Aunt Lou, We live in the same zone and even the same state.
My wife has a few lavenders spread here and there and we usually leave them until spring to cut back. I don't know if this is the correct way to do it, but it seems to work. I don't think that we've lost any plants. You may want to get another opinion, that's just my experience.

Luke

Aunt Lou, I am in (mostly) 5b (some zone 6 plants do manage well here, though). I have several lavender plants that are well established in fairly exposed beds. I do nothing to them for winter, trim them back in spring if they need it.
My first couple of attempts at lavender didn't take, but I think that the soil was too wet in spring. In a different spots >> success without much fuss.

I have plenty of lavender growing. I usually cut back in Spring or atleast by September if they got out of hand in the summer which they did this year and I took them back mid September to about 1/3 their size. They still had time to sprout some new growth but I would wait now until Spring.
CH

Thanks, everyone, for the advice! I will wait now until spring to trim back. :)

aunt lou

your page doesn't say where in ohio that you are, but if you rae near tyhe Akron Area, the Dayton Nursery in Norton
Ohio (www.daytonnursery.com) its on January 30th at noon and costs $8.00-- the owner of the Daybreak Lavender Farm is running the seminar.

diggerb