Lavender

Apodemus

No real point to this thread, just venting my frustration that every year my lavender reaches full bloom in October, to nicely coincide with the first decent frosts!

I know we are at the most northerly end of its range, but all the gardening advice is to get it pruned back well before any risk of frost, which would mean pruning before flowering! So it either gets cut back in May, which contributes further to delayed flowering, or it is left to go leggy.

Oh well, it at least gives some autumn colour and gives any late foraging bumblebees a decent meal!

loulou41

I would prune back. I do harvest the flowers at end of June for making wreaths and lavender sachets. I leave enough on the plants until end of August where I prune again and shape the plants. It is a bit late for yours to be in full bloom now.

Apodemus

loulou41 wrote: »

I would prune back.

Not now. I’ve lost lavender and other similar plants that way before. They need time for the pruning wounds to heal before the frosts.

loulou41 wrote: »

I do harvest the flowers at end of June...

I would only have very young growth at that point, not even flower buds!

loulou41 wrote: »

It is a bit late for yours to be in full bloom now.

I’ll go and have stern words with them, then!

malebolge

Are you growing an early flowering variety such as Hidcote or Munstead? If not, you could try these. I'd not prune now - I usually prune by mid October and I'm in the NW of England. You'll get frost earlier than me. Perhaps you could try to bring it into growth earlier next year by covering it with a winter mulch, or if you have any cuttings, keep them indoors to again have the plants ready sooner. I intermix my lavenders with heathers so that as one finishes flowering, the other is beginning. I know heathers don't have the scent, but would add colour while the lavender sorts itself out. A final thing - I replace my lavenders with cuttings regularly. Always have good intentions but wheelchairs and wet weather gardening aren't a good combo and I invariably let some get leggy.

loulou41

Apodemus wrote: »

Not now. I’ve lost lavender and other similar plants that way before. They need time for the pruning wounds to heal before the frosts.

I would only have very young growth at that point, not even flower buds!


I’ll go and have stern words with them, then!

One of my cosmos plant has not flowered yet, looking healthy and green. I have always harvested my lavender end of June using the buds to make lovely wreaths. End of August lightly prune and used the dried lavender for sachets. It seems to work for me as I get quite a display every year.