How to Divide a Lavender Plant
Use cuttings instead of division to create new plants., If your lavender is overgrown, try pruning instead., Before considering division, look for a consistent decrease in flowering from year to year., Examine the center of the lavender plant.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use cuttings instead of division to create new plants.
Propagate lavender plants through cuttings instead of division, if your goal is to create more plants.
Cuttings have a high survival rate and are easier to start.
Division significantly increases the chance of plant death, and should only be used if necessary for the survival of the plant, using the criteria described below.Skip ahead to the softwood method for a faster method of cutting, which must be done in spring or summer.
Skip ahead to the layering method if you have enough space and time to let your cutting develop roots before removing it from the plant.
This can be started at any time, but requires about three months of growth before the cutting can be separated. -
Step 2: If your lavender is overgrown
Due to the high risk of death following division, even an overgrown lavender plant should usually not be split apart.
Prune away about ⅓ of its branches instead, leaving a little of the young, green growth on the plant.Ideally, prune the lavender plant in spring or early summer, just after new growth begins.
Pruning in autumn can cause the plant to waste energy on new growth, leaving it vulnerable to frost.
Do not prune lavender plants in the first year, when they are establishing roots.
If the old, woody growth is already too large for your garden, consider taking several cuttings and removing the old plant entirely once the new ones have been established for a year.
Division is a more rapid solution, but one with a much lower success rate.. , Pay attention to how many flowers your lavender produces, compared to previous years.
A slight or temporary decrease may be due to differences in the weather.
However, if the plant has been declining for two or more years, and produces significantly fewer flowers, you may need to divide the plant.
A safer move may be to start new plants from cuttings, and continue to watch the progress of the old plant. , Older lavender plants may begin to die in the center, only producing flowers around the outside.
This is one of the few situations in which dividing a lavender plant may be necessary.
However, any lavender plant has a significant risk of death following division.
Opinions are divided on whether a younger or older plant has a lower risk from division. -
Step 3: try pruning instead.
-
Step 4: Before considering division
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Step 5: look for a consistent decrease in flowering from year to year.
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Step 6: Examine the center of the lavender plant.
Detailed Guide
Propagate lavender plants through cuttings instead of division, if your goal is to create more plants.
Cuttings have a high survival rate and are easier to start.
Division significantly increases the chance of plant death, and should only be used if necessary for the survival of the plant, using the criteria described below.Skip ahead to the softwood method for a faster method of cutting, which must be done in spring or summer.
Skip ahead to the layering method if you have enough space and time to let your cutting develop roots before removing it from the plant.
This can be started at any time, but requires about three months of growth before the cutting can be separated.
Due to the high risk of death following division, even an overgrown lavender plant should usually not be split apart.
Prune away about ⅓ of its branches instead, leaving a little of the young, green growth on the plant.Ideally, prune the lavender plant in spring or early summer, just after new growth begins.
Pruning in autumn can cause the plant to waste energy on new growth, leaving it vulnerable to frost.
Do not prune lavender plants in the first year, when they are establishing roots.
If the old, woody growth is already too large for your garden, consider taking several cuttings and removing the old plant entirely once the new ones have been established for a year.
Division is a more rapid solution, but one with a much lower success rate.. , Pay attention to how many flowers your lavender produces, compared to previous years.
A slight or temporary decrease may be due to differences in the weather.
However, if the plant has been declining for two or more years, and produces significantly fewer flowers, you may need to divide the plant.
A safer move may be to start new plants from cuttings, and continue to watch the progress of the old plant. , Older lavender plants may begin to die in the center, only producing flowers around the outside.
This is one of the few situations in which dividing a lavender plant may be necessary.
However, any lavender plant has a significant risk of death following division.
Opinions are divided on whether a younger or older plant has a lower risk from division.
About the Author
Jeffrey Adams
Writer and educator with a focus on practical organization knowledge.
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