Caring for Lavender: Keep Your Plants Thriving

Lavender is wonderfully low-maintenance, but a little care goes a long way in keeping your plants healthy, shapely, and blooming beautifully year after year. Here is everything you need to know about caring for your lavender.

Watering

Once established, lavender is highly drought-tolerant and prefers to be kept on the drier side. Water young plants regularly during their first growing season, then reduce watering significantly. Overwatering is the most common cause of lavender decline — always allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

Pruning: The Key to Longevity

Pruning is the single most important thing you can do for your lavender. Without it, plants become woody and straggly, producing fewer flowers over time. Prune twice a year:

• After flowering (late summer): Cut back by around one third, removing spent flower stems and shaping the plant into a neat mound.
• Early spring: A light trim to tidy up any winter damage and encourage fresh new growth.

Never cut back into old, woody growth — lavender will not regenerate from bare wood.

Deadheading

Removing spent flower heads during the blooming season encourages the plant to produce a second flush of flowers. It also keeps your lavender looking neat and prevents self-seeding.

Winter Care

Most English lavender varieties are fully hardy in the UK. However, in particularly cold or wet winters, a layer of horticultural grit around the base of the plant will help protect the roots and improve drainage. Avoid covering the plant with fleece for extended periods, as lavender needs good air circulation.

Repotting Container Lavender

If you are growing lavender in pots, repot every two to three years into fresh, gritty compost. Choose a pot with excellent drainage holes and avoid saucers that collect standing water.

With just a little attention, your lavender will reward you with years of glorious blooms and heavenly fragrance.