How do you prune lavender?

Prune lavender by trimming the plant twice a year, removing damaged branches, cutting away woody growth and pruning heavily when necessary. You need pruning shears for this process.

1. Trim the plant twice a year

   Trim the lavender plant between its flowering and mid-spring. To help air circulate inside the plant, prune it a second time between the late summer and fall.

2. Remove damaged branches

   After winter, remove all dead or damaged parts of the plant.

3. Prune the plant while it is young

   While the lavender is young, trim or pinch off the tips of the plant to encourage bushier growth. Early trimming prevents woody limbs from growing. Woody limbs react poorly to pruning and don't produce new shoots.

4. Cut back woody growth

   Prune away old and woody growth, and leave the younger, greener limbs intact. Before winter, always remove woody limbs to prevent trapped water from freezing and splitting the wood.

5. Prune heavily as needed

   To control a lavender plant or encourage more vigorous growth, prune the shrub heavily by cutting up to a third of its limbs. Instead of cutting into woody growth, prune the newer limbs down to the third node above the woody part of the plant.