Monty Don has urged anyone with lavender in their garden to do one simple job now to help it bloom next year. The horticulturist said this task will help prevent the beautiful plant from turning “woody” or “leggy”, and timing is essential.
The pretty plant tends to flower in the summer, although each variety is unique and can bloom during different months. English lavender typically blooms from late spring into early summer, while hybrid lavenders flower later from July or August. So now is the perfect time to consider advice from the BBC gardening authority and host, Monty Don.
He said gardeners should prune lavender as soon as it starts to droop, and before it completely turns brown, to ensure it blossoms next summer too, Devon Live reports.
He explained: “To avoid woody, leggy plants, lavender should be pruned every year. The best time to do this is as soon as the flowers start to fade.
“Do not wait for the seed heads to form or the flowers to turn brown as you want to allow the maximum amount of time for regrowth before winter.”
He recommended cutting it back “aggressively” to revitalise the lavender, but to make sure there is still new growth on every branch.
Monty said these new shoots will “grow fast and provide an attractive and healthy cover to protect the plant in winter and provide the basis of next year’s display”.
If you miss the perfect window when the plants have died down, but before they go brown, Monty advised holding off completely until spring.
The expert gardener noted that this is particularly relevant for less resilient varieties such as French, Spanish, and Italian lavenders.
For older, more established lavender bushes that don’t seem to flower anymore despite consistent pruning, Monty advised considering a complete replacement.