Temperature: During winter, lavenders like it cool but not drafty; the temperature can drop to as low as 40°F (5°C) at night and shouldn’t be warmer than 65°F (18°C) during the day. This means that you ought to keep them away from heaters that will dry them out and drafty windows that could chill them too much.

Do I need to cut back my lavender for winter?

Unpruned lavenders tend to become woody and have decreased blooms. However, lavender should not be pruned during the winter. Unlike many perennial plants and shrubs that can be pruned now, it is best to wait to prune lavender until after bloom in spring or in early fall before any danger of frost.

What do you do with potted lavender in the winter?

Potted lavender in winter



Before the first frost, it is best to bring the potted plants indoors and place them in a dry, unheated room. Cellars, garages, greenhouses or winter gardens are particularly suitable for overwintering.

How do you keep lavender plants over winter?

If your plant will be inside for the winter, keep it in a cool, non-freezing location with sunlight and air circulation. Slow down watering of plants. Lavender prefers a dry soil, and the amount of rain that naturally falls will be sufficient for the plant.

Can lavender be left outside in winter?

English lavender species are hardy, so can survive outdoors throughout winter and tolerate frost. Whereas Spanish, French and Italian lavenders are not frost tolerant and will need to be transferred to pots and taken indoors over winter, if they’re in a climate that receives regular frosts.

What happens if you don’t cut back lavender?

An annual pruning is an important step for long-lasting lavender (Lavandula spp. and hybrids) plants. Without it they grow a large, lanky, woody base that can split open — it looks bad and shortens the plant’s lifespan.

How far back should I cut lavender for winter?

Cut off about 2/3 of the plant’s height or to just above the bottom two sets of leaves on each stem. Take care not to cut into the woody part of the plant which can cause damage. Twice-a-year pruning will keep your plant healthy and compact.

Should I bring my potted lavender inside for the winter?

Although lavender loves heat, indoors you’ll have better success, especially in winter, when you locate it away from hot or cold air drafts. In winter, consider growing lavender indoors in a room that’s cooler than the rest of the house. Aim to keep roots alive through winter, but not to push heavy new growth.

What should lavender look like in winter?

Examine the branches of lavender during the winter to determine if the plants have gone dormant. Dormant plants will turn brown along the branches, while non-dormant lavender foliage will remain green and may boast their characteristic purple flowers.

Will potted lavender come back?

How to Care for Lavender Plants in the Winter

What month should you cut back lavender?

Hardy lavenders are best pruned after they have finished flowering in late August or September. Traditional advice used to be that you should never cut into the old wood.

What should lavender look like in winter?

Examine the branches of lavender during the winter to determine if the plants have gone dormant. Dormant plants will turn brown along the branches, while non-dormant lavender foliage will remain green and may boast their characteristic purple flowers.

Can I cut lavender back to the ground?

Never cut them back, hoping to stimulate new growth. The plant cannot produce new growth from the woody parts. When you’re pruning woody lavender plants, it’s also a good idea not to prune all of the plant at the same time. Instead, work slowly, trimming back each branch, but never cutting into the brown wood.

Should lavender be cut back in the fall?

The best time to prune your lavender is in the fall, at least 6 weeks before your first frost date. In our part of the country, that means we start pruning the fields as soon as we’re done with the essential oil distillation at the end of September, with the aim of finishing by mid-October.

What happens if you cut lavender back too far?

“It’s true that lavender doesn’t regenerate if you cut hard back like this, but you can often find signs of young shoots sprouting from those lower, woody stems. This is a good indication that hard pruning could help to regenerate the plant.

Will lavender rebloom if cut back?

If it’s pruned lightly just after its first flowering, it will likely flower again in late summer. After this second flowering, a full pruning—typically in late August—will prepare it for winter and encourage more blooms in spring.