Grown for its fragrance and flowers which attract many pollinating insects, Lavender is a hardy Mediterranean evergreen shrub popular in the arid landscapes of the Okanagan, Shuswap and beyond. Lavender is appreciated anywhere in local xeriscape gardens, cottage gardens and even in formal gardens. It can be planted beneath shrub roses or used as a low-growing lavender hedge or thrive in containers decorating decks and patios.
Lavender – Why & How to Prune
At the time of its purchase, Lavender looks visually appealing. It is fresh, green and compact. The size and appearance however changes over time as does naturally with all plants, except not all plants turn woody and look scraggily. This is where the need for pruning comes into the picture as it is those fresh and green sprouts that will eventually turn woody if let to grow at will. Unlike with most plants, the green shoots of Lavender grow long and over time become woody from the bottom up.
The trick to keep Lavender looking nice is to keep pruning its soft shoots before they grow too long. If left to grow wild, Lavender may not be recoverable to its original looks and shape despite pruning efforts. Heavy pruning each season slows down the formation of wood and thus prolongs the lifetime of the plant.
Prune After Bloom
Depending on the regional cold hardiness zone, Lavender can be pruned in early spring or in fall. Fall pruning must be completed at least 6 weeks before the first frost arrives. To make sure Lavender blooms every season as it should, a best rule of thumb is to “prune after bloom”. Pruning Lavender is quite simple. All shoots should be cut back by about 1/3 to 1/2 or or 2 to 4 inches up where leafy stems meet the woody base Then the whole plant can be given a mounding shape.
As a compact plant, Lavender has an excellent heat resistance and loves a full sun exposure. It is cold hardy for zone 5 (minus 28 Celsius) in Canada. Garden centers carry a wide variety of Lavender plants in different sizes and flower colours such as Munstead, Hidcote, and Blue Cushion.
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