Lavender

Care

• water less often!
  • lavender likes hot and dry climates; would rather be too dry than too wet
• refrain from fertilizing/composting too much (look for “omri” certified compost if not making your own)
• cover with organic matter in fall; can collect seeds once blooms turn gray

Pruning/Harvesting

• Springtime: trimming off any dead branches
• Mid-Summertime: major cut! main harvest! (chop lavender as low as possible; cut an inch or two above woody section)
  • this ensures for a full, bushy, soft lavender bush rather than it becoming mostly woody and straggly
  • pruning keeps the woody section low
    • A sickle is a great tool for harvesting lavender!

Encourage Biodiversity

• plant native flowers around or among your lavender to attract more pollinators, especially after the midsummer chop session; it looks better too :)
  • Lavender isn’t native to the U.S.
• Options: echinacea, yarrow, zinnias, stonecrop or even herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, & oregano!
  • Alliums and brassicas are an option too