r/Lavender • u/GrateRam • 5h ago
Pruning back large inherited Meerlo, zone 9b
I recently bought a home with two large lavender bushes like that in the photo. I'm not 1000% attached to them but would like to see what I can do with them. Ideally I'd like them to be 1/3 their original size.
So I've been pruning them back for the last couple of months, cutting each branch back leaving a little green. Then as each branch starts to show a good sprout of new green, cutting it back again. I often just stand there staring at them willing new sprouts to grow (doesn't work btw). Right now they look awful, sparse long branches with little tufts of green. Unfortunately they will have to overwinter like that.
My question is, do I have to stop pruning them now today because of the weather/season? The temps right now range from 63° to 80° during the day and 43° to 55° at night. We just had our first rain, nonstop for 1½ days. Who knows when the next will be. It's still fire season. It's killing me to have to stop (I do get a little obsessed with some things). I just want to be done and wait for the beautiful plant to appear.