Lavender - advice please

Kazonline

Hi all. Although I did eventually cut all the flowers from my two lovely big lavender bushes last year, I didn't get around to 'pruning' them ( or is it called cutting back?).
This year I'll need to take cuttings to start some new plants as I think by next year they will be a bit leggy.

My questions are - should I 'prune' them before summer, and if so, when?
Also if I do cut them back, how do I know where to cut it back to and can I use the cuttings for propogating?

Thanks for reading
Kaz x

My tip on lavender
The one thing I have learnt about lavender for anyone looking to grow it this year is 'treat it mean to keep it keen'. Until someone shared that advice with me I never succeeded in growing a healthy looking lavender plant, despite nurturing with feed etc. I took a gamble on following the advice and totally neglected two plants.Since then they have grown into two HUGE plants that look incredibly healthy and seem to provide enough pollen to keep a hive of bees happy!

nodwah

what I know about lavender ain't much but.. You're supposed to take heel cuttings, ie newish young shoots and take them off the main stem with a wee bit of older wood attached, trim and then do like any other cutting - free draing compost etc. I gues that would be in late spring early summer.
In my experience they are prone to fungus and die off readily, I've had maybe 25% sucess rate. We have grown lavender from seeds very sucessfullly tho!

computerwoman

Hi heres what it says in my herb encyclopedia.
propagate by seed in autumn/ by semi-ripe cuttings in summer.
trim hedges and cut specimen plants back in spring to encourage bushiness.
dead-head and trim lightly after flowering.
plants may be damaged by frost and affected by grey mould, shab, scab, leaf spot, and honey fungus.
lavenders become woody with age and are best replaced every 3-4 years.
hope this is usefull
cw

Kazonline

Thank you both - anyone have any ideas as to how far I should cut the plants back? They're in their 3/4th year now and the exact size I'd like.... Mostly still very green and lush - but the middle is a little woody (but only noticeable on close inspection)
Cheers,
Kaz x

System

I am NOT qualified, I am NOT an expert, but have taken hudreds of cutting successfully (and sold them). This is what I do.(or did).

From any variety, I would take during the summer, non-flowering shoots, about 4" long and as I gathered them, push them into water, to avoid an air block.

In my shed, I would have prepared a tray of cuttings compost lightly firmed by a piece of wood and lightly moist. Any brand of root enhancing powder is to hand. With a pencil, I make a few holes in the compost. I'd then remove any leaves from the bottom inch. With a sharp knife, I cut the stem on a slant, dip into water, dip in the rooting powder and then place in one of the holes, firming slightly all round.

This procedure is carried out till the tray is full, but making sure if possible that each cutting is slightly away from another. Over the top goes the plastic cover and that's basically it.

They will probably wilt a bit, but soon regain life. Now and again, lift the lid off to allow a change of air, and if you think water may be required, spray the cuttings. They won't have dried out as the condensation within soaks then rises etc.You may not see much by the way of movement for a week or so, but then you will notice a gradual growth. Allow this to continue till all of your young plants show growth evidence.

Next you will have to provide small pots, either toilet roll tubes or the correct ones, as what you're going to need is to pot them out. Any multi purpose compost will do. Half fill a pot, carefully lift a cutting which will have root growth from where you'd previously removed the leaves and the base. Lower into the individual pot, drop compost in, gently press, water and leave, preferably out of full sun.

After a week, when they're established, I'd remove the growing tip, that's the highest (longest) tip, with a pinch. That encourages a more bushy plant. You will discover for yourself by experience what is best. You may wish to keep potting on to larger pots, or plant in the ground. Don't expect flowers the first year, but when the plants are in their second year, you will get flowers.

Because this is so easy, you can propergate from any variety, which means anyone else's plants, so when out visiting................but I don't mean break bits of when you're in parks etc. I had so many one year, the cheapo greenhouse was full and I was selling plants 10p each. I'd charge far more nowadays.

Alison_Cross

Hiya - regarding your query as to how back you should actually trim your lavender. I'm not an expert, but I've killed off a good few lavenders by trimming them back too far.

In my experience - don't go further back than your last growth spurt into the old wood. They don't like it.

Lord_Gardener

Generally, prune back most of the latest seasons growth, but if you plants have got very leggy, carefully examine woody parts for buds and cut back to just above. Your lavender should happily grow away!

johnniegif

Apart from taking cuttings as above, I remember listening to Bob Flowerdew on Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time a couple of years ago. He said that there was one particular month in the year (only one) when you could dig a deep hole for a leggy lavender plant so that its fresh top growth was just level with the soil.

Unfortunately, I cannot remember which month it is. Can anyone help me and my leggy-but-special lavender plant please as odds of one in twelve don't seem too favourable

Johnnie

computerwoman

I love lavender's,
I had a french butterfly one once,
it was lovely and the smell was fantastic,
but I am very allergic to bee's and wasp sting's,
I carry medication for it with me,
so I can't have them in the garden,
to much of a risk really,
do you know if I could have any in the house,
would it make any difference,
or would it be to unpractical.
my sitting room is like a sauna,
cavity wall insulation,
it's great in winter,
but in summer I have to have the fan on all the time,
great for house plant's not for me though,
cw

covencat

I'm no expert but I have grown lavender for years. Prune quite hard in April, but only as far as the last growth you can see. (don't cut into old wood, make sure at least one bud remains on shoot) lavenders prefer quite poor soil, and really don't need feeding. Cuttings taken from pruning in April rarely fail. Just push them into a pot, or border, water in, and they will go. Trim back lightly after flowering, keep fairly dry. Good luck, enjoy.

cyrilthepost

covencat wrote: »

I'm no expert but I have grown lavender for years. Prune quite hard in April, but only as far as the last growth you can see. (don't cut into old wood, make sure at least one bud remains on shoot) lavenders prefer quite poor soil, and really don't need feeding. Cuttings taken from pruning in April rarely fail. Just push them into a pot, or border, water in, and they will go. Trim back lightly after flowering, keep fairly dry. Good luck, enjoy.

i do the same to and with the cuttings clean them up and tie say 1 or more(depends how big)and use has incense sticks(cheaper to) and when you pruning(depends on how much you cut off) put in any clear jar you want,ie big ones, small ones,

fill with has much has you can get in the jar then pour in oil any one will do(i use virgin oil) i know it's dear but for the money you save

then put on a sunny window for say 2wks more is better, soon has you have a lovely smell either leave in the jar or pour out in to prettier ones has presents for friends and families or just for yourself and then you'll have a lovely massage oil or tip in the bath to indulge yourself :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: