Hi Everyone, hope all are doing well. I have an English Lavender growing in a large pot. It's been in this pot for approximately 3-4 years now and is starting to look it's age. It still blooms well, but the middle of the pot (center of the plant) is starting to look bare and bald. I've heard the term "donut effect" used before. I was thinking of dividing the plant and make 3 smaller ones but after doing some research on the web I see posts saying that lavenders do not divide well and may die. Anyone have any suggestions on how I can rejuvenate this plant? I dont' really want to get a bigger pot and don't have a space in the garden to plant it. Can I treat it like a bonsi were I would take the plant out of it's pot and trim off the small skinny feeder roots and replant it back in the same pot with some fresh soil? Thanks and may your days smell like sweet lavender....
It is important to prune lavender every year to maintain a healthy looking plant. It is recommended that you prune lightly after flowering or in early spring. Do not prune down to the woody stems. I have not heard of success with the type of root pruning that you have mentioned. I would recommend that you propagate new plants by taking cuttings. Here is link which describes how to take cuttings. Once your new plants have rooted you can get rid of the old "tired" looking plant and replace them with your young plants. Continue to prune every year as recommended to maintain compact, healthy looking plants. Raakel
You can take cuttings in late summer, in a nice gritty compost, give bottom heat till roots appear, it is important if you put polythene over them,to make sure none of the leave touch it. Once established, water regularly, avoid over-wet soil. Trim off flower stalks as soon as flowering is finished, and give it a feed, clip again in the spring to maintain a compact habit. If growing in pots they prefer a loam-based compost, with a bit of added grit.Hope this helps. Ashizuru...