The top growth will serve as insulation, keeping the crown and roots of the plant protected from repeated freezing and thawing. Good pruning is key to keep growing lavender looking tidy and producing robust blossoms. Don’t be afraid of this tough love. This last photo is of our new Impress Purple (an intermedia) which is only 1 year old (awww, baby lavender!) Peaceful Acres trims off all lavender bud shoots as  we would establishing a new lavender plant so the energy is put into new growth fast. Start your plants off right. Pruning: Prune right after the first flowering and again in late August after the last flush has faded. If you prune too drastically, they might not regrow. Remove any dead branches all the way down to the hedge bottom. Lavender plants need 3 years to hit maturity. We use gas-powered hedge trimmers to prune the 30,000+ plants in our fields. After you've trimmed lavender, you can display it in a … Prune right after the plant flowers and at the beginning of fall. Having an established lavender plant is essential for surviving the first winter. Plant your lavender in well-drained, rocky soil, on a slope (if possible) to ensure drainage. Pruning in late-summer or early-fall encourages good air circulation, which guards against rot. Lavender plants left to their own devices will become woody and flowering will diminish. The best time to prune is just as the flowers are starting to open. Should I prune now so they will look good next year? Follow us. First year pruning is a little different from other years. While the plant is in bloom, usually in mid-summer, gather up the flower stalks and once again prune the plant back to 2 - 3 inches above where the soft, green growth begins on the lower part of the plant. It can seem severe, but pruning off all that top growth strengthens the roots and gives you a bushier, more compact plant. There are many different varieties of lavender. This ‘true lavender’ is the most versatile of them all, able to live for up to 25 years or more if maintained properly. My lavender bushes are looking rather ragged. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, Lavender is not the easiest plant to grow. There are many different varieties of lavender. ... 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. All lavenders bloom on the stems that grew in the current year. One year old lavender plant First Year Lavender Pruning. If possible, pruning twice a year … Always prune after flowering. Pruning twice a year is better. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. If you prune lavender right before it goes into bloom, it will significantly delay the arrival of flowers. Pruning your Lavender will prevent your shrub from turning to wood. The important thing to remember about first year plants is not to prune down into the woody part of the stems. This will remove some of the top growth, but you don’t want all those flower stalks weighing the plants down. Trim them under the leaf node, remove the lower leaves and plunge them into a 50% compost-and-horticultural-sand mix. Winter is not kind to lavender plants. March through May, early spring is the best time to prune. Pinch off new growth and cut flower buds in the first year. The flowers will continue to open after you harvest them and you will be able to enjoy both their beauty and their fragrance in bouquets or however you plant to make use of them. Make sure it is growing in a well-draining site to begin with. 10 Minute GardenerMark Abbott-Compton For a first-year plant, keep your pruning soft and avoid any drastic cuts. Pruning. The soil needs to be well draining, between pH 6.5-8, low to medium fertility, with a porous structure, which can be achieved by amending soil with sand or gravel and lime if your garden soil is particularly acidic. In frost free areas, your lavender plants may remain evergreen. MILLIE: As always, ‘listen’ to the plant. Allowing your plants to flower the first year of planting greatly reduces the size of your lavender plant for over wintering. MILLIE: As always, ‘listen’ to the plant. The best time to prune lavender is after flowering, but this plant is forgiving. Don’t try to do the whole plant at once. Pruning in late-summer or early-fall encourages good air circulation, which guards again… Therefore, to prevent leggy, woody growth over time for as long as possible, it's best to prune twice a year. Take care not to cut into the woody part of the plant which can cause damage. Excessive weight of snow will create a situation lavender farmers call '. 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