pruning lavender

Hi,

I have a big lavender plant that is getting woody at the base. Should I prune it back so I get new growth at the bottom of the plant? If so, when should I prune it, now or spring?

thank you.:o)

Hi, Spider - I live in south Georgia - zone 8b. I only trim back the dead parts of lavender, because I killed one trying to prune too heavily. It might be OK if you only trim back one "branch" at a time, though it might look funny for a while! I'd wait 'till Spring, though someone else may have more/better info!Good luck! Samantha

thank you Samantha, I will wait until Spring.:o)

Spider, take the outside stems, scrape them a bit, gently bend them down into the soil and weight them with a rock. They will root. This works well with Rosemary and sage too. If the mother plant looks woody in spring, you can pull it and dry the leaves. Though most people don't know you can cook with lavender, it makes wonderful cookies and biscotti. I trim lavender in spring and mid-summer. It often rots over winter if cut during cool weather.
Laurel

thank you Laurel.:o)