The crested lavender - botanically Lavandula stoechas - is a popular potted plant on balconies and terraces, especially due to its distinctive flower shape. This lavender variety also has a very long flowering period. The pretty flowers with the distinctive “rabbit ears” can usually be found from May to August.
How and when do I cut lavender correctly?
To prune crested lavender correctly, cut the plant back by at least half to two-thirds in early spring without cutting into the old wood. Any dead flowers should be removed by mid-August at the latest and a rejuvenation cut should be carried out in spring.
Prune lavender every year
Even if crested lavender differs greatly from other types of lavender in terms of care, it is similar in one respect: all types of lavender must be cut back at least once a year to prevent baldness. If lavender bushes are not pruned, they become heavily woody and therefore become unsightly - and new shoots and thus flowers do not grow from the old wood. A strong cut always stimulates the plant to produce new shoots and ensures a magnificent flowering period.
Cutting lavender – instructions
The best time to cut lavender is in early spring, when new shoots have not yet developed. It is better not to prune in autumn, as this robs the plant of its strength to survive the winter. By the way, lavender is not hardy and should therefore not be planted in the garden. When cutting back lavender, follow these steps:
- Use sharp scissors to cut, e.g. B. rose or hedge trimmers (€21.00 on Amazon).
- The tool should also be clean so that no pathogens or fungi can establish themselves.
- It's best to prune in March, but no later than April.
- Pruning too late ensures that not enough shoots and therefore flowers can form.
- Cut the entire bush back by at least half - better yet by two thirds.
- However, be careful not to cut into the old wood.
- Pruning too deeply will result in the plant not sprouting again or only with difficulty.
Don't cut flowers too late
You can often tell that your lavender is starting to fade by the fading color of the flowers. You should cut off any flowers that have faded until the beginning / middle of August, because then the plant can invest its energy in a second flowering period instead of producing seeds. In this way, you can significantly extend the already long flowering period of this type of lavender. However, do not cut back later than August, otherwise you will rob the plant of the strength it needs for the winter.
Rejuvenate lavender
If lavender is not pruned regularly, it becomes woody and literally falls apart. However, only a few leaves and no flowers develop on heavily woody branches, so the bush becomes bare. In order to rejuvenate an old lavender, you have to cut it back heavily - but here too, you must not cut into the old wood. You should also only do the rejuvenation cut in spring orcarry out in early summer to allow the plant to recover.
Tips & Tricks
Crop lavender in the pot can be cut with little effort: simply gather all the shoots together with a ribbon and cut this tuft below the ribbon with hedge trimmers.
