Gardening guru on 'best' time to prune lavender to 'avoid woody, leggy' plant

03 August 2023 , 16:59

1043     0

Gardeners should try and prune their lavender every year (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

August is a great time to get out and about in the garden ahead of the chillier autumn months, and a few expert tips could help you make the absolute most of this last stretch of summer. Now a gardening expert has advised as to when would be the "best" time to prune lavender, warning green-fingered types that they could otherwise end up with a "woody, leggy' plant.

Horticulturist and broadcaster Monty Don has urged fellow gardening lovers to ensure they prune their lavender every single year, revealing that there is in fact a very particular time to do it.

In his latest blog post, Monty wrote: "To avoid woody, leggy plants, lavender should be pruned every year. The best time to do this is as soon as the flowers start to fade, which, depending on the variety, can be any time between midsummer and the end of August.

"But do not wait for the seed heads to form or the flowers to turn brown as you want to allow the maximum amount of time for regrowth before winter."

The Gardener's World presenter continued: "Cut back hard to a good compact shape but be sure to leave some new shoots on each stem - lavender will often not regrow from bare wood. These new shoots will grow fast and provide an attractive and healthy cover to protect the plant in winter and provide the basis of next year's display."

Make-up artist's eyeshadow trick to get 'Charlotte Tilbury' look for less money

According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), lavender is pretty easy to grow and is best planted in the late springtime or summertime. Many types of lavender are also quite hardy, but you should avoid planting them in "cold, damp spots". In terms of maintenance, new lavender should be watered regularly, but, once established, it most likely won't need any watering, unless there's a drought.

When it comes to pruning, the RHS offers similar guidance to Monty, advising: "Left to their own devices, lavender can become woody and ungainly, so to keep plants compact and attractive, it's best to trim them annually in late summer, just after flowering has finished.

"Remove any spent flower stalks and about 2.5cm (1in) of leaf growth. Foliage can be clipped over in spring if growth is untidy or frost damaged. Lavender does not break new growth easily from old stems so don't cut back into the woody stems."

Do you have a gardening-related story to share? Email us at [email protected]

Julia Banim