table of contents
- Cut in time
- Flower cut in summer
- Main cut in spring
- The right tool
- frequently asked Questions
Who does not know them, the magnificent lavender fields of Provence. Lavender is one of the most popular aromatic herbs. So that it stays that way for many years, you don't just have to cut the withered lavender flowers.
In a nutshell
- Typically cut lavender twice a year
- the first time after flowering, the second time in spring
- after the flower cut in summer, a second flowering is possible
- young plants can be cut back more strongly
- the more careful the cut, the healthier and more blooming the lavender
Cut in time
Ideally, this subshrub is cut back twice a year, the first time when the lavender has faded. This flower cut should be done around the middle / end of July, but no later than the beginning of August. Immediately after flowering, the plants begin to form seeds. If pruned in good time, seed formation can be prevented and the plants can be stimulated to form a second flower.
The summer pruning should not be carried out later, because then the shoots can no longer mature properly by winter and the plants perish over the winter. Time for the second or the main cut is in early spring, before the first new shoots appear. It is usually the beginning / middle of April, as soon as no more frost is to be expected.
Note: If the lavender has not yet faded in August, it is advisable to wait until spring before cutting. On the cutting day, it should be as dry, overcast and not sunny as possible.
Flower cut in summer
Is the Lavender withered, it's time for the summer cut. Neither too much nor too little should be cut. It is recommended to follow the so-called one-thirds rule.
- to do this, shorten the stems by about a third
- as long as the length of the shoots allows
- Do not cut into old wood or parts that are already lignified
- no more shoots and flowers formed there
- Cut only in the green area
- always above a well-developed pair of leaves
- Shorten young plants a little harder
- about up to halfway
If older lavender has faded, a certain tactfulness is required. The stems are usually woodier and stronger or the plants more lignified. Here you only remove the withered inflorescences at first. Then you cut them back a maximum of ten centimeters. After the flowers have been cut, the lavender sprouts again.
Tip: If the optimal time for the summer cut has been missed, the withered inflorescences can be cut off until September. Further pruning measures should then be moved to spring.
Main cut in spring
This cut is a form or care cut. Here you can proceed according to the two-thirds rule. So you can cut the lavender a little more generously. However, you should not cut into the old wood here either, but only the soft shoots.
The cut is made just above the old shoots from the previous year. Lignified, dried out and frozen parts of the plant that no longer develop new shoots can also be cut out. The main cut ensures a beautiful, compact shape throughout the summer and prevents progressive lignification in the lower area of the plants.
The right tool
The cutting tools used should generally be sharp enough. In the case of knives, it is important to ensure that they have a smooth and not a fluted blade. The latter could leave frayed cut edges. As a result, the healing process and drying of the interface would take longer, which in turn increases the risk of infection with pathogens. For this reason, it also makes sense to disinfect the tools before and after the cut, for example in 70 percent alcohol.
frequently asked Questions
Lavender is a semi-shrub and therefore tends to become lignified. If you do not take any pruning measures in these plants, they will become more and more lignified and bleached over the years. The lignified parts form hardly any new shoots or no new shoots at all, even after vigorous pruning. The flowers become fewer and fewer and the entire shrub may fall apart. A regular cut can prevent all of that.
Such a taper cut is difficult and in most cases unsuccessful. Most of the shrubs do not survive this procedure. If you still want to try it, you should do so in small steps over several years.
It is generally not advisable to cut back lavender in autumn. It could damage the plants considerably, and the winter protection would be lost. The new shoot would not ripen until winter and then threaten to freeze to death.
