Lavender is renowned for its delightful scent and for attracting bees with its flowers. It is a versatile plant for any garden, but it’s important to prep it now for winter.
Mark Bennett, the man behind the Gardener Report blog, has offered insights into safeguarding precious lavenders during the frosty season to witness them burst into vibrant bloom come spring.
Mark’s “two most important” lavender tasks you can do in autumn are to tidy away fallen leaves that have accumulated around the plant and prune lavender into a dense, robust mound shape as this will more effectively resist the effects of winter weather.
Tackling the task of pre-winter lavender trimming, Mark explained: “Lavenders should be pruned every year as this will slow down the formation of woody growth, increase the longevity, maintain an attractive shape and stimulate greater flower production.”
Influencing your lavender’s form is best carried out with major pruning during the spring season.
Yet Mark pointed out that a lesser trim in late summer or early autumn is also key to prepping plants for winter chills.
Chiming in with further guidance, the expert said: “The goal with lavender pruning should always be to form a nice, dense mound-shaped shrub as this is considered most attractive and it will prevent winter damage.
“To prune your lavender for winter you should cut spent flower stems back and tidy up the appearance, round off the lavender nicely.
“The golden rule of lavender pruning is to never cut back to the woody material as the wood does not rejuvenate and the wood is the weakest least resilient part of the plant.”
As garden enthusiasts get their shears out, they should hold off on trimming too much foliage from their lavender as “the most you should cut back is a third of the green growth”.
This will prevent and deflect snow, ice, or excess water from getting inside the lavender and harming its more vulnerable woody base.
Gardeners also need to think about the plant’s water intake during the winter months – these hardy plants slip into a dormant state over the winter, significantly reducing their need for water.
Mark noted that the problem with mature lavender is usually with too much water over winter due to generally higher winter rainfall in most climates.
However, for lavender newbies hitting the first-year mark, a bit of hydration every four to six weeks might be beneficial during winter if there hasn’t been much rain.
It might be essential to move potted, non-English lavenders indoors during winter to shield them from frost. Under these conditions, the lavender will need a moderate amount of water throughout winter to prevent it from completely drying out.
