I take the shears and trim it right back, removing the old flowers and their stalks, and another 2-3in of foliage so that for a while the bushes look like grey hedgehogs – just the lowest few pairs of tiny emerging whiskery grey shoots in evidence. Join the RHS today and get 12 months for the price of 9. When and how to clip your lavender bushes. Unpruned lavender plants become woody and often split open in the middle. Our pruning calendar set out below - month by month - gives the low down on when is the best time to prune shrubs and trees in the garden. I find two cuts a year keeps them compact and dumpy, which for a lavender hedge is particularly important. Get involved. How do I stop it going downhill from here? Great chatty review, Ash! Your skin looks fab and I certainly need to use sheet masks more often :). You prune English lavender by cutting it back by two thirds in the second half of August and you can cut into the bare wood, if needed. Lavender Hidcote in flower: they should be pruned twice a year if you want a good strong bushy plant. Lavender is a plant which requires very little attention. Lavender Pruning Tips. Copyright © 2020 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes. If you are going to prune your lavender, the best time to do it (in frost prone areas) is summer - late January/early February to allow the new growth to harden off before winter. English lavender is the hardiest out of the two and can survive a harsh winter (to a degree) which can make it a better option for people living in exposed areas. Avoid cutting into the woody stem bases. 0. In the past when a lavender plant has become too woody and unsightly I have simply cut the plant right back and it has regrown again. There is always next year to prune back more if necessary. Lavender illustration by M. Jeng. promotes fuller growth and more flowers for next season. Here are detailed instructions on how to prune back your Lavender to keep its shape, encourage repeat blooming and to maintain vigor. Generally the best time to prune lavender is once the flowers have faded, so now sounds good. This easy-to-grow shrub thrives in a sunny spot, in free-draining soil or a container. Twice a year? When it comes to lavender there are two main varieties that most people will come across in Irish garden centres. One of the most iconic ways to use it though is to plant it in rows along footpaths or the edges of flowerbeds. I always cut my earlyish flowering lavender such as this one twice, once in August – even though this means cutting off the stragglers – and again in late February. Lavender grows quickly, so by the second year, the plant should be about twice as big and ready for pruning once the blooms are spent (or cut blooms while they're still fresh and make a luxurious lavender sugar scrub!). Feed your lavender in spring to replenish nutrients. 01:42. How to grow lavender. After you prune you will often find that new growth nodes will spring into life form lower down the stem. In good conditions these are a fast growing plant and can be pruned back by at least 1/3 each year. If growing the more tender lavenders, such as Lavandula denata , deadhead and prune only if the plants become scruffy. For optimal results, you should prune lavender twice a year – once in the spring and once at the end of the summer. You can slot your lavender pruning when it works for you, as long as you complete it by early spring. Hardiness Zones 7 and Below Winter is not kind to lavender plants. New shoots will quickly appear at the base of the bush and these will have enough time to grow and harden up before winter comes. However, this can be a fun and easy job and should be carried out twice a year — once lightly after flowering and again later to neaten summer's growth. French lavender (Lavandula dentata), flowers for most of the year so it can be hard to choose the best time to prune. Main pruning occurs in summer, after the flower harvest. Pruning in late-August or early autumn will encourage good air circulation, which guards against rot. This method though can give varied results and should only be tried as a last ditched attempt before digging up the plant. The easiest way to tell the two apart is by the flowers. French lavender is also exclusively purple or lilac in colour while English lavender can come in shades of purple, pink or white. Cut back up to one-third of the leafy section of the stems, shaping the lavender into an evenly rounded mound as you prune. My Top 10 Memes on Instagram. Even with a brief moment of warm sun you can almost transport yourself to the South of France. Lavender can be pruned in late winter, but pruning lavender in the spring is better. French lavender is shorter-lived and less hardy, so more likely to be affected by frost or poor weather. It can also be pruned now, just cut back about 25% all over, but I would normally prune it in spring, when the other lavenders are looking good. All offer something different from variations in flower type to scents or even foliage colour. Once a year? The global effort to secure a Covid-19 vaccination, Party Hostels: The Highs And Lows Of Working For A Free Bed, Animal Prostitution: Orangutan’s Trading in Asia and “Bestiality Brothels” in Europe, Top 10 Disturbing Websites (That Will Creep You Out), Agent Provocateur: Nick Mullen versus the maddening moan of Twitter’s Leftist comrades. Then in spring, just before new growth starts, you can prune back the plant much harder to improve the overall shape of the plant. In general which ever type of lavender you decide to have in your garden soil type is very important. French lavender would benefit from a more sheltered garden where very low temperatures are a minimum. Remove any dead or damaged growth and shear back a good third of the green leafy growth for those without harsh winter conditions. Regular pruning twice a year gives your plant time regenerate fresh flowers and … The 5 best celebrity baby announcements on social media, Antoine Griezmann breaks his contract with Huawei brand suspected of helping China monitor Uighurs, 10 of the best Irish Social Media accounts to brighten up your day, Top 10 Conspiracy Theories That Stirred Social Networks, Everything You Need To Know About The Irish TikTok House, Who will be at the top of RuPaul’s Drag Race S13, Is the end in sight? I have received conflicting advice about pruning it. All lavenders bloom on the stems that grew in the current year. Britain's top indoor snow centres and dry ski slopes for a ski trip on home soil, Brexit deal: Boris Johnson urges Tory Eurosceptics to put the public’s interests before their own, UK security deal with EU will aid crime-fighting with shared data, says Priti Patel, Jack Grealish operating 'on another level' but Aston Villa boss Dean Smith predicts more to come, Jürgen Klopp says he cannot understand why any player would want to leave Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers backs Leicester not to make the same mistakes in trying to upset the established order. 10 Minute GardenerMark Abbott-Compton Pruning Lavender is Essential Chris Mulder, Barn Owl Nursery In my experience, I have found that pruning lavender plants in the spring and summer, and lightly in September, helps them to look and grow better, over a longer period of time. You can prune at harvesting time and prune to shape in early spring. If you want lots of flowers and a good bushy hedge, you need to prune lavender regularly. Prune at the right time, and you will get flowers when due; pruning at the wrong time often means no flowers! Pruning in late-summer or early-fall encourages good air circulation, which guards again… Red Line: Never cut down to wood base.. Jun 22, 2020 12:03am. How to trim your lavender shrubs to avoid overgrowth. Prune again after flowering has finished in spring/early summer. Medals Over Morals: Culture of Abuse in Gymnastics – ash potter: […] Read the full article on TheCircular.org […], Can You Relate? The best time for when to prune lavender is in the spring just as the new growth is starting to come in. How to prune lavender. The latter can work very well if you have a large amount of space to work with in the garden. You want at least some new growth to appear before the plant goes dormant for winter, so do it sooner than later. Pruning lavender (Lavandula spp.) English lavender and French lavender are the most common but you will from time to time come across Spanish and also Italian lavender. Aim for a tidy, rounded mound of foliage (that looks good in winter, too). Follow us. Autumn is the time of the year to take care of your lavenders. Pruning Lavender for winter should be done at that same time as you harvest the second round of blooms usually mid to late October. Pruning lavender after flowering is ideal, but if you miss the window, don’t fret. One key job in the coming weeks will be once the flowers begin to fade you can give them a light trim to remove the flowers and give the shrub a general tidy up. Learn How to Prune Lavender like a Pro Many people start to feel nervous about pruning Lavender plants. Pruning in spring can delay floweringwhich might be your preferenceand is a good time to take down dead, winter-killed parts and shorten growth to the fat, vigorous buds. French lavender has almost feather like tips to its flowers while English lavender does not. The last month that you can plant lavender and expect a good harvest is probably September.You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your lavender may not have a chance to grow to maturity. In the past when a lavender plant has become too woody and unsightly I have simply cut the plant right back and it has regrown again. August 23, 2015 Then in spring, just before new growth starts, you can prune back the plant much harder to improve the overall shape of the plant. Using the plant in this way can create great impact leading up to an entrance and makes for a fragrant welcome. Well it really isn't a big deal to get uptight about. If your lavender … When we read about problems with lavender it often relates to lack of flowers and straggly plants. Lavender likes a loose free draining soil and will not perform well in wet clay soils. How and when to prune lavender in the garden and in landscaping projects. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Lavenders are relatively easy to prune and pruning every year will help slow down the formation of wood and extend the vigour and lifetime of your plant. For most lavender varieties, pruning is best done during spring, summer, or fall after harvest. My two-year-old 'Hidcote' lavender hedge was just perfect this year. Lavender is very versatile and can work equally as well planted alone as a specimen plant as it does in large groups or sways within a flowerbed. If you prune right after bloom you may get a second bloom later in the season and the lavender should be pruned again after the second bloom. The first cut is surprisingly hard. Basic guide to pruning lavender and general lavender care. That way you have lavender in flower in your garden all year round. The best time to prune lavender is after flowering, but this plant is forgiving. Dead heading is not included in the one third rule, because you are removing spent flowers not branches/stems. It does need pruning to ensure it continues to flower properly and does not lignify. I always cut my earlyish flowering lavender such as this one twice, once in August – even though this means cutting off the stragglers – and again in late February. The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. Join now. Blue Line: We prune our lavender in early April (New Zealand autumn).Prune back all shoots at least 1/3 of the plant. Using a pair of sharp scissors … In areas with freezing winter temperatures, you should hold off doing any hard pruning to your lavender plants until you see new growth starting, in the spring. http://learn-how-to-garden.comThe autumn is a perfect time for pruning your Lavender to keep it healthly and productive. Learn how your comment data is processed. Follow our full guide below to beautiful, fragrant lavender. This means that pruning can be done in early- or mid-spring without sacrificing the current years flowering. How do I prune my lavender? Prune your lavender once or twice a year to maintain shape. How to Prune Lavender Varieties. Growth is rapid in summer. Pruning Lavender. Prune after their first flush of flowers have faded but avoid pruning any later than early September. It’s important to prune a few months before winter sets in to prevent frost and breakage from the snow. Lavender can grow out of control unless it is forced into submission! Lavender is a common plant that gives off a pleasant scent when it flowers. How to prune established lavender. Lavender is prized for its richly fragrant flowers and aromatic foliage. In many cases by more. The earliest that you can plant lavender in Zone 6a is February.However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.. Not many plants can match Lavender for both fragrance, foliage and flowers. This is why you will often see lavender planted in raised beds or even in pots in some areas. The technique in this post is for English lavender, not French lavender but the method is similar. If you decide to harvest your lavender, wait 2-3 weeks after harvesting the stems to prune your plant. In terms of feeding a boost in spring with crushed fish and bone mix will encourage flowering and can be followed with tomato feed during flowering. The winter-flowering heathers can be pruned back after flowering – generally, it's best done before June. Write with your queries to helen.yemm@telegraph.co.uk. Everything in life should be made out of gold. Less hardy than their English cousins take extra care not to cut back into the woody part of the plant. Follow these simple steps to keep your lavender looking great for years to come. Then in February (or March if the weather is revolting), I give the bushes a light trim and away they go. lavender. Life and Style When to Prune Lavender Bushes. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place. How to Prune Lavender When pruning lavender, it’s important to start out with a sharp, clean set of pruning shears. That is why you should always prune out the dead and old growth first. Cut back by about 1/2 of the height of the plant leaving plenty of green leaves intact. I presume that, like mine, your 'Hidcote' lavender has just about finished flowering, although it may (tantalisingly but rather annoyingly) still be carrying just a few flowers. By: Korshye Long Director of Agricultural Operations at Lavender Hill Farm. If you take good care of your lavender, it can live for up to 5 years. David Corscadden Pruning lavender. Lavender is one of the most iconic smells of summer and when you gets wafts of it in the air it immediately conjures up images of rolling hills of purple which stretch for mile and miles in France. I definitely belong in the twice-a-year camp. 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