Cutting back Lavender - is it too late?

Posts

• AnniD Posts: 12,585

  October 2023

  Depends on whereabouts you are in the UK, but l would definitely cut back the spent flowerheads, and if you want to take the risk, maybe only half of what you would usually do of the "leafy" section. 
  You could always trim back a little more in mid to late Spring. 
  I assume you're referring to the English lavender type 

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• Edward.francis Posts: 123

  October 2023

  I’m in Hampshire. It’s Hidcote variety. 

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• Emptyheadtime Posts: 366

  October 2023

  I just tidied mine up last week so I reckon you will be ok to give it a tidy up. Just don’t cut back too hard into old wood as it doesn’t grow back from the old wood.

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• Athelas Posts: 946

  October 2023 edited October 2023

  I have a row of 50+ lavender ‘Hidcote’ planted in 2017. Agree you could do a gentle cut now as others have described, then do another tidy up in spring (if you wanted to).
  
  

  I generally prune mine once a year in late August/early September, down to 9 inches high (https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/absolutely-best-way-prune-english-lavender-beautifully/). It’s a bit extreme for some but seems to work for me. I haven’t lost any plants doing this; I just lose plants due to theft. They’re outside the house and every so often someone digs up one or two, or tears one in half when they’re in bloom (presumably trying to get the flowers).
  
  There should be tiny grey-green buds on the remaining brown stems, which will become leaves in time. Pruning in late summer means the growing leaves have time to toughen up in time for winter. The plants will look a bit sorry for a while, like a mass of brown sticks, but they will plump up in a month or two.
  
  To get a “perfect” round ball for each plant, I cut a wooden skewer down to 9 inches and place a small piece of play-doh or chewable gummy vitamin at the sharp end (so as not to damage any small green leaf buds). I place the skewer gently in the centre of the plant and prune to the correct extent, placing the skewer on different sides to make sure I’m cutting in a near-perfect sphere. Well that’s my crazy way of doing it… probably if you want to be more conservative just aim to leave an inch of remaining leaves on the plant all round.
  

  Cambridgeshire, UK

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• Allotment Boy Posts: 6,774

  October 2023

  I have heard of people doing both the traditional late summer or pruning in spring. As already said as long as you don't cut into old wood they will be fine. 

  AB Still learning
  
  

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