Lavendar plant - can I divide it?

waterwatereverywhere

Hi,

We have a lovely French lavender in a pot which is quite big. Would like to give some to my sister in law - would it be possible to divide it? Just worried that we might kill it if we try, so would be grateful if anyone knows if it should work before we try!

If it is possible what is the best way? We were thinking just remove it from the pot and slice through it plant, roots, compost and all and then plant the two halves in separate pots.....

Many thanks for any advice on this.

ALIBOBSY

Hmm I know you can easily take cuttings as have done this with our many times (with different varieties of lavender and other woody herbs).

I think I would take a few cuttings first and get them growing so if splitting doesn't work you have a fallback replacement. I would have thought as long as each peice has plenty of roots and is looked after they should come back.

Or simply do the cuttings and give her one of those so your big plant is safe. Lavenders do tend to get a bit woody after a few years so don't last forever anyway so worth getting into producing new plants anyway for when yours needs replacing lol.

ali x

waterwatereverywhere

Thanks very much alibobsy - that sounds very sensible advice so will establish some cuttings first - just googled cuttings and it said I can take softwood cuttings in Spring time and hardwood cuttings in Autumn so hopefully some of the soft stem cuttings I take now will establish themselves ... fingers crossed!

BargainGalore

found this for help with cuttings

http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/lavender-cuttings/

waterwatereverywhere

Thank you very much bargainsgalore, will take a look at your link.

ixwood

You can't divide Lavender, it'll kill it. Cuttings are easy and should take no problem.