Tiffy, I trim mine back early. I didn't this year and I'm glad I didn't as we had a late frost (but are trimmed now). Always trim back well before cold sets in. You can trim off the dead wood too. They will re-sprout nicely, keep bushy.

GGG

I have 'Munstead' and 'Vera' growing pretty big in bloom. I trim them up at the first sign of new growth around the first 2 weeks of April...a later frost don't hurt them at all should one come afterwards. Usually I just prune (rounding as I go) about 4" inches into the plant below last years wands, but if I need to really cut one back I go down as low as 6" from the ground. Just make sure if you go that low that you are cutting above new growth. All of them are sending up wands now and I'll harvest them, prune again and wait for a 2nd flush of summer blooms. I leave the last flush go to seed as I enjoy watching the finches feast on them plus there's the benefit of self-sown seedlings :D

Vera

I was thinking the same too. I have several lavenders that have survived the winter here and they're looking a bit gnarly and the do need cutting back. I was going to wait some more weeks to give their woody bases more time to bulk-up on their shoot-growth before cutting. They're going to get some food this week so that will help.

I forget that you "northerners" can grow types of lavender that aren't much bothered by frost and even cold moisture. The types I have to grow down here might kick the bucket if frozen water got into their hollow stems.

I am jealous of your lavenders :)

GGG

I have a row of Munstead lavender that's been in the same place for about 7 years. I trim it back to about 5" late winter, early spring.
Karyn

Drainage is really important but so is ground protection. I was comparing my lavenders in two different areas and those in part shade, grown with a good amount of mulch, have less "gnarliness", they really look far better than the plants in full sun with a thinner layer of mulch. They both have the same initial layer of mulch, but those in part shade also got leaf drop in Autumn and that added a few inches to the top, and as it's breaking down it will add some nutrients. Mulch and soil amendments (even if supplied by Ma Nature) really seem to be a factor in how well the plant winters over and leafs out in Spring.

Thanks everyone. Such a great group for info and I knew I could count on my WS friends to have hands on info. :O)

No one braved the transplant question. Any takers for that one? I'll be moving them this weekend.

GGG, You may like our lavenders, but I greatly admire some of the plants you grow in Atlanta. I often think I have zonal envy when I read about your flowers in bloom when mine are just starting to break ground, but then remind myself that I'd rather my cool summers... Just can't take the heat.

Trudi, I seem to be having the same experience. I have other lavenders in full sun which get the same mulch as the ones in sun from noon onwards, and like you, the ones in less sun get leaf drop in the fall (just cleaned it off the plants and left them on the ground and there's lots of new growth there).

I also throw some ashes from the wood stove in with my compost mulch when mulching them in the spring and will give them more ashes in mid-summer. Our soil here is highly acidic and they prefer the 'softer' soil. It helps a lot.

Vera, I didn't know they would rebloom. Nice to know!

I moved an English Lavendar last year that wasn't doing much in the space it was in for two years. I put it with some others that were growing like mad. I dug it up, put it in the ground in the new spot...no special treatment.
It started showing how much it liked the area. It's bigger than it ever was in the old space. It's putting out new growth now, and I trimmed it back about three weeks ago.
So I don't think you have to worry about it transplanting. I'm pretty clumsy and it survived me ;-)

Linda

As for moving....I've only had success moving self-sown seedlings that are still very small. I tried a mature one and it died...the roots go out and beyond the drip-line and they have a pretty deep tap root. But then were I have them it's pretty gravely soil and that makes for hard digging!
A comment on the mulched lavenders....I don't mulch them with anything except a little gravel and have them all growing in the poorest of soil; very lean and low in nutrients. I have some in full sun and part sun and there's no difference as far as beauty and hardiness are concerned.

Vera

Have you thought about taking cuttings, just for insurance? I have no experience with transplanting lavender, but I certainly love growing the stuff... I've got it all over the place in my garden, and I'm trying cuttings now too because I don't think there could ever be too much lavender.

Linda,

That's good! :)

Vera,

Where these were planted there used to be a huge boulder about 4 to 5 feet long and 3 feet wide. Only a tip was showing on the surface when I tried to remove it, but as I dug, I realized I was in trouble. Neighbour happened to see me, came over, and after he was finished laughing to the point of tears, he got his backhoe and took it out for me. The hole was replaced with many buckets of used coffee grounds, several bags of leaves, and a cart load of seaweed and left there for a year. It's nice stuff so I shouldn't have any problems which is good.

Newskye,

I just might try that this summer - or even take the trimming this weekend and stick them in pots. Great idea! Right now I have 4 Forsythias, 3 Endless Summer Hydrangeas, one Variegated Hydrangea, 2 Peegee Hydrangeas, and a few more plants to deal with which were started from stem cuttings last year. I enjoy doing these in the summer!

Several years ago we rented a home, and when I left, I took my lavender plants with me. I dug them up, and put them in my car trunk, lol. I didn't know what I was doing, and they survived. Of course they were around a year old, although I purchased these at the store, so they were probably a least somewhat older than that. They had grown by probably 3X by the time I dug them up and transpanted them.