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bobo

By Bobo

London, United Kingdom Gb

This year my lavender (officinalis) is growing on very long stalks in all directions - not at all the ordered border I'd planned. Last year it was all uniform length, relatively short and typically lavender-ish (!) growing straight up with lots of stalks. As you can see from the photo it looks really unruly. I gave it a level chop in early winter. Can anyone explain why this has happened? Can I cut it back now and still get flowers this summer?



P1030932

Answers

 

I am no expert on this but this lavender ( now called Angustifolia I believe) does grow very big and straggly in this sort of way. I don't think you have done anything wrong apart from buying , perhaps, this kind of lavender.

A couple of years ago I planted Lavender Munstead as a short hedge and in terms of tidiness and neatness of growth it is the best one I have had.

31 May, 2011

 

Hi there,

Looks like my lavender, all higgle de piggle de, but then I like that.

Did you plant it last year?

Maybe it was all neat from the nursery it came from and is now just doing it's own thing.

I give mine a good hair cut when it's flowered,

I think french lavender is a more clump forming variety.

Happy gardening.

31 May, 2011

 

If its growing in conditions which are too shady, lavender can sometimes do this regardless of variety, but I made the same mistake as you and bought the wrong one and it does exactly this, drives me bonkers, all the flower stems laying over everything else. Munstead is a much better option, and I'm currently growing Hidcote in hopes it doesn't do this.

31 May, 2011

How do I say thanks?

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