Your Cool Home is supported by its readers. Please assume all links are affiliate links. If you purchase something from one of our links, we make a small commission from Amazon. Thank you!
To winterize lavender bushes, you need to protect them from cold, wet conditions, and harsh winds.
Lavender is a tough Mediterranean plant, but it hates soggy roots and freezing temperatures more than anything.
If you winterize lavender bushes properly, they’ll come back strong and fragrant in spring.
In this post, we’ll walk through exactly how to winterize lavender bushes step by step, no matter where you live.
Why You Need to Winterize Lavender Bushes
Lavender bushes need winterizing because their natural habitat features mild, dry winters.
When you winterize lavender bushes, you’re mimicking those dry, protected conditions.
Here’s what happens if you skip it.
1. Cold Damage Kills Tender Growth
Lavender’s soft new growth is the first to suffer when temperatures drop.
If you don’t winterize lavender bushes, that tender growth dies back, and the plant wastes energy trying to recover.
2. Wet Roots Cause Rot
Winter rain and melting snow sit heavy in the soil.
Lavender roots hate staying wet, and that’s the fastest way to lose a plant.
When you winterize lavender bushes, you improve drainage and keep roots drier.
3. Wind Desiccates the Plant
Cold winter winds pull moisture from the leaves.
A lavender bush that isn’t protected can dry out and turn brittle before spring arrives.
How to Winterize Lavender Bushes: Step by Step
Learning how to winterize lavender bushes isn’t complicated once you know the key moves.
Follow these steps.
1. Stop Fertilizing in Late Summer
If you want to winterize lavender bushes successfully, stop feeding them by mid to late summer.
Fertilizer pushes new growth that won’t harden off before frost.
That soft growth is the first to die.
2. Prune Lightly After Blooming
The best time to prune is right after the flowers fade, not in late fall.
A light trim keeps the plant tidy without encouraging fresh growth.
When you winterize lavender bushes, never cut into the old woody stems.
Those woody parts rarely regrow.
3. Improve Soil Drainage
Before winter hits, check that water doesn’t pool around your lavender.
Mix in grit or sand if your soil holds moisture.
If you garden in pots, raise them on bricks so excess water drains freely.
This single step can make or break your effort to winterize lavender bushes.
4. Add a Layer of Mulch—But Carefully
Mulch helps, but only if you use the right kind.
Use gravel, crushed stone, or coarse sand instead of bark or leaves.
Organic mulches trap moisture against the crown and cause rot.
When you winterize lavender bushes, keep mulch away from the stem.
5. Cover with Breathable Material
In harsh climates, cover your lavender with a breathable fabric like burlap or horticultural fleece.
Never use plastic, because it traps moisture and suffocates the plant.
Drape the cover loosely and secure it with stakes or clothespins.
This is how to winterize lavender bushes in zones with freezing winds.
Winterizing Lavender Bushes in Pots vs. Ground
How you winterize lavender bushes depends on where they grow.
1. Potted Lavender
Potted lavender is more vulnerable because roots freeze faster.
Move pots to a sheltered spot against a wall or into an unheated garage.
Water sparingly through winter—just enough to keep roots alive.
2. Lavender in the Ground
In-ground lavender is hardier, but still needs help.
Mound gravel around the base and cover the top with burlap if your winters are brutal.
If you winterize lavender bushes in the ground correctly, they’ll survive temperatures down to about 10°F.
3. Choosing Cold-Hardy Varieties
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the toughest.
Varieties like ‘Munstead’ and ‘Hidcote’ handle cold better than French or Spanish types.
When you winterize lavender bushes, starting with a hardy variety makes everything easier.
Common Mistakes When You Winterize Lavender Bushes
Even careful gardeners slip up.
Avoid these errors when you winterize lavender bushes.
1. Pruning Too Late
Fall pruning stimulates growth that winter kills.
Prune after bloom, not before frost.
2. Using the Wrong Mulch
Leaf mulch and straw hold water.
Stick with gravel or sand when you winterize lavender bushes.
3. Overwatering in Winter
Lavender is drought-tolerant and needs almost no water in winter.
Too much water is the number one killer of lavender in cold months.
So, How Do You Winterize Lavender Bushes?
To winterize lavender bushes, you protect them from cold, wet roots, and drying winds.
Stop fertilizing early, prune lightly after blooming, improve drainage, mulch with gravel, and cover with breathable fabric if needed.
Potted lavender needs extra shelter, and cold-hardy varieties give you a head start.
If you winterize lavender bushes with these steps, your plants will reward you with lush, fragrant blooms next season.