A fragrant bush - lavender - a real treasure in the garden. A noble bush can be used to create live curbs and hedges or as an element of an alpine hill . And like any plant, a fragrant resident requires the owner to care: with the advent of autumn, lavender needs preparation for winter.
Lavender - pruning for the winter
Many gardeners do not know if you need to cut lavender for the winter. In fact, this procedure is necessary. Every year the bush thickens, and the stems become thicker and harder. Timely pruning not only refreshes lavender, but also gives the blossom thicker and more magnificent. If lavender is left uncut, long stems become more vulnerable to frost and strong wind.
If we talk about how to trim lavender for the winter, it's all easy. Crop only those bushes that have already bloomed for two seasons. Each plant has stems composed of a stiff part and green. For winter, cut the green part in a place where the shoot is 3 cm above the stiff part. Thus, lavender can survive the cold without loss.
Preparation of lavender for winter - shelter
Like any other plant growing in the open ground, lavender needs additional protection from cooling. However, it is not as tender as it seems. The bushes can survive the winter frosts to -20-25 degrees. In southern regions, where the cold season does not abound with sharp drops in the mercury column of the thermometer, additional measures will not be needed. But just in case, cover the bush with a thick snow layer.
The climate of the middle belt is rich in severe frosts, so for lavender, winter care necessarily includes the arrangement of shelter. The bushes can be covered with a wooden or plywood box. Another option is spruce lapnik. Do not use a popular method for gardeners to cover lavender with fallen leaves or straw. Under such material, the bush preet and begins to rot.