Horticultural expert Monty Don has warned that gardeners should prune their lavender plants this week to prevent them from becoming "woody" and "leggy". In a blog post, he explained that numerous species, including lavender, can develop a woody structure if neglected for extended periods, a problem that can be avoided with regular pruning.
Prune as flowers start to fade
Monty wrote: "To avoid woody, leggy plants, lavender should be pruned every year. The best time to do this is as soon as the flowers start to fade, which, depending on the variety, can be any time between midsummer and the end of August."
He added: "But do not wait for the seed heads to form or the flowers to turn brown, as you want to allow the maximum amount of time for regrowth before winter."
How to prune correctly
To create a well-proportioned plant, gardeners are encouraged to cut back vigorously, while ensuring some young shoots remain on each stem. Monty said lavenders do not sprout from bare wood, meaning it is important to leave these new shoots intact.
He added: "These new shoots will grow fast and provide an attractive and healthy cover to protect the plant in winter and provide the basis of next year's display."
August tasks for tomatoes
Monty also noted that August is an ideal month to concentrate on tomato plants, as they are at their peak for picking. He explained that this productive period can be extended by completing a few straightforward tasks.
He wrote: "The first is to strip off the bottom half of the leaves on each plant. This will let in light and air so that the growing fruits get more sun, and also the extra ventilation will reduce the risk of disease. This process can continue weekly until no leaves remain."
He added: "Reduce the watering unless it is very hot to avoid the fruit splitting, but keep up a weekly feed of liquid seaweed or, if you can make it, home-made comfrey feed. Both are ideal for maximising flower and fruit production."
Garden enthusiasts can additionally keep deadheading flowers to promote blooming and sow autumn salad varieties such as lettuce.
