Things You'll Need:
- Gardening gloves
- Pruning shears or clippers
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Step 1
Choose the right time to shape your ornamental lavender plant. Early April is ideal, when the green leaves are just appearing on the bottom of the plant. If your plant is new, just pinch back new growth that is deviating from the shape you want rather than embarking on any rigorous pruning and shaping.
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Step 2
Prune the ornamental lavender correctly. Many people mistake harvesting for pruning. When you harvest lavender, you cut only the flower wand, not the foliage. When you prune, cut back the top third of the spent wands. Protect your hands with gardening gloves and use pruning shears or clippers.
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Step 3
Shape the plant as you prune. Most people shape lavender into a neat mound, although some cultivate hedges. Prune a little less off the top and a little more on the sides to create the mound shape. Avoid pruning any old wood (you will be able to tell because there will be no new leaves in that area), as this may prevent any new growth.
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Step 4
Shape the plant as you harvest. Once the plant is halfway covered with blooms, start to harvest them. Cut the flower want only. New growth will bloom in the areas you harvest, so rotate your harvest and do it in a pattern of the sides of the mound first, then the top.
