How to maintain Lavender?

Pixiechic

Hello,

I have grown lots of lavender from seed and I re-potted them on yesterday. I have spoken to a colleague who said she likes lavender but finds that after a cople of seasons it can become 'woody'. Does anyone know how to avoid this and how I should maintain the plants to keep them healthy and non woody for longer? Also, what is the life of a nice and healthy lavender plant, do they naturally get weaker over time?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Lord_Gardener

Depends on variety of Lavender you have! English Lavender can be pruned by one third (even into bare wood) mid to late August and will then shoot from lower down giving time for this new growth to harden for the winter. This will help maintain a bushy shape and enable the plants to last for years. Continental varieties tend to flower earlier (early summer), be less hardy, often only allow pruning into the new growth and will last only a few years before getting too leggy or just expiring! Always worth potting up semi hardened 2 - 3 inch shoots in a sandy soil to have your replacements ready (this is really easy to do!). NB always worth having a mix of varieties to give a greater range of flowering times, flower types, sizes, and shapes of plants!