Lavender is treasured for its intensely fragrant blooms and scented foliage, which bring colour to the garden for numerous months throughout the year. It can also repel pests including cats and rats, making it ideal for borders and containers.
The plants are straightforward to cultivate when positioned in a sunny spot, though they require one yearly task to maintain bushy regrowth, according to Monty Don. In a blog entry from last year, Monty said: “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, which, depending on the variety, can be any time between midsummer and the end of August.
“But 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.”
The gardening expert advised trimming back firmly to achieve a compact form, while ensuring some fresh shoots remain on each stem.
This is because lavender will frequently fail to regenerate from bare wood, meaning you risk the plant’s demise.
Monty added: “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.”
Regarding watering lavender during the summer period, aim to water thoroughly but infrequently, ensuring proper drainage.
Established plants typically require less frequent watering, particularly those planted directly in the ground, though newly planted container varieties will still need consistent hydration.
July and August are also ideal months to cut long grass, water plants deeply, create new strawberry plants, and prune fruit trees.
Comments are closed.