Gardening tips: Expert on how to grow lavender at home
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Lavenders demand full sun, although afternoon shade may be appreciated in the hottest weather. They can be grown in borders and containers and will live for many years with the right care. Pruning it annually will mean it will come back year after year, but when do gardeners need to prune their lavenders?
William Mitchell of Sutton Manor Nursery told Express.co.uk: “The best time to prune is around five or six weeks before the first frost is due.
“This means that the best time to prune lavender is between September and October.”
Left to its own devices, lavender can become bushy and leggy.
Pruning annually can help to keep its shape and stop it from becoming too big.
The expert added: “It is good to prune lavender around this time so that the pruned areas of the lavender plant have a good amount of time to become established before the harder weather comes in.”
“When pruning lavender, you should simply trim a third of the plant’s growth from the flowering season over summer.
“Try not to cut back too far though as it could make them susceptible to frosts over the winter months.”
According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), foliage can be clipped over spring if growth is untidy or frost damaged.
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The experts said: “Lavender does not break new growth easily from old stems so don’t cut back into the woody stems.
“Even if pruned annually, older lavender plants can become straggly, very woody and misshapen so, as they are fast growing and establish quickly, they are best replaced if you want to keep everything looking neat.”
If gardeners forget to prune their lavender after summer has finished, then it’s best to wait until the following spring, especially for less hardy French, Spanish and Italian lavenders.
Judith Hann, author of Herbs, explained: “The normal advice is to replace plants when they become leggy, usually after three to five years. But I avoid having to do this by cutting right back into the wood.
“I have not lost a lavender plant yet in the 20 years they have been growing in my garden.”
Although not often recommended, it can be a good way to encourage lavender to grow.
Gardeners should look for some signs of life in the form of growth nodes below the cutting point.
If the plant is cut beyond this, the stems may not recover.
This means it is important to examine them closely before making any decisions.
William Mitchell also shared the five jobs gardeners should get don’t before the end of summer.
This included weeding the garden, covering garden furniture, protecting young trees and plants, digging up annual flowers and covering ponds.
Despite the hot weather in the UK, it is important to think ahead when it comes to the garden.
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