I live in zone 5 and want to know if I can cut back my lavender, mint and sage plants and how far?

Thanks for identifying what zone you're in, it's valid to ask which map you are using, although the most common is USDA (Arnold Arboretum also has it's own hardiness zone map).



Most garden mints are completely hardy here, in zone 5, so you have no worries. I would recommend cutting it down, or raking the dead stuff out, once it's dry and brittle. The debris can build up, and it's not good. You'll also get rid of mint seeds, they grow fast enough by spreading that they don't need any help with additional seedlings!



Some sage is hardy too, though not all of it. I'm afraid it's up in the air on that one. If it is hardy, I don't think I'd bother cutting it back, unless it's quite large. Again, I'd wait til after Thanksgiving.



Lavender is a 'shrublet', and a broad leaf evergreen (technically). I would not cut that until spring. They can get large, but winters can really kill them back too. Let the winter claim what it will, then remove the dead in the spring and trim it up as needed.



I hope that this helps

Good luck-

I live in zone 5 and want to know if I can cut back my lavender, mint and sage plants and how far?
all herbs, in zone 5, usually overwinter better if left uncut, it helps protect them through the winter

clean up the dead stuff in spring

don't cut more than half of the woody part on sage
Reply:I don't know where zone 5 is (whose scale you're using). But, here on the coast in San Diego, the building I work in has lavender plants. Every year in winter, they cut them back to about 1 foot tall and they grow back with a vengeance in spring.
Reply:Not necessary. Mint will die back on it's own and reemerge next spring. You can mow mint to the ground if you want and you can't kill it. As long as the mint root is in the ground you will always have mint. The Lavender will likely die if you cut it back. Lavender is one of few plants that does not respond well to pruning so don't cut it back until it's gone dormant which is well after first freeze. As for the sage, I don't cut mine back either because I live in zone 7 and it's evergreen in my zone. I'm not sure about zone 5, but you might wait and see how it behaves this winter.