lavender plant

Question

We bought a house ant it has 20 woody large plants. I was going to prune then back to hopefully get new flowers on the wood and cut them back father to smaller plants because they have gotten so tall. Or should I start over with new plants? They lined our backyard fence to keep out mosquitos. If I should scrap these what type are low growing and produce lots of blooms? We live in zone 9. Thank you for your help with this. I think about this everyday.

Answer 1

Early spring when new growth is starting to show is a good time for severe pruning. Be mindful to leave a few leaf buds on each stem; cutting back into leafless wood will not result in new leaves or flowers, just a dead stem. Lavender produces the most flowers in full sun and must have quick-draining soil. It is adapted to semi-desert conditions and too much moisture causes root rot. I have found it easy to grow from seed but others do not; if you are not experienced in growing from seed, buying new plants is an option. If you google “compact lavender varieties” you’ll see that there are quite a few to choose from.

Answer 2

Addendum: fertilizing lavender before spring bloom will result in excessive leaf growth and fewer flowers. A light fertilization after the first flush of bloom is fine or simply surround plants with compost as a top-dressing.