Lavender is an amazing and versatile plant (well, semi-shrub).
Growing it can be incredibly rewarding, with gorgeous flowers and a heavenly scent that permeates your garden.
But lavender, like many plants, needs regular pruning to stay healthy! It also slows woody growth, allowing the plant to thrive and grow for longer.
Keep your lavender plants happy and keep yourself well-stocked with sprigs for bath bombs, patchouli, and even flavoured butter. Here’s everything you need to know about pruning lavender in Australia.
Pruning vs Deadheading | When to Prune | How to Prune | Pruning by Season | Pruning by Plant Age | Pruning by Variety | By State or Territory | FAQs
Why You Need To Prune Lavender Plants
When growing lavender, know that the plant thrives with regular pruning!
A good trim can have several benefits, such as:
- Controlling new growth
- Encouraging more flowering
- Deterring pests or fungal diseases
- Maintaining appearance (size/shape)
- Preventing scraggly or woody growth
- Allowing more light and air circulation
Pruning your lavender maintains its health, allowing it to withstand external stressors like heat, drought, and pests.
It’s essential not to over-prune your lavender, though, since that can do more harm than good!
Pruning vs Deadheading Lavender
Deadheading is a type of pruning that involves cutting or removing spent flowers or seed heads. It primarily prevents disease and maintains appearance.
You can deadhead lavender at any time of the year, but it’s most useful during the growing season. After the first flowering, cut off any dead or faded flowers with a little bit of stem but no leaves.
This process can even allow your plant to flower more than once! Spanish lavender benefits the most from deadheading, since it can bloom multiple times in a season.
Remember, though – Spanish lavender is considered a weed in several states. If you plan to grow it, check your local council regulations.
When To Prune Lavender In Australia
As a general rule, you should trim lavender twice a year – a light pruning in spring (September to October), then a “full” pruning in autumn (March to April).
The timing of the full pruning will depend on when your lavender flowers. For example, early-blooming varieties like Lavandula angustifolia can be pruned in March or April.
How to Prune Lavender
It’s important to prune lavender correctly to prevent disease, rot, and plant death.
For full pruning, you’ll need:
- Pruning shears or secateurs
- Gardening gloves
- Craft knife or scalpel (optional)
Make sure to clean and sharpen the shears before you work. Trimming stems in one, clean cut minimises the risk of disease and rot.
You can wash your shears in soap and hot water, or disinfect them with some rubbing alcohol. Wipe them dry afterwards.
If you haven’t watered your lavender in a while, give it a drink a few days before pruning to minimise the shock.
Pruning lavender outdoors
For lavender out in the garden, start by doing some deadheading and clean-up – removing dead flowers, damaged stems, and other small parts.
Inspect the plant for where the new, green growth ends and the woody base begins. There are usually new leaves near that area.
Take the stems and cut them back by about one-third the length, or about 5-10cm above the new growth. Work a handful at a time and try to cut between the leaf nodes.
Never cut back all the way to the new leaves or woody base, as the plant will not grow from old wood. In general, you shouldn’t cut more than 50-60% of the volume at once.
A scalpel or craft knife can help you make precise cuts to individual stems, or cuts at the base for dead stems.
You can use this time to shape the plant the way you want. Most gardeners prefer a mound or teardrop shape, where the outer stems are shorter and lower.
If you have large lavender shrubs, consider using a hedge trimmer – or tag in a professional hedge trimming service to do the job!
Pruning lavender in pots
Regular pruning will help prevent your potted lavender from developing too many woody stems, which won’t produce new growth.
To prune potted lavender, use a disinfected pair of pruning shears. In spring, remove any leggy growth, then do some deadheading from spring through summer.
Maintenance pruning should be done in autumn. For each stem, count two leaf nodes (or two leaves) above the woody base – or about one-third the length.
Make one, clean cut between nodes, to deter bacteria and rot.
Lavender Pruning by Season
Regular trimming at the right time helps ensure your lavender plant stays healthy and happy for years.
Part of that maintenance is knowing proper care by season.
Pruning lavender in spring
Spring is for light pruning – mostly trimming off any dead branches and leaves from winter, to stimulate fresh growth.
Work early enough in the season so the plant can recover before flowering.
Don’t cut too much, as over-pruning can be detrimental to the plant. Moreover, don’t prune too late, or you could delay flowering.
Spring to early summer is also the best time to take softwood cuttings to propagate lavender!
Pruning lavender in summer
During summer, do not prune your plants unless there’s disease or tangled growth. Cutting during the growing season (November to January) could hinder flowering.
Instead, simply deadhead lavender flowers as they fade or die off. Exceptions are during early summer for varieties that have not yet flowered, such as Lavandin.
However, if you plan to harvest more fragrant lavender varieties for essential oils, do it just as summer is ending – when the flowers have fully bloomed.
Pruning lavender in autumn
This is the best time to do heavy pruning, after your lavender plants are done flowering!
Trim off any remaining wilted blooms, then focus on shaping the plant and prepping it for dormancy in winter.
Take hardwood cuttings for propagation in late summer to autumn (February to April). This is also the best time to cut sprigs if you’re planning on drying lavender.
Avoid pruning too close to winter, or the new growth could break and die, weakening your plants.
Pruning lavender in winter
It’s generally best to avoid pruning in winter, unless you see any diseased branches.
However, so long as you live somewhere in Australia that doesn’t see sub-zero temps or frost, you can do some trimming if you miss the autumn window.
The exception is lavenders that bloom in late winter, where you can do a light trim after the first flush.
Lavender Pruning by Plant Age
Part of growing lavender is knowing how to trim the plant at each stage of its life.
This helps prevent the plant from getting leggy or unruly in the future.
Young plants
Do not prune young plants – wait while they establish roots. Otherwise, the plant might redirect energy towards regrowing stems instead of rooting in the ground.
In its first year, you can carefully pinch out new tips to encourage bushier growth. Don’t let it grow too much wood as it will be harder to control.
After the first year, cut back new lavender to encourage more dense foliage.
Propagations
When growing lavender from propagations, do not touch the plants until they have established themselves.
This can take at least a year, so you’ll have to be patient.
Mature plants
Mature or established lavender plants can take heavier pruning, so long as you don’t cut into leafless old wood.
Don’t cut more than two-thirds of the plant’s volume, or you could kill your plant! For old branches, you can encourage new growth by trimming to just above the woody part.
Pruning Different Lavender Varieties
Pruning doesn’t change much for different types of lavender, but there are still some handy tips depending on the variety you’ve planted!
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia or true lavender) is possibly the most classic variety, and it can also flower more than once. Lightly prune English lavender after the first blooms, then do a “harder” prune in early autumn.
French lavender (Lavandula dentata) only needs deadheading throughout the growing season. Avoid cutting back too much as this could risk your plants. Do a full prune in late summer to autumn.
Hybrid lavender (like Lavandula x intermedia) is very robust, and can bloom later than other varieties – typically starting in summer, with some varieties flowering into autumn. Prune these lavender plants in early to mid-autumn.
Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) should only be grown in pots. In Australia, it usually starts blooming in late winter into the summer. Do some light pruning after the first flush, then only deadhead until the plant is done flowering. Hard prune afterwards.
Pruning Lavender in Australia
A good rule of thumb is to do any spring trimming when the weather turns warm, and autumn trimming a few weeks before cool winter months.
Here are some tips for trimming lavender in different states and territories across Australia.
When to prune lavender in the ACT:
For the first prune, aim for late September to October when the weather is warming up.
Then do heavier pruning from February to mid-March, before the weather starts getting too cold.
When to prune lavender in NSW:
This will depend on the climate zone you live in. In Zone 4 (hot summer, cool winter) areas, it’s best to trim as soon as temperatures begin to warm in spring.
However, in areas like Sydney that have more temperate climates, you do the first prune in spring. For any major trimming, work from February to mid-May.
When to prune lavender in the NT:
Since these plants prefer low-humidity areas, they’re difficult to grow in the Northern Territory with very humid summers.
If you grow lavender indoors in the NT, prune it in spring when the weather turns warm, then again in autumn before it gets too cold.
When to prune lavender in Queensland:
Lavender doesn’t do too well in the tropical and subtropical areas of QLD. Your best bet is French lavender, which can withstand more humid climates.
Prune lightly throughout the year, and avoid doing one big prune unless the plant is sick or scraggly.
In more eastern or warm temperate areas, follow general pruning guidelines – once before flowering in spring, and once afterwards in late summer to autumn.
When to prune lavender in South Australia:
South Australia’s more Mediterranean and arid climates are great for lavender! There are even several farms near Adelaide.
In SA, do your first prune in September when the weather becomes warm, as lavender can begin blooming in mid-spring. Try and do any major pruning by mid-autumn.
When to prune lavender in Tasmania:
Tasmania is home to some lush lavender farms in the northern areas, where the climate is similar to Provence, France.
Weeding is more of a priority in winter and spring, although you can do some preparatory light trimming in spring (September to October).
The major pruning happens in autumn, after flowering (up to mid-May).
When to prune lavender in Victoria:
Lavender can grow in Melbourne and warmer areas of Victoria. Opt for later-blooming varieties like Lavandin or cool-tolerant ones like Lavandula dentata.
Prune your lavender starting mid-September (or when the weather starts to warm), then again in autumn (up to early May).
When to prune lavender in Western Australia:
In Perth and other southwest areas of WA, flowering season is typically from mid-December to early February.
Prune in September up to October, then again in autumn up to mid-May.
FAQs About Pruning a Lavender Plant
Pruning is a key factor in keeping healthy lavender plants.
Here are a few more tips and some handy info about trimming these flowering shrubs.
Can I cut lavender back to the ground?
Avoid cutting your lavender down to the ground.
The plant will not produce new growth from leafless or woody stems, which will ruin its appearance and potentially cause it to die off.
Will lavender grow back after pruning?
Yes! Pruning your lavender is a great way to encourage bushy, healthy growth – and can even trigger a second flush of flowers in some varieties.
Should I prune my lavender after flowering?
After flowering is the best time to trim your lavender, as you can identify any dying/lifeless branches (no new leaf growth) and clean up the plant before winter.
How to prune lavender that is woody?
Old lavender plants often become woody after several years, which is a natural part of their lifespan. Other times, failing to prune regularly causes too much woody growth.
It’s difficult to save a woody lavender plant, but you can prune it to try and stimulate new growth. Do this in spring, when the weather is warming up.
Work in small sections, cutting back to one-third to one-half of the stems. Make the cuts in any green growth that is left – only cut brown wood if it’s dead or diseased.
Do not cut more than one section in a season, and apply a slow-release fertiliser in autumn. It will take several years, but with patience, you can revive a woody lavender plant.
