How to summer prune lavender #gardening #garden, by Michael Griffiths on YouTube. 1 min 26 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 26 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Wait until the flowers have faded, usually from mid July to the end of August. Pruning while it is still in full bloom wastes the flowers and weakens the plant.
Pick a dry, mild day. Wet foliage and cold snaps after pruning encourage rot and fungal problems in the cut stems.
Wipe or dip the blades in rubbing alcohol first if the plant has had disease. Clean cuts heal faster than crushed ones.
Hold a flower stem and cut it back to just above a pair of leaves on the green growth below. Work round the whole bush this way.
Trim the leafy sides and top lightly, taking about 2 to 3 cm off. You are tidying the shape, not cutting hard.
Shape the plant into a rounded dome so light reaches every side. Aim for an even, compact outline rather than a flat top.
Stop at the old brown wood. Never cut into bare, woody stems, because lavender rarely regrows from them.
Look into the centre and remove any dead, damaged or crossing stems with a clean cut. This opens the bush to airflow.
Collect all the clippings from the soil surface to stop pests and disease settling. Water the plant only if the soil is very dry.
Tips and common mistakes
Always leave a couple of centimetres of green leafy growth above the old woody stems, or the plant may die back.
Don't cut lavender hard in summer, save any bigger shaping for spring when new growth starts.
Avoid pruning after early September, as soft new growth may be damaged by frost.
Don't feed lavender much after pruning, as rich soil makes it floppy and short lived.
Questions
Can I prune lavender while it is still flowering?
You can, but it is better to wait until the flowers fade. Cutting spent blooms in summer gives you a second, lighter flush on some varieties.
Why has my lavender gone woody and bare in the middle?
Old lavender stops producing new shoots from brown wood. Regular light summer pruning keeps green growth low down, so the bush stays full.
Can I root the pieces I cut off?
Yes. Take 8 to 10 cm semi-ripe cuttings from healthy non-flowering shoots in summer and push them into gritty compost to root.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
