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Jeff Layman[_2_] · 26-10-2009, 07:27 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

wrote:
I have a couple of lavender in big pots outside my front door, but they
haven't been watered as well as they probably should. They've been there
for 2 years and they didn't flower very well this year. (they don't get
an amazing amount of light, and I'm terrible for remembering to water,
and being by the front door they don't get much natural rain, on the
rare occasions it bothers to rain atm!)

I've just chopped them back quite a bit tonight (got to love the
gardening in the dark process at this time of year!) but they are ...
straggley looking and quite woody. How far should I cut them back? I
don't want to kill them, but if they're only going to perform as well as
this year (or worse) it might be better if I chuck them and get
something new for next year.

Any advice from lavender experts appreciated (other than "remember to
water them occasionally!" - I already got that one!)

Thanks

Lavenders are much happier being dry than wet. You are more likely to kill
a lavender in ap ot by overwatering than by underwatering.

As far as pruning goes, you may have left it too late. If lavenders become
straggly and woody, and you try to prune by cutting them down a long way,
they are usually very reluctant to regenerate from the bare wood. If you
have some branches with leaves, you would be better off taking cuttings from
them. One other way is to put the pot in a much deeper pot, and cover the
stem for a few inches in well-drained soil. That usually causes the
lavender to form new roots from the branches which have been buried. The
newly-rooted plants can then be cut up to form several new plants. I'm not
sure about doing that at this time of the year, though. I'm sure someone in
the newsgroup can comment accurately on that.

--
Jeff