[Casey76]

I bought 6 lavendar plants (three each of 2 varieties) at the moment they are still in pots till I can decide where to plant them (they were an impulse buy at the GC).

Anywya they have now flowered and dried.  When should I clip them (I would like to keep the dried lavender).  And should I clip all of the tall flower stalk off, or just the flower head?

[Yorkie]

I think a general prune back to the plant straight after flowering, but not into old wood, is the general recommendation for established plants.  If yours are new and need to grow a bit then don't go too hard back.

Lavenders will get woody and leggy if you don't prune back regularly and low enough, but they are reluctant to grow new growth from old wood, hence needing to be careful about this.

[Casey76]

Thanks Yorkie, you're a star

[Faz]

Yes definitely do not cut back in to old wood - my mum asked me to prune her lavender bushes when I was a teenager. I got a bit carried away and cut them right back and they all died off afterwards!!! OOOOPS.   

[BobandJack]

Make sure you plant them somewhere sunny & dryish too, a few handfulls of coarse grit in the planting hole does them good.  I can't grow lavender here as my soil is just too damp (or most herbs either  ) but I bought a few for the allotment for when I get my herb & salad bed sorted.  There's a lovely sounding lavender cake recipe in the recipe competition btw

[Beetroot queen]

I cut mine back as soon as the flowers have died its taken over this year and looks more like a tree than the bushes they should be 

[catllar]

have been told you should cut lavender for drying before the flowers fade then hang em upside down to dry. I clip mine back a bit after flowering and then a drastic haircut, (but like everyone else says, not into the old wood) in the early spring - seems a bit harsh to hack them back in the summer.

[Yorkie]

I was in the supermarket yesterday and they had big french lavender bushes - the cultivation instructions did indeed recommend the main prune in early spring, contrary to what I posted previously 

[joyfull]

Yes definitely do not cut back in to old wood - my mum asked me to prune her lavender bushes when I was a teenager. I got a bit carried away and cut them right back and they all died off afterwards!!! OOOOPS.   

teenages will do anything to get out of being asked to do things again 

[sunshineband]

I cut off the flowers when wanted for drying and hang them up, then go over the bushes in spring with the hedge cutter, taking off about 2 ins. They always flower really weel and are at least 25 yrs old