Hi,
I have Rosemary, Sage, Lavender, Anise Hyssop, Lemon Verbana, Mint, and Oregano. For some reason my sage and mint start to look ugly towards the end of the year and throughout winter. Could I cut them to the ground so they pop up fresh for Spring? When is the best time to prune? Also, when is the best times to harvest. I really like it when the lavender and anise hyssop bloom. I don't want to cut too much so that it delays or prevents that from happening. Could I harvest lightly and then more after it blooms?
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PunkRotten
- Greener Thumb
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- Location: Monterey, CA.
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PunkRotten
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1989
- Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:48 pm
- Location: Monterey, CA.
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rainbowgardener
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- Location: TN/GA 7b
I can't answer all the questions because your climate is so different. I'm not sure what happens to those plants in a year around growing season. Mine go completely dormant in winter.
But I can say that some of those, like especially lavender and sage, as the plants get older, they get woody at the bottom and lower parts of the branches. When you prune/ harvest, you don't want to cut down in to the woody part. It will not regenerate. That doesn't mean you have killed the plant; if it is healthy, it will put out new branches. But that branch is then done.
I never harvest any lavender until it blooms, because the flowers are what you most want to harvest. So in the spring I leave it alone until it blooms. Once it blooms, I cut most of the flower stems down to a few inches above where it is woody, just leaving a few flowers for the bees, which love them. Once it has been cut back like that it will re-grow and rebloom. In my climate, I may get three flushes of blooms and then it will still keep putting out one or two more flowers at a time, until totally shut down by frost.
A lot of other herbs like oregano, thyme, sage, mint, people usually don't let them bloom much, thinking the quality of the herbs are better before it blooms. I always cut some before it it blooms, but let a little bit bloom for the bees and butterflies. But it my climate, the general pattern is to let it grow freely for awhile in spring, then start cutting here and there, and then in late summer and early fall cut it back a lot.
But I can say that some of those, like especially lavender and sage, as the plants get older, they get woody at the bottom and lower parts of the branches. When you prune/ harvest, you don't want to cut down in to the woody part. It will not regenerate. That doesn't mean you have killed the plant; if it is healthy, it will put out new branches. But that branch is then done.
I never harvest any lavender until it blooms, because the flowers are what you most want to harvest. So in the spring I leave it alone until it blooms. Once it blooms, I cut most of the flower stems down to a few inches above where it is woody, just leaving a few flowers for the bees, which love them. Once it has been cut back like that it will re-grow and rebloom. In my climate, I may get three flushes of blooms and then it will still keep putting out one or two more flowers at a time, until totally shut down by frost.
A lot of other herbs like oregano, thyme, sage, mint, people usually don't let them bloom much, thinking the quality of the herbs are better before it blooms. I always cut some before it it blooms, but let a little bit bloom for the bees and butterflies. But it my climate, the general pattern is to let it grow freely for awhile in spring, then start cutting here and there, and then in late summer and early fall cut it back a lot.