Is it too late to prune lavender?

[user1471530109]

I planted new plants along my front garden path (south facing) this year. I've been waiting for the flowering to finish as I keep reading to prune then.

I've just pruned one but now I'm worried I've left it too close to possible frost time? Do I do the rest? It's going to look odd with only one done

I prune mine at this time of year, but I am in London in a sheltered garden. In your position I would prune them but surround them with a thick mulch if you are in a frost prone exposed area.

I’m in Scotland, north of the central belt. Our forecast is mild for at least another week, and I often tidy up perennials, including lavender, around now. They haven’t objected in the past, and are still growing happily!

I usually give them a tidy up in autumn including any leftover flower spikes and a proper prune in spring, when you can see where the new growth is coming.

Thanks everyone! What a relief. I thought I'd buggered them up. Will carry on with tidying up tomorrow

Next year, prune on August 12th. My friend was advised this on a lavender farm and it has worked brilliantly for all our different types of lavender.

Previously I used to light prune in October but they did MUCH better when pruned in Aug.

Thanks @DotBall. I did know to do this, but my lavender was still in full flower. It still looks lovely now tbf! Minty kept saying to prune after flowering . It kind of sprang back into life end of July with loads of new flowers.

Monty. Obviously

I’m in north west and it’s still in full flower. I’ll have to prune it this weekend to give it a chance I think.

Pruning in august sounds counterproductive but I can see how that would work.

I think pruning in August is more relevant for commercial growers than gardeners. I do take some of the older flowering parts in the summer for use indoors. I do it sporadically to preserve the shape and the flowers

I always pruned in autumn but recently found out that lavender seeds are a great source of food for birds and other wildlife. I now leave it through the winter and prune in spring and haven't found my lavender any worse for it!

My lavender has only just finished flowering (Yorks). And I will leave it until the goldfinches have finished with the seed.

You might know this already but for the benefit of others reading the thread: when pruning lavender, never cut back into dead wood/old growth.

Beautiful as lavender is I think (for most relaxed gardeners) it needs to be considered a short lived perennial as it can become woody/leggy/ugly fairly quickly if not carefully tended.

I heard about what to do when Lavender goes woody . It only seems to work for relatively small or medium plants.

Lift the lavender and trim the roots back to about half. Prune the top back to just a few green shoots. Then plant it deeply so that just the green shoots are showing. I find it easier if I divide the lavender first. It then sends out new roots from the cut woody stems which are under ground.

@florentina1

I heard about what to do when Lavender goes woody . It only seems to work for relatively small or medium plants.

Lift the lavender and trim the roots back to about half. Prune the top back to just a few green shoots. Then plant it deeply so that just the green shoots are showing. I find it easier if I divide the lavender first. It then sends out new roots from the cut woody stems which are under ground.

I've heard of that sort of techniques being used for heathers.

Seems a lot easier just to dig up one of the self seedlings and replant to where I want it. But self seedlings are a luxury of late pruning.