Q. Is there a secret to pruning lavender? Every time I try to cut it back it ends up dying!

Lavender is a tough plant and will grow exceptionally well in the hot, dry inland areas. Sometimes a little too well. I’ve had some lavender plants grow to be 6 feet across. Unfortunately, when it gets that big it will sometimes look kind of rangy. The top part may be covered with flower spikes, but the bottom part will show a lot of bare wood and become unattractive. The temptation is to cut the whole plant back since that strategy works for many perennial shrubs. For some reason, lavender doesn’t like being cut back all at once and will show its displeasure by unceremoniously dying.

After killing several lavender plants this way, I think I’ve discovered the secret to keeping them alive without letting them get out of control. It’s sneaky, but it works. I will cut only 3 or 4 stems back to about a foot (not all the way to the ground). Then I wait a week or two and cut 3 or 4 more stems. The idea is to make the plant think that it’s not getting pruned. Sure, it might take all summer to get the plant under control, but at least it won’t die.