When to Deadhead Lavender and Other Growing Tips

[@moriahyates9993]

FINALLY a fantastic, well-done video teaching me how to care for my lavender!!! Thank you!

[@bobgreene7338]

18 months ago I studied your propagation videos and did 36 lavender cuttings. 30 survived and were planted out a year ago, are doing wonderful and my place looks great. Thank YOU Jason! For the people who buy from a nursery, find out what climate the plants are grown in vs your area. If i buy plants on the Central Coast and bring them to the hot valley in California, they all die. They can't acclimate before the heat gets to them. They often never acclimate. Buy locally grown when possible. Great Channel!

[@gwbuilder5779]

This is definitely a critical care video for growing lavender! I bought several Munstead lavender plants several years ago and they grew fantastic. Jason, you precisely identified all of the critical points for growing lavender. In fact, my plants flowered 5 times with a full flush of flowers each time, after the first flowering which was a bit spotty. The funny thing is that the spotty first round is what prompted me to do a very deep deadhead leaving just a short bit of green growth on every branch. I do not recommend such a drastic measure unless you are completely ok with possibly losing some plants. The key, as you said, is make certain to leave some of the fresh green growth to ensure a strong healthy plant. I bought the plants in late February as one gallon size. The plan was for tight rows as a short harvesting hedge like you see in Europe with the long wonderful purple rounded rows. Obviously my one gallon pots were not mature enough for such an extravagant expectation, but I was completely blown away by the 5 flowerings (I'm sure that is most likely the early flowering and Hawaii climate). Unfortunately that pungent aroma from the greenery was more than I could stand, so I gave the plants away. I did show each person how to care for them and all but 3 plants are still doing great, most are flowering 3 or 4 times depending on how early they start. One person gets 4 to 5 flowerings (that still surprises me). The most important thing is having extremely well draining soil, lavender hates any kind of standing water. I don't know the difference between the species, but they seem to react quite badly to long rainy times and ironically most fertilizers (probably because they are just too potent). All I did was add a small amount of fresh topsoil and allowed it water itself in. The plants did seem to appreciate the chickens stopping by now and again, so apparently a sprinkle of chicken manure now and then would be sufficient. So, is the diamond centerpiece and 4 box corners Lisa's idea or yours? You both have excellent taste what it comes to presentation. The Portland rose is a nice touch as well. If the temperatures stay moderate there's a good chance you will have a nice late bloom, especially in your area, you are about as close to European weather as there is in Canada.🤙

[@iCodeSwitch]

I want that aroma so badly!! Thanks for sharing these details! Very helpful to me as a lavender newb

[@daifuruta581]

Finally, local Canadian person is making video and relatable. One question, what do you do during Vancouver's rainy winter? I am concerned about too much wet is not good for lavender's roots so I am thinking of digging them out in the winter and put in a container. Keep them in the garage till next year spring. Please let me know what you will do, thank you.

[@marydrew3568]

Jason, Again this is such a timely video. Thank you! I'm needing to prune back my lavender around the fountain in my formal rose garden. I really love the look of roses with lavender hedges. I accidentally planted english and french varieties in one hedge and I will have to replace the french ones with english to get the height I really want. Right now it just looks wrong. 😂 I really like the way the diamond shape layout looks in your bed there. Nice idea!

[@marmaladesunrise]

Excellent subject, Jason. Love your channel!

[@Christie-gp2cy]

Jason, I have learned so much from watching your instructional videos. I have some lavender that I mistakenly thought it would just bloom on it's own without beintg "dead headed", so, thanks to you, Now I know! Thanks so much, I really love your videos. BTW how is the little duck getting along at her new home?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Christie. She's doing well. It turns out that she's still a little bit of a wandering soul, checking out the neighbor's kids and such, but at least she's got company all the time and no coyotes!

[@Keebs1018]

I credit you for my lavender growing success. Thank you for all the incredible pro tips. Would love to know your watering schedule for the plants when they’re in the ground. Thank you Jason!

[@valerieleung3639]

Thank you for info. Helpful love how you arranged you garden

[@camicri4263]

Very nice arrangement! It's going to be beautiful Jason! Ple give us an update when they will in bloom!🤗❤🤗

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

You bet. Thanks Cami

[@camicri4263]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm you are very welcome!

[@MyFocusVaries]

Thanks for the email sending me here for the reminder to cut back my lavender. I'm often reluctant to cut them back when they look so good, but the years I leave them, they end up looking manky, then I don't get the second flowering, so I'll grit my teeth and cut them back!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Good call!

[@80sforever3]

I grew English lavender from seeds twice. I had to patiently stratify them in the fridge 1st but they sprouted nearly 100%. I killed them by overwatering. I just got a great pot cheap and now looking for tips to sucessfully care the lovely plant.

[@Kattaltam]

My soul left my body!!!💜 question when is best time to do that ? beginning of spring or at the end of august or before winter thank you love this videos

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Just as the flowers begin to fade

[@angelatrudeau739]

Jason, can you explain how to rehab a lavender that is leggy with bare woody stems? Thank you.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Angela. The options aren't great. Cutting low into the bare wood is risky, and I've seen it turn out badly more times than I've seen it succeed (although there does seem to be some chance of it with an overall vigorous plant in the active growing season). The next option is just to stay right on top of deadheading and trimming, but keep cuts above active growth - in the hope that it will encourage some dormant buds lower on the stems to refresh. Either way, it's not a bad idea to propagate or otherwise get some new plants going in case you need to replace.

[@Dianamukusheva]

Great tips, thank you!

[@capbin146]

I think I’ve let mine go woody with just some flowers at the top, What should I do? Just cut it right back and hope for the best? Great drone footage. Thanks

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Big C. The options aren't great. You can cut back into the bare wood, and sometimes on a healthy active shrub, the gamble pays off - but I've seen it kill the plant more often than succeed. The safer route I suppose is just to stay right on top of the deadheading as appropriate and still make your cuts (just) above active growth, hoping that regular pruning will encourage dormant buds down low to refresh the shrub. Either way, it's not a bad idea to take some cuttings or otherwise start rearing young plants in case you later decide to replace it.

[@dianekulback2430]

Great video!

[@horselover9188]

How do you keep weeds from coming up when plants are only 12 inches apart. It would seem like way too much work to put the black landscape paper down first. Is there an alternative?

[@kantemirovskaya1lightninga30]

Would love to see something like tips for culinary usage… we can we flight we’re for sugar as well as herb d Provence mix. We do t want to overt use or collect at the wrong time. Small topic but perhaps com I e with other herbs? Sage thyme marjoram etc?

[@ThePigeonParadox]

Thank you for this video! It's Aug and I'm in zone 9b (I think), and we're in a heat wave. The lavender in my garden have not been well kept, and have a lot of mixed blooms and seeded heads. The leaves are kind of yellow. How do I bring them back to life and when do I prune them down like in the intro? Also, do you have a good how to prune different salvias? I can't seem to find what works in my zone, and for salvias that had not been very well cared for bc of me. Thank you!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

My pleasure. I'm assuming in 9b you'll still have a decent amount of growing time for the lavender to recover if you do a deadheading and light cleanup right now. You can always wait until spring, but if I'm reading you climate right it should still be okay to do it now. Salvia is lavender's cousin - and I find it also benefits greatly from regular pruning. I say this cautiously, because salvia is a large and diverse genus, but the perennial salvias in my garden are even more forgiving and respond very well to a moderate to heavy pruning after blooming.

[@ThePigeonParadox]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Thank you!! With the help of your videos I'm hoping to turn my brown thumb green and care for these plants! Cuz man they need it!

[@debrap947]

Thanks for the info Jason. One question I have is, I was gifted a lavender "tree" in a very large pot. It has not done well over the summer and is really not my style as a tree. So what can I do to help it and can I let it grow it's natural way, shrub-like? how would I do that?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Debra. I'm sure it's a great style for some gardening situations, but lavender trees aren't my cup of tea. To train them that way, growers had to follow the exact opposite of my advice: eliminating fresh buds from down low on the stem and intentionally forming a woody base. If you've ever seen new leaves emerging low down on the stem, I guess there's a chance you could lop it back above that point and get it to revert to basal growth. Otherwise, if you like the variety, I wonder how you'd feel about trying to root some cuttings? kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKTOeoiiit2Vi5I

[@debrap947]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm I wondered if it was too late to revert back, darn. I will definitely try to root some cuttings for sure. I'll watch the video on how to. Thank you so much I really appreciate your advice. Cheers.

[@calittlegarden-3311]

I have a situation here at California. In few days,my area subsbend water out door landscape for 2 weeks. My roese are having new shoots and flower bulbs. What should I do in this case? Should I cut all the roses ba k or just leave them along as is. Thank you

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I think it all depends on your climate and expected conditions. I personally don't do much pruning at this time of year, and just let the roses slow down on their own. In warmer climates, though they may just continue to grow and flower all winter.

[@lynngrant7042]

Hi Jason. Will you trim the lavender again in late winter/early spring?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Lynn. No, most likely I'll let it alone until it's back into active growth next year. It can be risky pruning lavender in the cold season. It goes (semi) dormant in my climate, and at those temps it's pretty vulnerable to botrytis and other rot problems on fresh cuts when dormant.

[@sherwinmalte970]

So if you cut the plant in August you can still expect it to flower later that year? Or can I cut the flowers anytime it's at its late stage of flowering?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I'd still cut them regardless - to refresh the growth from the base. Sometimes they'll initiate flowering again depending on conditions.

[@bethnegrey430]

I'd do this since I'd love to get additional blooms. But. The flowering stage is when my lavenders are covered with bees. And I'm just not willing to take away their nectar sources. I'll try this when the flowers have been sufficiently fed upon and see what happens then, I guess.

[@JasonBroaddus]

Right? I’m planting lavender right now and came outside this morning and some bubble bees were enjoying the blooms. So hard to deadhead them. But you can get multiple blooms if you prune early enough.

[@jude175]

My lavender has set seed that is ready to harvest. Might it bloom a second time so that I get a second harvest? Where should I cut it back to?

[@jude175]

I just watched the whole video and all my questions were answered. Fraser Valley Rose Farm is my favourite gardening site.

[@MsKpuff]

not sure what happened to mien but i had planted a store bought plant and within a month it just slowed died off and got crunchy dead leaves. my friend had the same thing happen to hers. we both watered it normally. planted it probably in june or july? all my other plants and herbs planted in the same soil are still alive and doing well.

[@employme2]

mine did too. i learned they font like a lot of watering, so I guess you'd say; I loved it to death. Ill try again next year

[@kristybui35]

I bought 2 of 1 gallon pots. They died within a month.

[@melissaorona2834]

This is my first year growing lavender, but I've been an avid gardener for a decade. I grew my lavender from seed after cold stratifying the seeds. I planted the seedlings outdoors this April in containers in a mix of peat moss, cow manure compost, perlite, and vermiculite (self-made mix) and have only watered them twice since. I pruned them back to encourage bushy low growth, dehydrated & saved the leaves I pruned off (they're medicinally beneficial). My lavender plants are all thriving wonderfully! My theory about your lavender plants dying off is that you've overwatered them or are growing them in too rich of a soil. Try again! Gardening is never a failure. It's ALWAYS a learning process.

[@liliangel9724]

Best explanation of how to prune lavender to date. Thanks so much!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Kpuff. With that quick a decline, and no reason to suspect conditions, it's hard to know if the plant was already struggling by the time you got it. And of course, I wouldn't jump to any conclusions, but root damage (from under or overwatering) can take a bit to show up, and it's hard to reverse.

[@raj_tweets]

I don't use fertilizer to senstive plants, just washed field soil in bucket & after one hour use this bucket water to plants after trimming.

[@goodmusic3679]

Great video Jason, I am thinking of putting in a lot more lavender next year because it's one of the few things the deer won't touch (although they WILL stomp on it). I am wondering if I start some L. Angustifolia from seed indoors this winter, can I plant it in-ground in spring or summer of the same year? I have limited space to overwinter things in pots so I'd like to go from seeding to planting in one year, if possible. I am in Zone 5B interior BC.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks. Yes, it's fairly easy to get lavender to plant-out size from seed if you're getting an early start indoors. Probably 1/3 of the English lavender from this video was started from seed in February (the other 2/3 were from cuttings last fall)

[@y0nd3r]

Regarding the fertilizer, you have advised previously to use alfalfa pellets for your roses. Are those low enough numbers for lavender? Also, are alfalfa pellets safe for food production? Thanks!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Yes, because the numbers are low (I've seen it as 2-1-2 or 3-1-2) and it takes time for the microbes to break down, it's pretty hard to overdo the nitrogen. I'm going to be cautious in answering the 2nd question. I've never noticed any signs of 2nd-hand roundup or other contaminants from applying the feed alfalfa I get locally, but there's always some concern about the growing practices of the producer. I heard from a Canadian company a while back that was very specific about their alfalfa being produced as a plant fertilizer. Maybe I'll see if they want to do a video on the topic.

[@April-py3jc]

Would you deadhead and cut off the same amount for French Lavender

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Yes, roughly the same, but usually a little earlier in the season than English varieties.

[@nancyk8153]

We've had a lot of rain in the south this week and my rose buds are brown and dropping. Some of them do not even open. HELP!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Nancy. There are probably more than a few reasons buds can brown - thrips damage always comes to mind at this stage of the year, and the wetter weather doesn't hep things as it gives a leg up to rot organisms like botrytis.

[@jonejet4604]

Will lavender grow in clay soil?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

If the drainage is reasonable

[@l.ferrer7923]

Watch out! 😱 Don’t get triggered when he just cut it all off. 😅 Poor lavender.

[@iCodeSwitch]

I said, "WHOA!!!" out loud by myself 😂 It was so great to see a real demonstration though! I never would have been that bold otherwise

[@jenniferross5334]

Ok....here goes...yikes !!!