When to Prune Lavender and How to Do It

Lavender plants are a must for any English garden: they’re easy to grow and maintain, give you a gorgeous show of purple flowers with a beautiful scent and silvery evergreen leaves, and they attract pollinators. But, if left to their own devices, they have a tendency to grow woody with long, bare stems and fewer flowers. Cue your pruners! But when should you cut back this lovely plant? In this guide you’ll find out when to prune lavender and how to do it, with the help of our Garden Guru, Rich.

The best time to prune lavender is in late summer after they’ve finished flowering, so around August or September. Watch our resident garden expert, Rich, explain the when and the how for the best results every year.

Take a pair of sharp secateurs and prune to about 22cm (9 inches), cutting off any long stems. Cut to just above a group of new shoots – any lower and you’ll risk your plant dying. 

Lavender doesn’t grow anew easily from old stems so be sure not to cut back into the woody stems. 

Next year your plant will reward you with lots of green growth and masses more flowers once again. 

For more pruning and gardening tips, check out our garden Ideas & Advice page, and browse our garden range for everything you need, from tools to compost and even live plants.