In the home garden it is a heat-resistant andeasy-care guestfrom the Mediterranean region. Lavender has successfully crept into the hearts of hobby gardeners and is a beautiful addition to the flower bed. As a true sun worshiper, it prefers a sunny location and thanks it with an abundance of flowers and a pleasant scent. To ensure that it pleases the eye even after several years, you have to cut the lavender. With our gardening tips, even inexperienced gardening enthusiasts will be able to complete the task.
Cutting lavender: why is regular pruning necessary?
But why should you actually cut lavender? Pruning keeps it in shape and promotes flower formation. It is therefore an important measure that ensures the longevity of the plant. Other important benefits include:
- Pruning makes the plant weather-resistant. It can easily withstand wind, frost and rain.
- A pruning ensures that thePlant continues to grow healthily.
- You can keep the growth compact by pruning.
- Pruning in spring promotes flower formation. Even after being cut in summer, the plant thanks you with a splendor of flowers in autumn.
- Pruning prevents the lavender from becoming woody.
Important: A rejuvenation cut is very important for plant growth. If you neglect pruning when caring for it, you will notice after a year that the plant has become woody and hardly produces any new shoots. By then it is usually too late and even radical pruning can no longer save the lavender.
But cutting too hard can also damage the plant. You should therefore not overdo it with cutting and adhere to several simple rules.
When should you cut lavender?
The lavender is used two to three timescut per year. In spring it is given a rejuvenation cut, which promotes the formation of new shoots. In summer you cut it back shortly before the end of the flowering period. The right time for this second pruning is from July to August. Then only the inflorescences are removed. The next cutting date is early fall. If the plant produces flowers again after being pruned in summer, these are cut off in September.
Cutting lavender in spring: when is the right time?
Pruning in spring is crucial for flower formation in summer. It usually takes place at the beginning of spring. From the beginning of April, when there is no longer any permanent frost and the plant has still not formed any new shoots, you can cut the lavender.
In which month should I cut the lavender?March – April
How far down to cut the lavender?Cut off about two-thirds of the old branches. Always make sure that you only cut back the shoots with leaves. Under no circumstances should you cut deeply into the woody branches. Also remove any dried shoots.
Cutting back lavender in summer: When is summer pruning necessary?
A summer cut can be done in July or August. If you cut the lavender back in July, just before it fades, it will bloom a second time in August.
You can also do summer pruning in August. In this case, pruning in autumn can be omitted. Otherwise you risk frost damage to the interfaces.
When to cut lavender in summer?July – August. Pruning in July promotes flower formation. If you want to dry the lavender flowers, you should prune them in mid-July (during the flowering period).
How far back to cut lavender?In summer you should cut back a maximum of a third of the new shoots. Even when pruning in summer, you should not cut deeply into the woody branches.
Cutting lavender: Is pruning necessary in autumn?
Pruning in autumn is not always necessary. If you cut the plant back in August, it can be omitted completely. This gives the lavender enough time to recover. Have you forgotten thatPerennial in summerto cut, then you can shorten them by a third in September.
When to cut lavender in autumn?The beginning of September is the right time for autumn pruning.
How far back to cut lavender?Shorten the trunks by a third.
Cutting lavender: Differences between freshly planted lavender, young plants and old plants
Freshly planted lavenderusually does not need pruning. However, it's still worth giving him one. This is how you can stimulate growth and flower formation. If you wait a year before cutting, individual shoots may become woody.
young plants,Those that have been growing in the garden or in pots for a year need to be cut back after they have faded. Lavender is a vigorous plant that quickly loses its shape. You can keep its growth compact by pruning in summer. But don't overdo it and only cut the old shoots back by a third.
Old and partly woody plantsYou can and should avoid pruning in the summer, ideally before the flowers fade. But do not cut too deeply into the woody shoots. Starting from the woody part, count three plant buds upwards. You can cut the plant there. With a bit of luck, all three plants will sprout buds and form flowers next year. This is a sure sign that the lavender has recovered.
Cutting lavender: instructions
To cut the lavender in the garden or in the pot, you need the following accessories:
- Gardening gloves
- a garden scissors
- a hand hedge trimmer
In principle, both secateurs and hedge trimmers are suitable. However, a precise cut is possible with secateurs.
If you want to prune the lavender, you should proceed as follows:
1. Check the plant for new shoots. If the plant has already sprouted, you should wait before pruning.
2. Find the fresh new leaves. They are light green and are usually located at the bottom, directly above the old, woody parts of the plant.
3. In spring you can cut back last year's shoots by two thirds. In summer and autumn you can shorten the lavender by a third. By the way, you should never cut off new shoots.
4. Cutting lavender is not an easy task. Therefore, give yourself enough time and try to work as precisely as possible.
5. Try to give the plant a topiary cut. The lower shoots should be lower, and the upper ones longer.
6. Wait before removing injured shoots. You can recover over time. If the shoots do not bloom in summer and do not produce leaves, you can cut them off after the flowering period.
7. From October onwards you should definitely not cut back the lavender. Otherwise you risk frost damage.
Frequently asked questions about pruning
How far down do you cut lavender?How far you prune your lavender depends on the variety, bloom time and season. As a rule, you can cut back the lavender most heavily (by two thirds) in spring.
How short can you cut lavender?You must not cut the lavender too short. Woody plant parts cannot sprout. Therefore, you should always leave at least 10 cm of young shoots with leaves.
When should spent lavender be cut?You can cut the lavender immediately after the flowering period has ended.
Can you cut back lavender radically?You can cut back the lavender radically. However, such a radical pruning is rather an exception and only takes place if the plant is heavily woody. The right time for this is summer.
When are lavender flowers cut?If you want to dry lavender, you should cut the lavender flowers in the middle of the blooming period. This can vary depending on the variety. Basically, mid-July is the right time for this.
How do you cut the different types of lavender?
The genus Lavandula includes a large number of lavender varieties that differ in their growth. Accordingly, there are a few things you should keep in mind when pruning each variety.
1. Lavender narrow leaves:Perhaps one of the most popular types of lavender is real lavender. The subshrub is heavily branched and has a compact, upright habit. It reaches a height of approx. 50 cm. Real lavender begins to bloom in May after the Ice Saints. The flowering period ends in July. If you shorten the shoots by a third, the lavender will bloom a second time in late summer. At the end of August you can give it a pruning.
2. Lavandin x intermedia:Lavandin or Provence lavender is common in the southern parts of France. It has a slightly branched habit and reaches a maximum height of one meter. Its flowering period lasts from July to September. The beginning of September is also the right time for a strong pruning. Due to its height, you should shorten the old shoots by half.
3. Lavandula stoechas:The lavender is a subshrub that grows to a height of around 80 cm in the home garden. Typical of the lavender is its compact growth and its beautiful dark purple flowers. This variety comes from Spain and is only partially hardy. The lavender is therefore only cut once - after the flowering period. However, you must regularly cut off all withered and dried shoots. Only cut back the lavender in the fall if necessary.
Cutting Lavender: Summary
The most important thing about pruning:
- You should plant lavender every year, at least twiceSpring and summercut back after the end of the flowering period.
- Depending on the variety, the cutting date also differs. The real lavender is cut by two thirds at the end of March and beginning of April. A strong pruning then takes place in August. The lavandin is usually cut back once in April and once in September. The lavender is only shortened by a third in summer.
- Regardless of the variety, you should only prune newly planted lavender in the summer for the first year. From the second year onwards you can prune the plants twice a year. Old plants that no longer grow and bloom as vigorously can be cut back vigorously. The best time for this is summer.
- If you want to dry lavender flowers, you can cut them off in mid-July. If the plant blooms again at the end of summer, you should cut it back in September. If it stops blooming, you don't need to cut it back in the fall.
