The lavender harvest is done row by row on the Valensole plateau in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department. The cut lavender is then left to pre-wilt for about three days. It must be dry enough to lose some of the water it has stored without being too dry to prevent the grains from separating from the stems. Pre-wilting also improves the quality of the essential oil by reducing its alpha-terpineol content.