Pruning is required to keep lavender neat. Young plants should be pruned soon after blooming to encourage them into a compact shape, or to train them to size. Any parts of the plant that are killed over the winter should be pruned out in early spring. If older, woody plants are looking a bit tired, they can be cut back half way when new growth begins in spring to rejuvenate them. If needed (due to size or age) or desired (to make more plants), lavender can be divided in the fall.
Seeds are slow to germinate. Cover them slightly and they will germinate in 1 to 3 months. When large enough to handle transplant to individual pots and grow in a greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter, planting them out late the next spring later the last expected frost.3
Lavender is easier from cuttings taken with a heel( a small amount of stem skin achieved by pulling off a side shoot) in mid summer. Strike into very gritty compost using a clay pot and positioning the cuttings around the perimeter.
By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Lavender about 1 days after your last frost date .
Deadheading after first bloom may encourage plants to rebloom. Avoid pruning after late summer until new growth begins the following spring. Cut back heavily (to about 6 inches) every 2 to 3 years to keep plants from getting straggly. Do not cut into old wood. Replace plants every 10 years.3
Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Lavender is a hardy plant.Lavender spikes may be cut in bud for some purposes such as making lavender fans. For more flower fragrance, wait till the flowers are opening; cutting early rather than later is recommended.
Hang the stems to dry tied in small bundles out of the sun with some ventilation, or spread out loosely on a screen or newspaper. A warm, dry place is important to prevent the stems molding.
Lavender seeds can be obtained by cutting the stalks as they are just starting to go to seed then tying them into a bundle. Put the bundle flowers down into a paper bag and store in a dry cool place for at least a couple of weeks.
Seed viability is five years.
These estimates for how long Lavender takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.
Average 11 days | Min 1 days | Max 37 days (140)
Average 35 days | Min 17 days | Max 84 days (5)
Average 586 days | Min 335 days | Max 1433 days (20)
Our when to plant Lavender estimates are relative to your last frost date.
Lavo is Latin for wash in reference to using lavender as an aromatic wash. 1
Angustifolius is Latin for "thin"or “narrow”.2
Lavender is often used as a calmative in sachets and pillows to encourage sleep (or even dreaming) and sometimes is used in love potions.
Common lavender, Garden lavender, English lavender, True lavender, narrow-leaved lavender
Lavandula officinalis, Lavandula spica, Lavandula vera
Misspellings: Lavendar, Lavander, lavendula, Lavenda, Lavandula augustifolia, Lavdener lavenduta
3 www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene9108.html