The large lavender varieties in particular quickly overgrow the space allotted to them and spread throughout the garden. Many a desperate gardener comes up with the idea of dividing the lavender that has grown too large. But be careful: dividing older, woody plants can cause great damage and lead to the death of the lavender.
Is lavender divisible?
Lavender is a shrub and should therefore be pruned rather than divided. Division of older, woody lavender plants can cause damage and lead to death. However, younger plants may be able to be divided if done carefully.
It's better to prune lavender instead of dividing it
Lavender is not a perennial plant - which can be divided - but rather a shrub. The plant becomes woody as it ages and usually no longer sprouts from this old wood - for this reason you should never cut lavender back too far. A lavender that is several years old and has become too large should be cut back drastically. You can prune the plant by half, but if possible only cut away soft shoots. With a neat, round topiary you can also reduce the width of the plant.
Share grown lavender
If pruning doesn't help or the lavender is clearly too large, you can still try dividing it. However, you should proceed carefully and, above all, avoid damaging any roots, otherwise the plant will die. However, this measure is usually no longer possible with heavily woody lavender plants. When dividing, proceed as follows:
- Dig up the lavender to be divided, including the root ball.
- Try to avoid damaging any roots.
- Younger plants usually survive division better.
- Look closely at the plant and determine the best cutting path.
- Cut the lavender this way with a sharp and clean knife.
- Do not under any circumstances prune the taproot.
- Do not touch the interfaces with your fingers and seal them with a tree resin (€11.00 on Amazon).
- Otherwise pathogens or fungi can invade and cause an infection.
It is better not to share lavender for propagation
If you just want to propagate your lavender, dividing it is too risky and therefore unsuitable. Cuttings or cuttings are much more suitable for propagation, although some types of lavender, such as the sterile Lavandin, can actually only be propagated using these methods. The right time to propagate cuttings is spring (no more frosts should be expected) and early summer.
Tips & Tricks
Not all lavender varieties can be propagated from seeds. Only real lavender often sows itself and grows wild in this way.
