Help with pruning lavender and rosemary, please

[Headbrewer]

Hello,

in the garden I have moved to, I have inherited several large stragly lavender plants and a rather overgrown rosemary.

I seem to remember that for lavender you can't prune too hard ant into the 'old wood'. Is that correct? Also does the same apply to rosemary?

I could always take cuttings and then dig up the established lavender plants but that does seem a bit drastic, the rosemary is about 5ft tall so I think I will just have to risk pruning it.

Thanks

[dammad49]

I prune both with the hedgetrimmer but have done for the last 7 years. Lavender hedge is chopped back to about 12" square after flowers die off and Rosemary gets a haircut every time I cut the Leylandii (bet thats spelt wrong) hedge, Rosemary is a cube about 3 feet high by 1 foot across. I have seen the "dont cut into old wood" mantra for lavender but mine shows no ill effects. There must be someone more knowledgeable than me - there usually is.....

[kentvegplot]

Hello,

in the garden I have moved to, I have inherited several large stragly lavender plants and a rather overgrown rosemary.

I seem to remember that for lavender you can't prune too hard ant into the 'old wood'. Is that correct? Also does the same apply to rosemary?

I could always take cuttings and then dig up the established lavender plants but that does seem a bit drastic, the rosemary is about 5ft tall so I think I will just have to risk pruning it.

Thanks

Both do get straggly if not pruned, and to be honest, neither lasts forever. So I would prune, but plan for replacement. Yes, don't prune into the old wood because it won't regenerate from there. So prune both bushes AND use some of the prunings as cuttings, just in case. Take a bit about 3-5" long (with a heel if possible) , put into a very sharp (ie well-draining) mix of compost and grit. That way, you've got some insurance.

[shirlthegirl43]

I bought some very poorly lavenders last year reduced at Homebase. They were all brown and dead and I cut them back to the lowest green shoots and pulled out all the dead stuff. This year they are showing nice healthy growth. I think I am trying to say thin them a bit and see how they do.

They say not to cut azalea back to old wood but I did mine last year as it had gone all out of shape. It is covered in flower buds now

[Eyren]

Does this look about right? I trimmed back my lavender and rosemary last weekend, and yesterday I extended the bed either side so I can plant more herbs (nearer to my kitchen than the back garden!).

The lavender is several years old and probably will need replacing in a year or two; the rosemary is a bit younger. I took the lavender back to where the leaves were closely spaced along the stem, and removed the new rosemary shoots above the flower buds.

[Marthaclematis]

That looks good Eyren. Mine are only about two years old but thrive in my sunny garden. I cut them back as far as I dare - which is to say I leave about 1 inch of growth. They should bush up marvelous this year.

[FionaH]

I cut my lavender back at the end of the summer. What is there now looks pretty ropey. should I cut it right back now and hope for the best?

[Marthaclematis]

I would leave it and see if it comes back good - I have three types and my oldest looks ropey too but I think it will be ok once it grows again. You won't do any harm by leaving it but you might harm it if you cut it back too far. You can always prune it back harder next year. I cut mine back in late summer too.

[FionaH]

Thanks Martha

[selfraising]

Ooops may have killed mine then. It looked ropey so I cut it back hard, may be going to garden centre to buy new lavender plants

[FionaH]

A knowledgeable friend just looked at mine and confirmed it is indeed very dead! Whn we going to the Garden centre SR?

[catbud]

I know that any brown or black on Rosemary should be cut off as this can damage the whole plant.

[Eyren]

That looks good Eyren. Mine are only about two years old but thrive in my sunny garden. I cut them back as far as I dare - which is to say I leave about 1 inch of growth. They should bush up marvelous this year.

Thanks, Martha! I'm being a bit cautious this year as I haven't really pruned them before - the French lavender was pretty much dead already, so I don't want to kill the two English lavenders as well!!

[Jardiniere]

my very large rosemary - which is about 12 years old has nasty brown ends to the leaves - like its been burnt - do i need to get rid of it? Its so levely.............or even lovley or do i mean luvverly......dont drink gin before you post......

[Marthaclematis]

How very civilised you are - gin before din! I might just join you - we have a bottle in the fridge.