Lavender flowers from July to September, it forms a bush which can reach a height of around 50 to 80 cm.
When planting,
clip the branches about in half to encourage bushy growth. After flowering use secateurs or shears to remove the stems that have already flowered. Make sure to respect the shape of your lavender.
The following years,
in March or April clip off a few centimeters from the shoots from the previous year. Never prune further back than the current year's growth. Lavender mustn't grow too quickly, otherwise it will thin out at the base. After flowering, in the end of summer, prune your lavender plants. Take this opportunity to gather the very fragrant flowers. Dry them and use them to scent your linen cupboards!
Be careful not to prune lavender into « dry » wood in the center of the bush because the lavender won't grow back well (the formation of new shoots on old wood is uncertain). To reshape an old abandoned lavender plant which has grown too high, it is necessary to cut back above the visible buds or the new growth. Severe pruning without judgement is often doomed to failure. It is easier and quicker to start over again with a new plant.