How to prune a woody lavender plant

Lavender is one of the biggest culprits for going woody and it's a common problem people come to us about. Learn some top tips to preventing your plants from going woody and in this particular video, learn how to treat a woody lavender plant.

[@MrsGetOverYourself]

Wish he would actually do a tutorial on where to cut exactly, that would’ve been much more helpful

[@MarsellaFyngold]

Exactly. He didn't really do a close up to show what he meant by woody and he didnt actually discuss how to prune WOODY lavender. Pruning just above the woody parts is regular pruning, it doesn't actually fix the issue. Also it's FALSE that pruning into the woody bits will kill the lavender. You prune down to the woody parts that have some new growth, and you prune it all pretty evenly so you have like a small mound. Prune it hard. Once the shaded, woody middle parts actually get some sun on the new shoots, they spring up like crazy and you'll get some vigorous new growth.

[@MarsellaFyngold]

I looked around some more after this one and found a more informative video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fousapxrZ6-Nj9k

[@ComplacentOtter]

but you didn't tell us how to prune a woody lavender, you told us how to prevent a woody lavender...

[@goldengirl65]

Isn't it terrific how even nursery professionals all vary with what they say will happen. You said you can't cut into the woody wood because the plant can die yet I just watched a Canadian master gardener do exactly that and her plant is shooting back all over. I usually just cut mine whenever and however low I want because no two so called professionals can give you the same answer.

[@diehard6348]

I’m starting to realise what you wrote too . I used to be super careful with my lavender , not cutting into woody part and stuff but the last 2 years , my lavender has gone out of control and just pruned it in a dome shape , woody and or not woody and it still comes back every year .

[@jimileahboulet2239]

So what do I do with the woody overgrown lavender plant? Mine is 5 years old and has very long woody stems... I don't know what do do.

[@Milehi6h]

Some videos advise cutting back into the woody growth where there are green springs near the bottom. Other videos say not to or it will die. What's the correct way?

[@number8533]

I know! Now I’m confused.

[@kitcowling]

Can a plant get woody early on? I just got my plant about 2 months ago and it seems like the interior part recently got dry with brittle leaves. The top part of the stems are still green and seem fine.

[@briannas1852]

Same thing happened to me, I bought it from a local greenhouse because I like to support small businesses, turns out they hardly fertilize and water after the plants are out of the nursery, so naturally I thought the Woody part was normal, if you find an answer i would really appreciate it :)

[@adamdriksna8197]

Lavender does not like fertilizer or a lot of water...

[@briannas1852]

adam Driksna I know that, but baby plants should be watered like 2-3 times a week according to my research and they just weren’t even doing that. I also got other herbs there too like chamomile, which have completely died because they were just in so poor condition at the start. I remember I literally had to untangle the chamomile from the other plants just to find a decent plant, anyways thanks for coming to my TED Talk :)

[@KordTaylor]

Thank you so much! This seems like just the video I need for dealing with my Spanish lavender.

[@musiclistener1449]

Thanks so much for the video! Just a question, after you prune the lavender, how long does it take the lavender stems to grow back?

[@NewlandsNurseryBuyPlants]

If you head over to www.buyplants.co.uk and use our live chat to chat to one of our experts!

[@mareaarries1727]

Can you plant the lavender deeper into the soil to cover more of the woody stems and maybe encourage new shoots to grow off the woody stems? Didn’t realise when I planted my lavender plants out that they were supposed to be cut back and don’t want to rip them out and start all over with new plants. They are in there third growing season now.

[@jasonfleming2391]

Just to clarify, do you suggest to cut or trim back the green and keep the “dead looking” brownish part of the plant ?

[@themadhatter8791]

How do you prune an already woody lavender like mine then?

[@sandeewright11]

I have the same question. Part of my Spanish lavender has gone woody

[@NewlandsNurseryBuyPlants]

If you head over to www.buyplants.co.uk and use our live chat to chat to one of our experts!

[@TheJanicetunes]

@@NewlandsNurseryBuyPlants Same question and unfortunately dont see a live chat on yur website. Wish you showed how to prune your woody lavender in the video. It would have helped a lot

[@GW._.]

Cut the lavender back in to the wood in autumn i've done that every year for the last 10 years and every year they look great

[@TheJanicetunes]

@@GW._. ok thanks. So I went to Lowe's and their lavender is doing the same thing as mine. So I feel a little better in that it might be the growing cycle. Unless they left it out in the hot Atlanta sun

[@misschloes-w]

okay so what you are saying is cut off 90% of the green part and the plant will be okay? is that right? also i have just gotten a new place where the last people let it overgrow to be woody, its summer here so can i cut it or do i have to wait for autumn? you never said if this is a plant that we can cut in different seasons? also is there a video where you actually show how far to cut back ? and when to not cut?

[@micheleprosser6918]

I have planted a long row of lavender along my garden (45 plants) it flowered in June and ive trimmed them off now but the plant does,nt seem to be growing very well. I planted them in April/may. I tested the ground and it was spot on and drainage is good , cant understand why they arent growing. the ones in the pots are doing better thanks

[@adamdriksna8197]

Plants take time to grow it will take a few years for them to fill out

[@eh6971]

Maybe give en some calcium

[@honeyallnatural]

Does a woody lavander plant become more resistant to cold? Our lavander plants produce flowers all year long even if we haven't prunned them much, but I am worried that they will die off because the woody part has spread a lot. As a matter of fact we got a very woody lavander plant from a friend and it's not doing too good, so I was thinking of cutting some of the woody parts to see if it will do it some good. I know it's spring but might it help it?

[@mavisemberson8737]

Which tool will cut the woody stems? A hand Horto sickle will not.

[@MarkAllan]

Can anything be done for a lavender that’s not been pruned for years, where the wood makes up half the plant? Do you just have to rip them out and start again? Mine are huge and the woody parts are almost an inch thick in spots.

[@NewlandsNurseryBuyPlants]

Hi, it is always tricky. If the woody part is quiet large I would take my chances and cut into it. It is rare but you maybe lucky and get some fresh growth. If not it is better to stay again i am afraid

[@lvaroli]

Hello! I bought two very withered lavenders from a supermarket because I felt sorry for them. Should I cut the droopy flowers out to help it get stronger?

[@ThePatchulee]

Hello, thank you for the video! I bought my first lavender potted plant late March/early April that was absolutely beautiful and in full bloom. I have been reading and watching various videos and it seems that it is time to cut the plant back. However, I have noticed many woody stems that do not have any growth on them. I follow an app that gives me the proper times for watering so I have not over watered but yet I do not seem to be having success. I would like to save the plant but each day it is looking woodier and woodier. I thought of repotting but is early May a good time? I am in Orlando Florida. The plant is kept on a patio that gets southwest sun. Someone told me not to keep it in the direct Florida sun so I moved the plant so that it gets late day sun. Any suggestions on what I can do? I did cut the flowers off once they were starting to change color, and made sachets out of the them! Thank you!

[@jaymolyneux5250]

Hi there! If i have horizontal growth , I.e a wody stem that has filled in a gap, from an area where new lavender struggles to grow, due to shading etc - Can I submerge the woody stem that runs along the gorund, and get it to re -root somehow - closer to where it is flowering? that way I can pop a propogated bit, or a small new plant inbetween , whilst keeping all that healthy growth :) Thanks if you can help/ advise. It seems to pop up everywhere around the 'hedge' so I owuld have though, getting it to root from a 'hardwood stem' might just require technique. Thank you if anyone can advise.

[@rager4able]

My flowers dried up so I'm harvesting them, do I cut them all the way down, even if part of the stem is brown toward the bottom?

[@trueriches21]

Mines is really woody wonder if I can cut back now or wait until this fall or so. It didn’t grow any flowers this summer.

[@craigl.3061]

i live in a very cold winter zone (Midwest of USA) and i haven't had good luck overwintering my lavender. Can you show/tell how to overwinter?

[@amgp634]

If I didn't prune in autum, can I prune by the end of winter, beginning of spring? My lavender is becoming very woody.

[@clairearmour9836]

Such a helpful video, thank you!

[@fsthean962]

I pruned last autumn and then in March this year...and then it didn't grow back. Is it dead? Is it wrong to prune in March?

[@dimthedemonslayer]

Can you pls help me. I live at tropic area, and plant my lavender in hydroponic. My problem is when the small sprouts grow in the woody area after trimming. But mine, keeps browning and dry out after they reach like 4-5 cm. while the top of the main branch still green.

[@kenrichardson8558]

Hi my French Lavenders are getting quite big and woody and I just wondered, is it possible because of the exceptionally warm/hot Spring this year to trim them back now rather than August/September. The flowers are starting to go over now and it looks like it would do them good to trim early . What do you think - can it do any harm?

[@NewlandsNurseryBuyPlants]

If you head over to www.buyplants.co.uk and use our live chat to chat to one of our experts!

[@sharwil8530]

Mine too I have a p.mona lavender potted. 💜 I think mine will need .it soon. I'm in fl. Any suggestions please thank u.

[@kenrichardson8558]

@@sharwil8530 well to be honest the ones I was originally wrote about were so tall and woody I took them out, they were the French style with "bee" style flower heads.I have just replaced them with a different variety "Hidcote" a traditional English plant with taller flower spikes rather than the individual bee shape flower so I won't know until later in the year but basically I just intend to trim them in the autumn before the "woodiness" gets a grip - as per the video. Hope that makes sense!

[@Dedendwight]

Thank you for the information. However what would you do with the lavender you showed that has already gone woody? I have several large lavender plants that are quite woody.

[@NewlandsNurseryBuyPlants]

Hi, sorry we missed you comment. You would take the plants back to just above the woody section. Unfortunately it is very risky to take them lower as it can kill them.

[@adamdriksna8197]

@@TranquilityWithinMe they get woody regardless the pruning keeps it from happening fast....lavender is naturally woody when they get bigger without pruning they become really bad

[@glenrimkus7646]

@@adamdriksna8197 Adam, you're right. I currently have over 100 lavender plants in my yard, and there is no stopping them from getting woody, no matter what I do or how far back I prune them. It's very frustrating, and it's something he did not address in this video - that is, how do you keep them from getting woody.

[@sylviabrooks9012]

What if there is no green leaves,just brown looking ones.?

[@NewlandsNurseryBuyPlants]

It maybe a bit late but you could cut it back slightly to see if that promotes any new growth

[@sylviabrooks9012]

@@NewlandsNurseryBuyPlants Thank you, i will give it a go.

[@janette1694]

What happens to the woody part then if you don't cut that woody part back is this part dead then ??

[@NewlandsNurseryBuyPlants]

If you don’t cut it back what you find is that you don’t tend to get fresh growth from the woody part. When you don’t cut it back we often see the woody part get bigger and bigger year after year. This eventually leads to a plant that doesn’t have a nice shape

[@rosielee6221]

Can you revive a dead woody lavender tree? I think I had killed it by cutting back too much!😭

[@theradan2]

I wish I had seen this last Summer! I’ve had mine 2 seasons and they’ve gone very woody. Can I cut any of it off at this point in Spring?

[@NewlandsNurseryBuyPlants]

Hi this can be done from the spring until mid autumn so that will not be a problem

[@saadezzaid3041]

That pot is so small for the plant

[@minasellami9429]

I did not trim my bush last fall and it collapsed in the spring. What can I do now in the spring to get it back to bush look? It looks like a cat played on it. Still blooming.

[@NewlandsNurseryBuyPlants]

If you head over to www.buyplants.co.uk and use our live chat to chat to one of our experts!

[@adamdriksna8197]

A bikini wax?