Fall Harvesting Your Lavender

Lavender is a hardy, fragrant plant that graces many gardens with its beautiful blooms and soothing scent. If you have lavender blooming in late August, you’re in a prime position to maximize your fall harvest. This guide will walk you through the steps to harvest flowers and transplants effectively, ensuring that you get the most out of your lavender plants.

Understanding Lavender Growth Cycles

Before getting into the harvesting process, it’s important to understand lavender’s growth cycles. Lavender typically blooms twice a year—once in early summer and again in late summer to early fall. The late August bloom offers a second opportunity to harvest, particularly beneficial for gardeners looking to maximize their yield.

When to Harvest Lavender Flowers

Timing is everything when it comes to harvesting lavender:

• Optimal Harvest Time: The best time to harvest lavender is when about half of the flower buds on a stem have opened. This is when the essential oils are at their peak, ensuring the strongest fragrance and flavor.
• Morning Harvesting: Harvest lavender in the morning after the dew has evaporated. The essential oils are more concentrated at this time, which makes for a more potent harvest.

How to Harvest Lavender Flowers

Proper technique is key to ensuring the health of your lavender plant and the quality of your harvest:

1. Use Sharp Tools: Always use sharp pruning shears or scissors to cut the stems. This reduces the risk of damaging the plant.
2. Cut Above the Leaves: When cutting, make sure to leave a few inches of green growth on the plant. Cut just above the leaves to encourage healthy regrowth.
3. Harvest in Small Batches: If you have a large lavender bush, harvest in small sections over several days rather than all at once. This method reduces plant stress and promotes continuous blooming.
4. Avoid Woody Stems: Focus on harvesting from the green, flexible parts of the plant. Avoid cutting into the woody stems, as this can hinder future growth.

Preparing Lavender for Drying

Once you’ve harvested your lavender, proper drying is essential to preserve its fragrance and color:

• Bundling: Gather the lavender stems into small bundles and tie them together with string or a rubber band. Make sure the bundles are not too thick to allow for proper air circulation.
• Hanging: Hang the bundles upside down in a dark, dry, and well-ventilated space. Darkness helps preserve the color, while good airflow prevents mold and mildew.
• Drying Time: Lavender typically takes about two to four weeks to dry completely. You’ll know it’s ready when the stems snap easily, and the buds feel dry to the touch.

Maximizing Transplants for a Healthy Lavender Garden

Fall is also an excellent time to propagate lavender through transplants. Here’s how to make the most of your lavender plants for future growth:

1. Selecting Healthy Plants: Choose mature lavender plants with healthy, green growth. These are the best candidates for successful transplants.
2. Root Division: For larger, well-established plants, consider dividing the root ball. Gently dig up the plant, shake off the excess soil, and use a sharp spade or knife to split the root ball into smaller sections. Each section should have healthy roots and green growth.
3. Cuttings: Take cuttings from new growth that hasn’t yet become woody. Cut 4-6 inches of stem just below a node (where the leaves attach). Remove the lower leaves and dip the cut end in rooting hormone before planting in a well-draining soil mix. If you don’t have any rooting hormone, don’t let it stop you. As long as you have good soil and keep it moist, lavender can do pretty well on its own.
4. Transplanting: Plant your divided roots or cuttings in a sunny spot with well-draining soil. Lavender prefers slightly alkaline soil, so consider adding a bit of lime if your soil is too acidic. Space the plants about 12-18 inches apart to allow for air circulation and growth.
5. Watering: Water the transplants thoroughly after planting. Keep the soil moist (but not waterlogged) for the first few weeks as the plants establish themselves. Once established, lavender is drought-tolerant and requires less frequent watering.

Post-Harvest Care for Lavender Plants

To ensure your lavender plants thrive after harvest, follow these care tips:

• Pruning: After harvesting, give your lavender plants a light pruning. Trim back the green growth to shape the plant and encourage bushier growth next season. Avoid cutting into the woody parts of the plant.
• Mulching: Apply a light layer of mulch around the base of the plant to protect the roots during the winter. This is especially important in colder climates.
• Fertilizing: Lavender doesn’t require much fertilizer, but a light application of compost or a balanced fertilizer in the fall can help support healthy growth next season.

Additional Tips for a Bountiful Lavender Harvest

• Regular Monitoring: Keep an eye on your lavender plants throughout the fall. If you notice any signs of disease or pests, address them promptly to avoid damage to the plant.
• Succession Planting: Consider planting different varieties of lavender that bloom at slightly different times. This strategy can extend your harvest period and ensure a steady supply of lavender throughout the growing season.

Benefits of Cutting More Than Just the Flowers

1. Encouraging Bushier Growth: By cutting back some of the green stems and leaves along with the flowers, you can encourage the plant to become bushier and more compact. This helps the plant maintain a healthy shape and promotes more vigorous growth in the following season.
2. Preventing Woody Growth: Lavender plants tend to become woody over time, especially at the base. Cutting back some of the green growth helps prevent the plant from becoming too woody, which can reduce the plant’s overall productivity and lifespan.
3. Improving Air Circulation: Trimming back the stems and leaves also helps improve air circulation within the plant, which can reduce the risk of fungal diseases, particularly in humid climates.
4. Promoting New Blooms: Cutting back more of the plant encourages it to produce new growth, which can lead to a secondary bloom later in the season. While the second bloom may not be as abundant as the first, it still provides additional flowers and a prolonged harvest.
5. Harvesting for Culinary and Craft Uses: The stems and leaves of lavender also contain essential oils, though not as concentrated as the flowers. These can be used in crafting, making infused oils, or in culinary applications where a more subtle lavender flavor is desired.

How Much to Cut

• For Established Plants: You can safely cut back about one-third of the green growth after the main harvest. This helps the plant regenerate and reduces the chance of it becoming too woody.
• For Younger Plants: Be more conservative with younger plants. Focus on cutting the flowers and only a small amount of the green growth to avoid stressing the plant too much.

How to Cut

• Cut Just Above the Woody Part: Always cut above the woody part of the plant, leaving some green growth behind. Avoid cutting into the woody stems, as they don’t regenerate as well and can weaken the plant.
• Use Sharp Tools: Use sharp pruning shears to make clean cuts, which helps the plant heal more quickly and reduces the risk of disease.

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