Lavender Plant Care Outdoors & During the Winter

By Caryn Gehlmann, Clinical Aromatherapist

Not only do I carry Lavender essential oil and Lavender aromatherapy products, but I also love to grow lavender. It thrives here in Southern Oregon. I’ve even taught local classes on how to harvest and enjoy lavender.

So I wanted to share with you some basic tips for lavender plant care outdoors…

• When to plant lavender outdoors
• How to prune & harvest lavender
• How to care for your lavender plants during winter

When to Plant Lavender Outdoors

The optimum time to plant and transplant lavender is from the middle of May through early summer. Avoid planting during the extremes of summer if possible. Lavender can be planted in the early fall as well.

Although established lavender plants need very little water during the summer, newly planted lavender should be kept moist during the first growing season.

How to Prune & Harvest Lavender

Young lavender plants should not be allowed to flower the first year. Trim flowering stalks as they arise. Some varieties will send up flowering spikes repeatedly throughout the summer so repeated snipping of the flowering stalks will be necessary. Removing the flowering stalks the first year encourages a compact and healthy form that will reward you with even more bloom for years to come.

It is recommended that you prune two leaf sets above the woody growth. This reduces stress on the plant by avoiding pruning into the woody growth which can lead to rot. Leaving two leaf sets encourages stable growth and a healthier, thicker and more compact plant. It’s best to plan an annual pruning routine to reduce maintenance and to harvest the best dried lavender bundles from your plants. This reduces random pruning and lengthy, woody growth.

Here’s a short video where I show you how easy it is to harvest lavender. You can harvest the buds for bouquets, DIY sachets, and so much more, including edible lavender for cooking and baking.

Lavender Plant Care Outdoors During the Winter

Snow will insulate lavender plants only if no ice has accumulated before the snow fall. Excessive weight of snow will create a situation lavender farmers call ‘snow pack burn‘. This happens when you have several inches of snow covering your plants for longer than several days below freezing. The biggest concern is ice! Once ice has accumulated on the branches they will begin to freeze the oil within the stem and the branch will die back.

Make sure your lavender plant is winter hardy for your zone. The best way to ensure your lavender plant survives outdoors during the winter is to plant it in a south-facing area that drains well. And, if you live in colder climes, Zone 5 or below, after the first frost and the ground is cold, you can cover your lavender plant with an evergreen bough or breathable landscape fabric (but not leaves, because they would smother your plant).

If you want to try edible lavender buds but don’t have a lavender plant, check out e3’s Culinary Lavender Buds, sourced from the local Applegate Valley Lavender Farm here in Southern Oregon.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me via the website. And be sure to sign up for our newsletter with more essential oil tips the whole family can enjoy and for a 20% coupon off your next order.