🌿 Sweetwater Lavender: Growing and Trimming Lavender in North Florida – A Journey of Trial, Error, and Sweet Rewards 🌿

Growing lavender in North Florida (Zone 8b) is definitely not your typical farming venture. This isn’t lavender country, after all—but that’s what makes it so exciting. Almost everything we’ve learned here at Sweetwater Lavender has come from good old-fashioned trial and error. And while that can be frustrating at times, let me tell you—the reward is worth it. 💜

There’s nothing quite like walking through the rows, surrounded by the calming aroma of lavender—and best of all, fewer bugs in the planting areas! 🐝✨

🌱 The Great Question: To Trim or Not to Trim? ✂️

If you’ve done any research on lavender, you’ve probably seen a dozen different opinions on trimming. Believe me, I’ve read them all too. The truth is, it depends—on your lavender variety, your climate, your soil, and your growing conditions.

Many experts give advice based on growing in cooler, drier places with different soil types. But here in humid, sandy North Florida? Things work a little differently.

Trimming lavender in Florida involves a couple of key steps.

🌾 Our Variety: Phenomenal Lavender

We grow Phenomenal Lavender, a variety known for tolerating humidity, sandy to loamy soil, and even drought. This hardy plant does just fine without irrigation—we let the weather handle that.

Florida’s weather pattern means April and May can be dry, while June and July bring rain almost daily. To help our lavender cope, we mound our rows slightly. This lifts the roots above potential standing water and improves drainage. We’re lucky that we haven’t had to amend our soil—so far, the natural mix has worked in our favor.

✂️ Back to Trimming: Just Do It!

So here’s my advice—yes, TRIM! Even though some say lavender only grows from the top and never from the base, Phenomenal Lavender isn’t like that. It appreciates a good haircut.

Here’s when we trim:

• At the start of spring to clear last year’s growth

• After harvest to encourage fresh growth

• Before winter to shape and clean up the plant

If one side of your lavender looks healthy but the other is dry or lifeless—don’t panic. It’s still a viable plant! Just trim back the dry branches, give it sun at the base, and watch new growth pop up. Letting old, dry foliage sit can trap moisture and make the plant sick. Trimming encourages it to focus energy on new lavender sprigs, both from the branches and from the base.

🌸 My Honest Take

Yes, I know this may sound different from what you've read elsewhere—but that's the beauty of learning in the garden. I’ve tried almost every method out there. Some worked. Some didn’t. But what I can say for sure is: Don’t be afraid to trim. I was at first, but now I know—trimming leads to blooming.

💜 Tips If You Want to Grow Lavender in North Florida:

• Try Phenomenal Lavender—it's the most Florida-friendly variety we've found.

• Avoid soggy roots: Plant in a well-drained area or mound up your rows.

• And yes... TRIM, TRIM, TRIM! ✂️💜

Thanks for following along on our lavender-growing journey!

If you love lavender, we’d love to have you along for the journey! Follow us on social media as we continue to grow, learn, and share all things Sweetwater Lavender.

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