pruning

I have a lavender tree..it is in a container hieght is about 3ft..it still has heads on it ..when should I prune it? where the lavender heads have sprouted, they look long and leggy away from the main tree shape.....I have only had it a few months so I am unsure what to do or when..Many thanks ...

 

Hi Littlerome,

If you haven`t already pruned it I would do it now. Don`t cut into the old growth (hard woody part) or you`ll kill it, take off the soft new growth.

When mine have flowered I cut them down to the new growth.. In addition, when you plant Lavender which hasn`t been standard-ed(?) then cut it back to just above the old growth, it will give a bushier plant-and that`s Monty Don`s advice so I can`t take any credit.

 

many thanks for that Claire..it was very late flowering ..in fact it does have alot of heads on it ,seems a shame to cut it just yet,if I do will the frost affect it ,should we have early ones....Cheers

 

Well, it depends with bought plants to be honest. Garden centres can manipulate flowering times so as to stretch the saleability of a plant.

It`s a balance really. It is important to keep the shape of a standard lavender-you paid more for it to be that way after all, so take a chance and wait until the flowers start to fade then prune.

If you leave it till spring, and thoroughly enjoying the flowers then there shouldn`t be much danger of frost damage, and maybe a slightly tougher job of keeping it in shape.

It is up to you really on this one, but just don`t cut into old growth at any time of year. I`ve done for many a lavender doing that without thinking.