lavender intermedia x

Question

i live in san francisco california…my lavender is 2 years old….they bloomed in may through august 15….i intend to prune them the first of september or october..as i have done in the past… .my question is: can i stop watering them after i have pruned them?…they are on a drip system presently…they are watered twice a week for five minutes at a time…they are surviving beautifully at this rate of watering…can i now stop watering them until the spring next year or should i continue watering as i have been…we here in san francisco are in a drought period and have been for a few years..because of the drought, i planted lavender since they do not need much water….jerry sullivan 415 664 2213….eMail: [e-mail].

Answer 1

If your lavender is still green-blue, it is not dormant and needs water. In the cooler months, you may be able to water once weekly when there is no rain. If there is no growth and the leaves turn a dull whitish-grey color, the plant is dormant. It does not need additional water at this point. Pruning when the plant is not dormant triggers new growth which will die out if not watered. Here is some info specific to your area:
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/care-lavender-plants-winter-34713.html