Expert reveals 'correct' way and time to prune lavender for 'fuller growth'

Lavender plants need to be pruned if gardeners plan on keeping them in their garden for a long time. Pruning a lavender plant will prolong its life, maintain an attractive shape and ensure plenty of flowers the following year.

Unpruned lavender plants can quickly become straggly and leggy. They are also liable to sprawl and open up to reveal unsightly gnarled-looking branches that bear few flowers, reports the Express.

Once this stage is reached they can be very difficult to rejuvenate as they seldom respond to very hard pruning. English lavender is the most common type and the most long-lived - keeping up to 25 years with care.

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Gardening expert and director of Seed Barn, Shane Dibbs, revealed in all in conversation with the Express. He has shared the “correct method of pruning lavender” and the “best time” to do so.

He said: “Without proper pruning, lavender can become woody and cumbersome, so to keep plants compact and attractive, it’s best to trim them yearly. It’s best to prune plants yearly, focusing on pruning as soon as the flowers begin to fade.

“An ideal time to do this is August into September after the plant has finished blooming. This allows the plant to recover before the winter and encourages fuller growth in the following year.”

To prune lavender, gardeners first need to own a sharp pair of secateurs. This will provide a clean cut and “cause the least damage to the plant”.

Mr Dibbs said: “Ensure your tools are clean and sharp to prevent the spread of disease.”

With your secateurs at the ready, remove any flower stalks that have started to age, and around one inch of leaf growth and cut just above the leaf node to prevent new growth. From here, people should never cut back all the way to the new leaves - or don’t prune to the woody base - since your plant will not grow and bloom from old wood.

Instead, people should prune lavender into a mound shape which is wider at the base. This is to allow for even light distribution and proper airflow. It also helps in shedding water away from the centre of the plant, therefore “reducing the chance of rot”.

Mr Dibbs claimed that regular pruning not only keeps your lavender plant “looking its best”, but also helps improve air circulation and helps prevent diseases like root rot and fungal infections.

Make sure not to prune lavender past mid-autumn, or you could end up with new growths that will “break and die” during winter, weakening your lavender plants.