Lavandula angustifolia “Silver Edge,” also known as common lavender or English lavender, matures into a small shrubby plant if grown in full sun and well-drained soil. Pruning helps shape this perennial plant so it produces more flower-bearing tips. Keep dead branches and foliage trimmed away so the plant stays healthy and attractive. Start pruning your lavender plants when they are small to develop full, bushy plants, and continue to prune them through maturity. Every time you harvest the herb you’ll be pruning the plant as well.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThings You'll Need
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSharp scissors
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Trim lavender seedlings with small, sharp scissors to encourage the development of side branches and multiple tips. Healthy seedlings won’t need pruning until they are at least 4 to 6 inches tall or until they are established in a permanent place in the garden. At that time you may wish to snip off about an inch of the growing tips so that vigorous stems and leaves remain. The plants will branch and grow at the snip points.
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Save the snipped tips to dry and use in potpourri, or use them to scent sachets. Young lavender plants have only fragrant leaves and stems. Depending on your location, flowers may appear late in the first season. Expect a full bloom by the third season.
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Prune young lavender plants sparingly during the first season to shape them. If blossoming tips begin to grow, trim them back to help the plants focus their energy on developing compact structural growth.
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMature Plants
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Trim mature lavender plants in early spring into a rounded, cushion shape to encourage dense growth. You'll notice tiny green sprouts or leaf buds on the base branches in the spring -- allow these to grow. Spring pruning also prepares the plant to develop flower spikes on the new branches. Prune off dead and damaged branches anytime during the growing season.
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Prune flower spikes and branches just before the buds open if you want useful branches with a high plant oil content and intense fragrance. Cut no more than one-third of the plant to ensure that plenty of leaves remain to support growth – don’t prune so heavily that only the woody stems are left. Tender new growth should appear in about a week. Take cuttings anytime during the growing season to propagate additional lavender plants. Vigorous pruned branches are a good source for propagation cuttings.
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Make a final pruning in late fall, and apply light mulch for winter plant protection.
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