Lavender in March: monthly care

Lavender needs pruning twice a year to stay compact, floriferous and long-lived. Without it, plants become woody, bare at the base and prone to splitting open in wind or snow. The first prune is a light tidy in August, immediately after the main flowering flush. Use clean, sharp secateurs or garden shears to cut off all the spent flower stems, taking them back to just above the first set of leaves below the faded blooms. This deadheading prevents the plant wasting energy on seed and often encourages a modest second flush of flowers in early autumn. The main structural prune happens in March or April, just as new green shoots begin to appear at the base of the old stems. Cut back all the previous year's growth by about one-third to one-half, shaping the plant into a neat, rounded mound. Always cut into the green, leafy growth—never back into thick, bare brown wood, because lavender rarely regenerates from old stems and you risk killing whole branches or even the entire plant. If you're uncertain, err on the side of caution and take less off; you can always prune again next year. Use sharp bypass secateurs for precision or hedging shears for larger plantings and long hedges. Work your way around the plant evenly to maintain a balanced shape. If your lavender has become very leggy or woody, it's usually better to replace it than attempt drastic renovation. Well-pruned lavender will remain productive and attractive for ten to fifteen years.