how to propagate old woody lavender

They also can grow leggy (or overly stretched) and eventually flop over. The resulting seedlings may not resemble the parent plant, but they may grow into a whole new strain found only in your garden. The majority of our lavender is planted in the ground, edging a path, and it has survived the very cold and very wet winter without any special treatment. 2.4k. Gently pull a 10cm shoot to side and strip away from main plant, ensuring it has a heel (a strip of bark) attached. Greenhouse environments may be too damp for lavender cuttings. How to Cut the Lavender Plant for Propagation. Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania. Mulch can help the soil retain water, but may cause plants to overheat during hot weather. Lavender can be propagated during all seasons. I'm hoping to increase my success. Keep the mulch away from the crown of the lavender plant, however, to prevent excess moisture and root rot. Cover with plastic to form a greenhouse-like environment for the cuttings. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. ", article was most helpful. Many species of lavender are perennial plants, meaning they live for two or more years. May 2, 2020 - Propagating lavender is fun and easy. Dust the wound and the surrounding portion of the stem with rooting hormone; then bury the wounded portion of the stem 1 to 2 inches below the surface of the soil. If your plant has long woody stems with the new growth at the top you can take cuttings from it and propagate Lavender plants. Pruning in autumn can cause the plant to waste energy on new growth, leaving it vulnerable to frost. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. After removing the foliage from the middle portion of the stem, make a shallow wound on the underside of the stem using a sanitized razor blade. 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. These plants grow larger each spring and summer, and may eventually outgrow your garden. Water the plant thoroughly to encourage new roots. You can enjoy woody Lavender as is or do what I do and use it to make more plants by using it for cuttings. They need light and warmth to germinate, so surface-sow the seeds on moist soil and cover them with clear plastic. When left to their own devices and with proper growing conditions, perennial herbs can become shrubs or carpets of ground cover. Follow these detailed step-by-step instructions to learn exactly how to propagate lavender plants from cuttings. This, "It gives me ways to propagate my lavender without dividing it and possibly killing it off. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 173,012 times. Softwood cuttings taken in spring from new growth and semi-hardwood cuttings gathered in late summer or early autumn both work well. … ", "I appreciate the illustrations and the easy-to-follow instructions. (Look up your zone’s last frost, here). She has nearly 25 years of experience in the propagation and care of plants., San Francisco Botanical Garden: Lavandula, White Flower Farm: Growing Lavender Plants, University of California Division of Agriculture And Natural Resources: Lavenders For California Gardens, Lavender Association of Wester Colorado: Propagation, Penn State Extension: Propagation By Cutting Or Layering, Penn State Extension: Dividing Perennials, Success With Seed: Lavandula Angustifolia, Missouri Botanical Garden: Lavandula Angustifolia. Lavender illustration by M. Jeng. You can sacrifice your lavender plant to create dozens of new cuttings, but only if it is between three and five years old. A step-by-step guide to propagating lavender Step 1 Choose non-flowering shoots that have a woody base but a soft, green tip. Place the lavender into the cup, making sure the water is not high enough to touch the leaves. ", "It was very thorough and detailed, giving useful cautions and options.". But try to space them apart far enough so they don’t touch each other. By growing lavender in pots and containers, you can grow a wider range of half-hardy plants, as it is easier to move the pots to a more sheltered place. Plant lavender at the same depth it was in its pot. But perennial herbs—such as lavender, oregano, sage, thyme, and rosemary—often develop woody stems and need some seasonal maintenance pruning. One of the easiest ways to make new lavender plants is through layering. Plant your lavender in well-drained, rocky soil, on a slope (if possible) to ensure drainage. Fill the bottom of each pot with sandy, fast-draining potting soil. Plan to divide the plant so each new section has at least 3 to 5 growing stems coming up from the root base. Watch for seedlings in two to three weeks. ", level of success with lavender but lose more than I would like. Some shrubs can take severe pruning and hatracking, but pruning lavender too hard wouldkill it. An easier way to propagate lavender is by cuttings, which provides a mature plant much earlier and ensures that it will be identical to the parent plant. wikiHow has encouraged me to have a go. English lavender is cold hardy whereas French lavender will die in cold winters. Keep in mind that it’ll take about 85 or so days for your plant to reach maturity if you plant lavender from seed. Bending the branch downwards, pressing that notch to the ground and making sure that it stays there, covered in soil. Growing Lavender from cuttings is the only way to reproduce some types of Lavender.There are those Lavender plants that do not produce seeds and those that do, often don't produce offspring that are anywhere similar to the parent plant. After that, do not fertilize regularly. Very woody stems close up Pruning has started Continuing the process of cutting overgrown branches back Tiny leaves indicate the stem is alive The stopping point on pruning my 5 year old lavender Key Points To Know When Pruning Woody Lavender. What to Do with Woody Lavender. You can certainly grow lavender from seed but you’ll want to start them in the Winter, several weeks before your zone’s first frost date. Deciding Whether or not to Divide Lavender, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/94\/Divide-a-Lavender-Plant-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Divide-a-Lavender-Plant-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/94\/Divide-a-Lavender-Plant-Step-1.jpg\/aid1519164-v4-728px-Divide-a-Lavender-Plant-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"