Overwintering Lavender: A How To Guide
The leaves on the trees have started to show their first hint of autumn color. Fall is coming, and winter won’t be far behind it. You’ve spent all spring and summer growing your field of lavender. Stepping back to take in the beauty of your hard work, you ask yourself, “Now what?” Have you thought about the task of overwintering lavender?
How do you protect your plants from the sudden death of winter frost? Turning to the internet, you quickly fall down a rabbit hole of countless tips, options, and conflicting information. Not to worry! We’re here to help you (with a simplified guide from our grower) figure out the best way to save your crops.
Understanding the Changes in Needs During Winter
As your lavender starts to go dormant anywhere from September to April, you will start to notice a decrease in their water and fertilizer needs. You should use less water as winter approaches to reduce standing moisture and lessen the significant increase of root rot that cold weather often causes.
Your plants will also need little to no fertilization once the cold hits. Unused fertilizer will start to build up in your soil, causing a deadly and toxic environment for your crops. You should start fertilizing again when new growth shows in the spring and pick up watering as the soil begins to dry out faster and faster with the rising temperatures.
First Step in Overwintering: Begin With a Trim
To protect your plants from snapping under the weight of winter snow, you will start by cutting them back into bushy round mounds. Typically you will want to remove around 2/3 of your plant. This also helps conserve their energy and nutrients during dormancy.
You should cut back the flowers and thin stems but stop as soon as you reach the woody parts of the plant. The main wood of your plant is prone to splitting and is the least resilient part of your lavender, so it should remain untouched.
Insulating Your Roots
Begin by removing all the fallen leaves and flowers from around your plants. Tree leaves and other plant material will retain moisture and harbor bacteria causing fungal diseases like root rot. After a good cleaning, start adding a thick layer of heavy mulch and pine straw around the base of your plants. This will insulate your roots and protect them from the harsh cold of winter.
The mulch will also prevent over-watering. And as it starts breaking down, the organic matter will lightly fertilize your crops. You can remove this in the spring when temperatures begin to rise and become safer for your root system.
Last But Not Least, Take Cover
Now that your plants are cut back to conserve energy and their roots are protected and insulated, let’s prepare for the frost. Here is where everyone has an opinion about overwintering lavender — and a trick up their sleeve that works best for them.
When asked what he would suggest using, our grower Brad comically said, “The real answer is, it depends.” If you use a bucket with holes to cover, you will also need a fabric on top. If you are using a bucket without holes you will need to worry about a build-up of moisture and humidity. To combat this, you would remove the bucket during the day so it can dry out and not cause fungus or mold.
Snow falling on top of already heavy blankets will almost always result in snapping plants. Really, it depends on your location, your variety, and the winter you are facing. Most times all you will need is a light fabric to get you through the winter.
We Are Here for You
Once you’ve made it through the winter, it’s time to wake up your crops and get a boost on the growing season. You should begin by trimming back all of the dead growth and getting your mounds ready for a fresh start.
Even though you might be tempted to snap off those dead stems early, you really shouldn’t prune at all until spring has arrived to prevent further frost damage to your plant. (Overwintering lavender isn’t finished quite yet!)
As temperatures rise and you see new growth, you can begin watering more frequently and fertilizing on your normal schedule. If you run into trouble with frost damage or symptoms of root rot during the winter months, definitely reach out to us with pictures and information so our grower can help you.
Send us a text, call, or email. We are always here to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
