How do I keep lavender blooming all season?
Written by
Olivia Mitchell
Reviewed by
Prof. Samuel Fitzgerald, Ph.D.Deadheading spent blooms cause lavender to use energy to develop new buds. I cut flower stalks just above the leaves with sharp scissors, a tip I picked up from a French lavender farmer. By deadheading weekly during peak bloom, I prolong flowering for 6-8 weeks in my zone 7 garden.
Bypass Pruners
- Make clean cuts above leaf nodes
- Prevent stem crushing
- Disinfect between plants
Low-Nitrogen Fertilizer
- 0-10-10 formula recommended
- Apply once in early spring
- Avoids leafy overgrowth
Prune strategically in spring after each flowering wave, only removing 1/3 of stem length but leaving the green growth. My neighbor cut their lavender back too much and it never bloomed again. You want to balance your pruning shape while not shocking the plant. Pruning in the morning allows for the cuts to dry before the night when the moisture levels can introduce disease.
Don't use fertilizers high in nitrogen that prioritize foliage at the expense of flower development. Instead of feeding, I use crushed eggshells to provide calcium. One of my clients had a lavender bloom three times after switching from commercially available fertilizer to crushed eggshells. Minerals really do firm stems and strengthen stems, but they don't feed the plant too much or push the plant too fast.
Air circulation stops the bud drop from humidity. Put your plants at least 18 - 24 inches apart, and raise your containers on gravel beds, if possible. My balcony lavender does well because I keep a fan close by to imitate the Mediterranean breezes keeping the foliage dry and free of pests during humid summer days.
Read the full article: How to Grow Lavender: Complete Expert Guide for Success
