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Herbal Wisdom:  Lavandula angustifolia. 'Hidcote'  |
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coconutcakes
True Blue Farmgirl
52 Posts
Emily
Summerfield
NC
USA
52 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 10 2006 : 6:12:35 PM
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Hi! I've got an herb question for the experienced or simply in-the-know lavender grower.
I planted L. angustifolia 'Hidcote' in my herb garden last year, and it did great. This is the first time I've grown it, so I don't really know how to care for the plants. Apparently, it's a perennial in my zone (7b). Of course, over the course of the cold weather months, the plants went dormant and crunchy brown. I didn't touch it, prune it, or anything except for harvesting some to dry last year. Now the plants are showing sign of new growth and green, but there's the old crunchy dead brown stems left too. (Some of the growth is taking place on these stems.) Do I need to cut back or prune the plants? How do you properly care for this particular kind of lavender?
Much obliged in advance for any help or advice!
Thank you,
Emily
"After a long period abroad nothing could make me more homesick or emotional than an American magazine ad of a luscious layer cake, except one, and that was a pictured lemon pie." Irma Rombauer, Joy of Cooking (1943) |
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Julia
True Blue Farmgirl
1949 Posts
Julia
Shelton
WA
USA
1949 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2006 : 9:19:11 PM
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Don't be afraid to cut it back to clean it up. Mine has new growth on the branches but it still looks scraggly. So I will be cutting it back a bit more. It is still earlyin the season so the plant will do fine and be the happier for it.
"...the setting sun is like going into the very presence of God." Elizabeth Von Arnim |
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westernhorse51
True Blue Farmgirl
1681 Posts
michele
farmingdale
n.j.
USA
1681 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2006 : 05:45:26 AM
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you should cut it back & prune it, it will grow. You said this is your second growing season for it? It is normal for the leaves to get like that, new growth will return. Im in N.J. & mine lookes so sick after the first summer, now it's great. Good luck.
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
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coconutcakes
True Blue Farmgirl
52 Posts
Emily
Summerfield
NC
USA
52 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2006 : 2:17:00 PM
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Thank y'all! Now I certainly won't feel so guilty about pruning/cutting it back! I just started herb gardening last year, and this continual cutting back business was new to me! I almost love herb gardening more than my vegetables. . .
Emily
"After a long period abroad nothing could make me more homesick or emotional than an American magazine ad of a luscious layer cake, except one, and that was a pictured lemon pie." Irma Rombauer, Joy of Cooking (1943) |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2006 : 10:40:54 PM
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We have a hedge of lavender, about 6 huge plants along one of our walks. Every spring it looks like death, but in a few weeks comes back to life, greening up nicely. Lavender is late to green up in the north. I never trim my lavender unless it gets straggly, and then only a teeny tiny bit. A general rule of thumb is to prune herbs back in the spring by 1/2 the size of the plant (as needed). In the fall never cut back plants more than 1/4 of the entire plant. In the fall plants need to put down roots for winter survival. Severe pruning will cause the plant to put it's energy into new growth. That's all I got. 
Rhonda
...and I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance, even if I'm the only one! |
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coconutcakes
True Blue Farmgirl
52 Posts
Emily
Summerfield
NC
USA
52 Posts |
Posted - Apr 22 2006 : 5:36:48 PM
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Rhonda, thank you for replying! I am going to commit your "general rules of thumb" to memory. . . I'm still learning so much! I pruned the lavender back a little last week, just getting the scragglies neatened. And guess what? (Here in the Southeast), the plants are already starting to look better. Now I'm having trouble with my English creeping thyme. . . I thought it was a perennial, but it just won't come back!
Emily
"After a long period abroad nothing could make me more homesick or emotional than an American magazine ad of a luscious layer cake, except one, and that was a pictured lemon pie." Irma Rombauer, Joy of Cooking (1943) |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Apr 22 2006 : 7:54:40 PM
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I just trimmed up one of my lavender plants today. It had the same sick looking brown leaves but has green at the bottom. It now is all green and resting comfortably in a new pot!
http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
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dargaonfly1054
True Blue Farmgirl
257 Posts
Georgette
Nicholville
NY
USA
257 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2006 : 11:28:43 AM
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Georgette here from upstate (and I mean UPstate) New York. My lavender is "Munstead" and I planted it from seed in Malone, and dug up the plant to move to my new place in Nicholville. It made it through the winter (I didn't even cover it up) So this year will be its third or fourth year (I'm in zone 4) and this spring I bought a new plant. I love lavender!! I could have fields of it, but it really isn't supposed to grow this far north. Mine was pretty dried up and I kept thinking, it's dead, it didn't make it......but it not did make it, but you should see it. It looks wonderful!!!
"We need the tonic of wildness, to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk..." Thoreau |
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Herbal Wisdom: Lavandula angustifolia. 'Hidcote' |
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Lavandula angustifolia. 'Hidcote'
