Lavender bushes are a welcome addition to any garden. They are easy to care for and require very little maintenance. However, they do need to be pruned regularly to keep them looking their best. In this article, we will show you how to prune a lavender bush.
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Pruning Basics
Pruning is an important part of keeping your lavender bush healthy and looking its best. It helps to encourage new growth, remove any dead or diseased leaves and flowers, and can even help to shape the bush. Pruning also helps to control the size of the bush.
When to prune
Lavender bushes should be pruned in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins.
The three types of pruning
Pruning is important for two reasons: to shape the plant and to encourage growth. There are three types of pruning:
-Deadheading: This is the removal of spent flowers and flower heads. It is important to do this throughout the blooming season to encourage new growth and prevent seed production.
-Light pruning: This is the removal of up to one-third of the plant material. It is usually done in late winter or early spring to promote new growth.
-Heavy pruning: This is the removal of more than one-third of the plant material. It should only be done if necessary, as it can damage the plant.
Pruning a Lavender Bush
Pruning a lavender bush is a very important task that should be done in the late winter or early spring. You should prune your lavender bush before new growth starts. This will ensure that your lavender bush stays healthy and blooms properly.
Shearing
Lavender responds beautifully to shearing, which is the act of cutting back the plant to encourage growth and prevent woodiness. You can shear lavender two or three times during the growing season (spring and summer), although once should be sufficient. Use sharp, clean pruning shears and cut back about one-third of the plant each time.
Deadheading
Deadheading is the process of removing spent flower heads from the plant. This not only gives the plant a neater appearance, but it also encourages the lavender to produce more flowers. Lavender flowers are produced on new growth, so by deadheading you are encouraging the plant to produce more new growth.
To deadhead your lavender, simply remove the spent flower heads with a pair of sharp pruning shears. You can cut them off at the base of the flower head, or you can cut them off closer to the main stem of the plant.
Thinning
Thinning is done to lavender bushes that are getting too large, have become too crowded, or if you want to promote bushier growth. You will want to thin your lavender bush in early spring, just before new growth begins. To thin properly, you will need to remove about 1/3 of the older stems from the center of the bush, cutting them back to the ground. This will allow more air and light to reach the inner stems and promote new growth.
