Pruning Lavander Plants

Pruning Lavander Plants

I have quite a few lavenders, but some of the leaves have died at the bottom. I prune them after flowering and they come away again but at the moment the smaller variety are looking spindly. I have different varieties. Can you help? 

There are many different varieties of lavender available in New Zealand and some adapt better to our climate than others. As a general rule, we cut back lavenders hard immediately after flowering. In particular, the dwarf growing forms of lavender such as English Lavender (Angustifolia) needs to be cut back very severely. However, some lavenders are less hardy and will not re-grow away again if cut below the green leaf stage of growth (this is the lower woody part of the plant), for example; French Lavender (Dentate). 

It is worth remembering that all lavenders growing in New Zealand have a comparatively short lifespan of 3-5 years (with the exception being the French Lavender). Because of this it is worth replanting on a regular basis to avoid your lavender garden becoming tatty. 

As Mediterranean plants, lavender prefers a dry, friable, sandy soil which is free draining. To help achieve this you may want to mound the soil where you are planting the lavenders. Grow your lavender in a warm, sunny spot in the garden that has very good air movement.

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