How and when should I divide this 3 year old shrub? I want to put this successful plant in some other spots.
A huge lavender bush!
Good question. I don't know the answer but I'd like to know.
You can take cuttings from lavender, but you generally can't divide the plant. Lavender doesn't form a clump that can be divided the way many herbs do... if you follow the stems and branches, you'll probably find they lead to a single "trunk" at the base of the plant. If you're lucky, you may discover a piece that has "layered" itself, where a branch has bent down and rooted into the ground... you can cut its connection to the mother plant and then transplant it. (Pot it up for a bit first if it only has a few little roots.)
Thank you for answering that. I had never heard of dividing lavender but wasn't sure.
:-)
If you don't see any branches that have self-layered, you can encourage layering by bending a low branch (a younger one is best) down to the ground. Scrape a little "skin" off the bottom of the stem where it meets the soil, and pin it down with a rock or a U-shaped wire. Layering takes some time & patience, but it's an easy way to get some "offspring" from your plant!
Thanks so much for the info. It's hard to believe there is only one trunk but hopefully some stems have layered. I will be checking this weekend.