Of all lavender species, the French lavender (Lavandula stoechas) not only has the longest flowering period, but also begins to flower at a very early stage.
Clean out faded French lavender
As a rule, French lavender begins to open its distinctive flowers as early as May and exude an intense, characteristic smell. This scent attracts butterflies in particular, but also hungry bees and bumblebees. With good care, this type of lavender will show its flowers well into September - but only if you regularly cut off the faded stems. In this way, you stimulate the plant to continue flowering, after all, it strives to form seeds.
Prune lavender in summer
As with other lavender varieties, pruning in summer can help if cleaning up doesn't help. This should be carried out by the end of July at the latest, although the flowers do not have to have faded by a long way. With the summer pruning, cut the plant down by about a third. When cutting, stay in the green shoots, because the lavender will no longer sprout from the woody parts. Use a clean and sharp cutting tool (e.g. rose scissors) so as not to unnecessarily crush or otherwise injure the branches.
Harvest French lavender
If you want to harvest the flowers of the French lavender, you should not wait until they have faded. Lavender flowers should be harvested before they are fully open. You can tell when the time is right because some buds of the panicle have already opened while others remain closed. It is best harvested at midday when it is nice and warm and dry. Cut off the desired amount of flowers including the stalk, then you can process them according to your taste. The fresh leaves - if young - are suitable as a sparingly used spice in the kitchen, the flowers can be dried or braided together with the stems.
tips and tricks
Sometimes the French lavender is a bit lazy to bloom. This is usually due to unfavorable site conditions, the wrong soil and/or suboptimal care.
IJA