Lavender is beginning to dry up and turn brown now that the weather is getting colder, and it is important to give it a light trim if you want to keep the plant looking its best. While lavender is a very low-maintenance plant, it tends to become quite bushy over the year, which can trap moisture when there is not enough air circulation to dry it out properly.
The damp weather in autumn can create the perfect conditions for mould and fungal diseases to take hold in the garden, which can cause rot if you do not spot it quickly. However, deadheading lavender can help stop spores from settling in the decaying foliage and help keep lavender healthy, so you do not have to keep checking up on it. Deadheading is a simple gardening task where you simply cut off spent blooms, and I find it really satisfying, as it encourages my lavender to flower even more beautifully next year.
It is really simple to deadhead lavender, but it makes such a big difference if you want to grow bigger and even more fragrant flowers.
Plants often waste too much energy focusing on dying flowers and spreading seeds in autumn, when they need to be strengthening their roots instead.
Cutting back lavender helps it store away more energy over winter so it can produce more flowers stems next year, which sets it up to flower spectacularly next year.
How to quickly deadhead lavender in autumn
To begin, you need a pair of sharp garden secateurs as you want the cuts to be as clean as possible to prevent disease.
Then, look for any dried out dying flowers on a lavender plant, and just cut them above the foliage.
If you are unsure, look for a set of healthy green leaves, and cut the flowers above them. Make sure you are only cutting soft decaying foliage, and if it feels hard do not cut.
You need to avoid cutting any of the woody base at the bottom, as this can shock the plant and even kill it if you take too much away.
Once you are done deadheading make sure to properly dispose of the cut flowers, as leaving them on the ground can cause plant disease and rodents to come into a garden.
That is all you really need to do as it is a very easy task, and I often do it while my dog is running about as it only takes a few seconds.
However, it helps lavender bounce back quickly after winter so you can enjoy lots of big violet blooms that will encourage lots of bees and butterflies in your garden next year.