Lavender is a popular choice for many British gardens due to its vibrant purple flowers and calming fragrance. This versatile plant is not only easy to grow but also adds an elegant touch to garden borders and pots. Additionally, it attracts bees, making it a valuable addition to any garden.
However, lavender plants require proper maintenance to stay healthy and maintain their aesthetic appeal. One common issue is that their stalks can become bushy and overgrown, necessitating regular pruning. Despite this, many gardeners, even experienced ones, make a critical mistake that can severely impact the plant’s growth.
The key to successful lavender pruning is to avoid cutting back to the woody branches. While aggressive pruning works for some plants, it is detrimental to lavender. Cutting into the old, woody stems can leave the plant with bare, lifeless stubs that struggle to regrow. This results in a patchy appearance with large gaps in blooms, making the garden look less vibrant.
Lavender relies on its leafy parts to produce new shoots. These parts are sensitive to light and generate the energy needed for new flowers. Therefore, it is crucial to preserve the green foliage when pruning.
The best pruning technique is to focus on the green parts of the plant, cutting a few inches above the woody section and ideally removing about half of the current year’s growth. This method not only keeps the plant tidy but also encourages new growth and maintains a healthy, compact form.
For English lavender, the optimal time to prune is when the first set of flowers begins to fade. However, it is important to note that pruning should be done before August. After this time, gardeners are advised to wait until the following spring to tidy up their borders.
There are rare instances where damaged or diseased stems may need to be removed. In such cases, it is still advisable to cut back into the green growth above the affected area to give the plant the best chance of regrowing.
By following these guidelines, gardeners can ensure that their lavender plants remain healthy and continue to enhance the beauty of their gardens.
