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Lavender Advice Please

Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800
in Problem solving

Below is my beautiful lavender plant, which after having it's first feed ever this year has gone a bit mad.  As you can see it is imposing on the patio area quite a lot and OH wants me to cut it back (eeek!).  I have told him I'm happy to cut some flowers off as I was going to anyway to use, but I don't want to cut it back too much yet.

Can anyone help me, will it damage it if I do cut it back and also OH was talking about dividing it (I'm surprised he knew the term!!), is this possible or am I right in thinking that lavender you can only take cuttings from and not actually divide?

I love it and don't want to kill it image

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Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,295

    Hi OL, if you are going to cut it back I wouldn't leave it too long, new growth needs to toughen up before winter. 

    and they are said not to like being cut back into old wood, I've never put that to the test. 

    It seems a shame to touch it doesn't it? Lovelyimage



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800

    It is a shame Nut, but I don't think I'll win this one because we can't sit at the table when we eat outside because if it and we can't move the table as there's nowhere to move it.....unless of course we make the patio bigger image

    Thanks by the way x

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,295

    and you can't make the patio bigger or you'd lose gardenimage



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800

    Oh no Nut.....we'd lose lawn image

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,030

    I cut lavender back just as the flowers are finishing.  If you start when the plant is young and cut it back hard each year never letting it develop much old wood, then you can keep it pretty neat.  Otherwise the advice is to cut back about an inch from the start of the flower stem. 

    I follow the advice given by Norfolk Lavender here - with over 100 acres of lavender they really know what they're doing http://www.norfolk-lavender.co.uk/pages/lavenders-for-your-garden/plant-care.php 

    image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800

    Brilliant, thanks Dove image

    I am going to cut some flowers off later anyway.

    OH has now decided that lavender all the way up the path would be nice......I knew he wasn't listening when I told him if bought the plug plants image He thinks we can just chop the lavender plant up to make smaller ones!!

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,295

    Let him try it OL then you can get the plugs next yearimage



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800

    I've got the plugs already Nut image They didn't all survive but I have about a dozen of them and I'm going to try and take some cuttings off this plant, I've never done that before image

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,295

    Don't look at me. I'm the world's worst at cuttingsimage

     



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • MrsT 12MrsT 12 Posts: 77

    Hi, I have given my lavender hidcote 'hedge' a trim last week, as some of the flowers were looking a little tired and wornout. It seems to have worked well and more flowers are developing. Plus it is positively buzzing at the moment with bee's.

    I did once cut a very leggy, woody lavender right down in my old house - I know we are told not to - but it worked for that one a treat. It came back the following year very green, full and teaming in flower heads. 

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