, bloom more profusely and live longer if you do a little annual pruning. Without it they grow a large, lanky, woody base that can split open — it looks bad and shortens the plant’s lifespan. 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