Learning as I go - lavender question

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by violetbadger, Nov 16, 2011.

  1. violetbadger

    violetbadger Member

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    Location:
    Sunshine Coast
    We're close to frost up here. Is it too late to prune my lavender (French, Spansh, English varieties)? I didn't cut them back during the summer either.
     
  2. gardenscaper

    gardenscaper Member

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    Location:
    Sunshine Coast, Canada
    You can still give your lavenders a 'clean up' pruning to remove old flower stalks and dead bits, but nothing extreme at this time of year. Lavenders are best pruned shortly after they finish blooming when you can give them shape and encourage some compaction in their form; if your lavender has become 'leggy' with a lot of wood and no greenery at the bottom, a more severe pruning is required... for this kind of rejuvenation, cut back the main stems to just above the first green needles on each of the larger branches, and cut out the smaller ones entirely (again, after blooming).

    I'd also suggest taking some cuttings of your French lavender and rooting them in a cool cellar, potting shed, etc over the winter - the French variety is the only kind I've every lost to the cold on the Sunshine Coast. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it's nice to have some replacement seedlings in the spring - it takes the sting out of the heartbreak!
     

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