If you’ve been growing lavender for bees and pollinators, chances are you’ve been enjoying a colourful display of flowers for the past few months.

However, to ensure these floral displays for many more years to come, you’ll now need to start thinking about the ongoing maintenance of your lavender plants.

This means lavender pruning.

Pruning your lavender plants regularly is key in preventing them from becoming woody and less supportive for wildlife.

But where to start?

When to prune lavender

The best time to prune your lavender plants is from late August/September, after they have finished flowering.

How to prune lavender

We like the illustration from Garden Creative. Remove around one third of the leaf tips. You can cut more off but what matters most that that you only cut to just above a group of new shoots. Go below this point and your lavender plant will likely die.

Leaving lavender over winter

English lavender is hardy so can typically be left outside over winter. If your lavender plants are in pots, better protect their roots by moving containers to a sheltered, well-drained spot – for example at the base of a wall or greenhouse.