Lavender blooms will ‘last longer’ with ‘improved flowering’ if 1 task is done in October

Lavender plants come in so many different varieties, including English, French and Spanish lavenders, each needing its own special touch. 

Take French and Spanish lavenders they’re not as tough as their English cousins and need some extra TLC when it comes to certain tasks like pruning. A well-pruned lavender can be a real long-lasting flower, jazzing up gardens, window boxes, and homes with vibrant colours, delightful scents, and a buzz of wildlife.

Green-fingered guru Sarah Raven reckons a good trim every year can really amp up the blooms and stop your lavender from turning into a woody mess.

Sarah’s top tip for timing your lavender is to get snipping straight after the flowers have said goodbye. She advised: “Remove shoots to within one inch (2cm) of the previous year’s growth.”

Fans of Mrs Hinch have also been dishing out their wisdom on giving lavender a late chop in October. In one such fan group, green-thumbed Jean Algeo asked: “Hi, can I ask for advice on pruning back a lovely lavender plant please.”

She explained her predicament: “It has grown over the driveway and onto the path. How far back should it be pruned and is it okay to do it now? Thanks for your help.”

Jean took to Facebook to seek guidance in early October last year. The social media post about when to prune lavender was absolutely swamped with tips from green-fingered enthusiasts, all telling the original poster to “cut back now”.

Dawn Eveasham offered her two cents, saying: “Cut back now to just above where it has gone woody, any new shoots I cut can be put in a glass of water to root for next year.”

In sync with Dawn’s advice, Alison Plastow replied: “Cut back now. Once flowered. They don’t last forever. But keeping them trimmed they can last longer.”

Kate Noble also chimed in, commenting: “I cut mine back to the main plant, to all the flower stalks.” Louise Cracknell threw in her suggestion as well: “Don’t go into the woody stalks and it will come back great.”

On the same wavelength, Doreen Byrne agreed and recommended: “Cut some back and put in a vase in bathroom.”

Lisa Heathcote provided detailed instructions, asserting: “Yes do it now. Cut all the flower stalks off and half of the green leaves. Try not to go into the brown dead-looking stuff.”

And finally, Elaine Seeley joined the choir of voices, simply stating: “Cut it right back!”

But while these passionate gardeners were busy offering their guidance, there are actually specific times when it’s best to get pruning the lavender. Notably, twice a year is recommended: once in autumn after flowering, and again in springtime.

Gardening guru Leigh Clapp recommended a split approach, explaining: “Trim after flowering in autumn, then prune in the spring.”

A key tip for those with secateurs at the ready is to avoid cutting back lavender too hard after summer. Doing so could leave the plant vulnerable and unable to withstand the colder days ahead.

So if summer passed you by without a trim to your lavender, especially those tender varieties like French, Spanish and Italian lavenders, hold fire until the springtime for the best results. However, English lavender is still ok to prune in October.

When it comes to spring pruning, make sure you only trim your lavender plants once new growth has emerged.

Chopping your lavender in the right spot is key to ensuring its healthy growth and prosperity.

Snip the plant just above the side branches or lead nodes. The area where you’re cutting should be green. It’s generally not recommended to cut into the woody part of the plant.