Winter is Coming - Should I cover my lavender plants?

Our lavender farm is located in Zone 5b (Finger Lakes Region of NY/Honeoye Lake). Every year around the second week of November, we frost cover our lavender. Using an Agri-bon frost cover, we place hoops in the ground over the plants, and pull the cover over the row. We weigh the cover down with firewood, stones, and pavers. When you have lavender plants, it is always a question whether to frost cover. In our experience, frost covering allows us to have very little to no impact from our cold, windy, snowy winters. For our farm, it is the occurrence of frigid wind chills without enough snow to insulate that results in loss of uncovered plants. Aside from the cost of the cover, a con of frost covering the lavender lies in creating a large covered campground for rodents and snakes. They love to make their homes under the cover and lavender plants. Occasionally their winter nesting causes some damage to the plants, but it is usually minimal for us. Another con of frost covering is the claim that it holds moisture around your plants. We have found that the Agri-bon frost cover allows in light and moisture. With our naturally good drainage, we haven't experienced any mold or fungal problems with frost covering. Around late April, we'll uncover the plants and allow them to adjust to the spring temperatures. We hope this blog post helps you to decide whether you want to cover your plants. If you have questions regarding your lavender plant care, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.