Daily gardening tip · Northern hemisphere · Wednesday 19 August 2026 · late summer
Trimming Lavender After Summer Blooms Fade
Pruning your lavender now keeps the plant compact and prevents it from turning into woody, bare branches next year.
15 minuteseasypruning
Identify lavender plants that have finished flowering for the summer.
Wipe your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol to clean them.
Cut back the green stems by about one-third, removing the faded flower stalks.
Avoid cutting into the old, brown, leafless wood at the base of the plant.
Gather and compost the trimmings to keep the soil around the plant clear.
Why it works
Lavender only grows new leaves from active green stems. If you do not prune them in late summer, the stems become long, heavy, and woody, which eventually splits the plant and prevents new growth from forming in the center.
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