In Re The Propagation of Lavender

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Author Message   davidbuckley Citizen Username: Davidbuckley Post Number: 565 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 4:50 pm:        At the request of my beloved I ask those of you with green thumbs and/or other digits/appendages: Do you cut it back? If so, when and how far? In general, what is the best way to make it thrive? Many thanks and enjoy lavender well, all. David   Joanne G Citizen Username: Joanne Post Number: 72 Registered: 10-2004 Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 5:46 pm:        I cut my lavender back to the beginning of old wood if pruning at end of summer and sometimes back further if pruning at beginning of spring. It depends on degree of 'shagginess' or 'legginess'. If you don't regularly clear out the insides of the old wood bit, it turns into a black, dead jungle. I've also found that, like rosemary, lavender doesn't seem to mind too hard a pruning.   mim Citizen Username: Mim Post Number: 582 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 9:38 am:        I prune my lavenders too, both English and French varieties, but no matter what I do, the French eventually gets woody and the plant becomes very ungainly. (The English isn't quite as prone to this woodiness -- the plants seem to stay 'youthful' longer.) If you really mean propagation, French lavender is especially easy from cuttings, so I usually have a few babies coming along to replace their aging parents. It's really quick and dirty -- just cut off sprigs a couple of inches long and stick them in the ground around the mother plant. Most of them will 'strike.' An endless, free supply.   Pdg Citizen Username: Pdg Post Number: 884 Registered: 5-2004 Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 12:27 pm:        If you cut them back after the initial flowering is done you can get another smaller batch of flowers. PS. They say mice hate the scent of lavendar, so consider tying up bunches of old stems into a cheesecloth ball and toss into your attic/storage eaves.   Zoesky1 Citizen Username: Zoesky1 Post Number: 1458 Registered: 6-2003 Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 1:10 pm:        DHB, my mom had tons of lavender and in fact just tutored my kids on making those little lavender sachets for everyone's underwear drawer (I'll have the best smelling undies in town....can't believe I just wrote that). Anyway, let me ask her for you. She's a lavender expert.