Hello, I live in North York. I have had a healthy lavender plant for several years and I have pruned it end of season as advised. This year it is all woody except for a a small amount of green leaves. Should I cut it right back to just the part that has new growth? I’ve attached 2 photos. Thank you,
Thank you for contacting the Toronto Master Gardeners concerning your lavender plant.
Pruning of lavender should only be done once you see new growth on the plant. Prune to just above the new growth. Lavender should never be cut back into the old wood, which will not regenerate if cut too deeply.
Removing any deadwood (stems with no clear, active growth) can happen at that time. I also had 4 large lavender plants and had lots of deadwood in the plant which i pruned our this week.
While written for commercial growers, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has a good description of lavender pruning, including an illustrative photo. You can find the reference at this link, near the end of the page:
Good luck with your lavender.