Growing Lavender The Sunshine Way
Haircuts, Dry Feet, Sunlight, And Circulation
Haircuts: We have all seen them, Lavender Plants that were once 
lush and full now woody and sparse. It is the number one question that we get “How come my plants don’t look like that”. Haircuts or Pruning is a must to maintain your lavender and set it up for new growth in spring. The Spike (bloom/stem) and two thirds of the new growth should be pruned from the plant, being careful not to cut back into the established wood. Pruning can be done in the fall or early spring after all threat of frost or freezing. Our 
preference is to prune shortly after harvest as it seems to give us the best results. No matter when you decide to prune make sure that the Spikes have been removed from the plant before winter’s rainy season. Dried Spikes become a cellular sponge absorbing rain and moisture from the air. This moisture is heavier than the natural oils and imbibed fluids that were in the Spike before drying out. The Spike is no longer strong enough to hold the dead and soon decaying Spike off the plant. Spikes full of moisture lay down on the plant introducing fungus and diseases into the plant.
Dry Feet: The root system of the lavender plant is relatively shallow
rooted and requires well drain soil. Low spots, Clay, or soils amended heavily with peat are not ideal for growing lavender. These conditions hold water around the roots and generally cause a condition in the plant called root rot. Root Rot appears oddly enough as a blackening of the sides of the plant, and is actually a fungus affecting that section of the plant. As a general rule we amend our soil with sand, about a 50/50 ratio, half natural soil and half sand. This enhances the drainage, while adding more soil raises the plant above the normal surface level. In the field we use a black runner of nursery cloth which helps to control weeds and reflects heat back into the interior of the plant. In general planting area’s we recommend a top dress around the base of the plant with pea gravel, crushed rock, or a heavy layer of sand to accomplish this.
Sunlight: Sun, Sun, and more Sun don’t even think of trying to grow Lavender in a shaded area of the garden. The health and bloom production of the plant are directly related to the amount of sun the plant is exposed to in a day. Planting in shaded areas generally produce leggy weak plants.
Circulation: Crowding lavender close together reduces the amount of air circulation around the plant, allowing moisture to linger on the plant. Keeping in mind that excess moisture is detrimental to the vitality of the plant. Therefore large plants like Grosso should be planted three and half to four feet apart to allow proper circulation. When planting starter plants it might appear that more plants should be added to fill in the space. However as the plants mature it will become apparent that this spacing is a good rule of thumb.
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