How to Save a Sad Lavender, and Lazy Propagation, by Parkrose Permaculture on YouTube. 7 min 25 s.
- Video length
- 7 min 25 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Check the plant for living growth before you cut. Bend a few stems and look for green tissue inside. If all the stems are dry and brown, the plant is unlikely to recover.
Wait until spring when new shoots appear, then remove dead flower stems and damaged growth with clean, sharp shears. Cut back to healthy green shoots, not into the old bare wood.
Trim the remaining stems by about one third to keep the plant compact. Do not cut into thick, leafless wood because lavender often will not regrow from it.
Improve drainage around the plant. Mix grit into the soil surface or repot into a larger pot filled with gritty, free-draining compost. Keep the crown of the plant above soil level.
Water only when the top few centimetres of soil feel dry. Lavender hates wet roots, so avoid mulching right against the stem and never let the pot sit in water.
For cuttings, choose healthy shoots about 10 to 15 cm long that are not flowering. Cut just below a leaf node with clean shears.
Strip the lower leaves and dip the cut end in rooting hormone if you have it. Push the cutting into a small pot of gritty compost, water it, and keep it in a warm, bright spot out of direct sun.
Keep the compost lightly damp and wait for roots to form in about four to six weeks. Pull gently on the stem to check, then pot each rooted cutting on its own.
Tips and common mistakes
Wear gloves and clean your shears before and after pruning to reduce the risk of disease and cuts.
Do not cut lavender hard back into old woody stems because it may never send out new growth from bare wood.
Take more cuttings than you need because not every stem will root.
Avoid rich compost and overwatering, which encourage soft growth and root rot.
Questions
Can a completely dead lavender be saved?
No. If every stem is dry and brown inside, the plant has died. Use healthy cuttings from another plant or replace it.
When is the best time to take lavender cuttings?
Take softwood cuttings in late spring or early summer, when the plant is growing strongly. Avoid flowering stems and very woody old growth.
How long do lavender cuttings take to root?
Most take around four to six weeks in warm conditions. Keep the compost just damp and do not tug the cutting hard to check.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
