The Urgency of Lavender Pruning
Gardeners are being urged to prune their lavender plants this month to ensure a strong display next year. According to horticultural expert Monty Don, the window for this essential task is closing fast, with the advice echoed across gardening columns in the Surrey Advertiser and Liverpool Echo.
Don, known for his practical gardening guidance, has highlighted that lavender should be pruned annually to prevent plants from becoming woody and leggy. In advice attributed to him, he explains: "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."
The Pruning Method
Gardeners are encouraged to cut back their lavender plants boldly, while ensuring that some fresh growth remains on each stem. This is crucial because lavenders do not regenerate from bare wood. Don emphasizes that leaving some young shoots intact is essential for the plant's recovery.
"These new shoots will grow fast and provide an attractive and healthy cover," he explained, adding that this will protect the plant through winter and form the basis of next year's display. The advice is consistent across both reports, with the Surrey Advertiser and Liverpool Echo both highlighting the importance of pruning as soon as flowers fade, typically between midsummer and the end of August.
Additional August Gardening Tips
Beyond lavender, Don also turned his attention to tomato plants, noting that August is an ideal month for them as they are at their peak for picking. He suggests that the productive period can be extended with a few simple tasks.
"The first is to strip off the bottom half of the leaves on each plant," Don wrote. "This will let in light and air to the growing fruits and improve ventilation, reducing the risk of disease. This process can continue weekly." He also advises reducing watering unless the weather is very hot, while maintaining a weekly feed of liquid seaweed or comfrey feed.
For those tending to other garden crops, late summer is also a time for deadheading and sowing autumn salad varieties, as noted in the same guidance. These tips form part of a broader seasonal checklist for keeping gardens productive and healthy.
The key takeaway for lavender growers is to act promptly. Pruning now, while some fresh growth remains, will encourage vigorous new shoots that protect the plant through winter and form the basis of next year's display. As Monty Don puts it, "These new shoots will grow fast and provide an attractive and healthy cover."