Gardeners given 'essential' tip for pruning lavender to ensure 'masses of flowers'

Garden experts have disclosed the best times and methods for pruning lavender to make sure your plants thrive . Morris Hankinson, head honcho at Hope Grove Nurseries, has highlighted the significance of regular trimming for the longevity of lavender.

He remarked: "Unless you are going to treat your lavender plants as a short-term project to be replaced in a few years, you will need to prune them so they thrive."

He also pointed out that untrimmed lavender can quickly turn into an untidy spectacle: "Unpruned lavender plants can quickly become straggly and leggy, liable to sprawl and open up to reveal unsightly gnarled looking branches that bear few flowers."

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Moreover, Hankinson warned that once lavender is neglected past a certain point, it's hard to salvage: "Once this stage is reached they can be very difficult to rejuvenate as they seldom respond to very hard pruning."

Sky Nursery's green-fingered gurus agree that to stop your plants from getting out of hand, pruning is key : "Pruning is the only regular care most lavenders will need so your lavender doesn't get too leggy."

Nick and Lyndsay Butler, who helm Lavender Fields farm in Hampshire, are adamant about the necessity of an annual prune, pinpointing the period just after the bloom in late August or early September as ideal. They suggest: "This ensures it has plenty of time to heal before frosts and winter set in."

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However, if you've missed the suggested pruning period, there's no need to worry. According to the Butlers, once the flower spike has done its bit, cut it back where it joins the main body of the plant to promote strong growth and keep things neat.

For those whose lavender thrived over the last summer, a little extra snipping in the early spring might do wonders, as per the Express. If you're aiming to give Spanish lavender a new shape, you can trim it down to half its size.

For English and French lavenders, don't be afraid to cut them back to one-third of their flowering mass. But remember, springtime cuts could push back the blooming period.

It's crucial to avoid cutting into the old, woody stems without leaves, as lavender won't grow back from these parts, and you'll risk killing the plant. In cases of severely neglected lavender, it may be wiser to start afresh with a new plant.

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How to prune lavender

Nick and Lyndsay gave these solid gardening tips: "If your lavender is established, use your secateurs to prune. Remove the flower stalks and about 2.5cm or one inch of the year's growth, which is the grey-leafed stem. Your aim is to prune to the points just above the wood."

"If you grow French lavender, prune hard to approximately 23cm - or nine inches - after the first flowering then deadhead throughout the season."

For those who want to keep their lavender "thriving", the experts said: "Being ruthless with your pruning will pay dividends. In fact, cutting the shoots back by a third, or to around 22cm - or nine inches - into the foliage is ideal to encourage masses of flowers."

The lavender experts highlighted the importance of pruning even young plants, advising: "This slows the growth of the wood at the centre of the plant. However, rather than cutting it, prune it by pinching the tips."

They further emphasised the correct technique, as garden retailer Thompson and Morgan's specialists recommended: "What is critical when pruning, is that you need to cut to just above a group of new shoots. Go any lower and the lavender will die."

Gardeners are encouraged to use the trimmings from pruning to propagate new lavender plants, which can be an excellent way to replenish any lavender hedging or plants that may have struggled or been removed.