I know I should have pruned around about July but didn't get around to it. It's huge and making a corner of my garden very dark. Is it too late or should I now wait for the spring? Not sure if it's ever been properly pruned.
Philadelphus responds well to being cut back quite hard and you could cut it all back to the base, but then you'd miss out on the flowers for a couple of years. I think I'd work through it starting this autumn, cutting back one third of the shoots each autumn for 3 years, that way you'll still get some flowers but after 3 years you'll have a totally rejuvenated shrub.
As Philadelphus blooms best on 2nd year wood, after you've done the 3 year pruning, I'd leave it a couple of years before pruning again, then repeat the 3 step process but at 2 year intervals from then on.
That sounds quite complicated but I think I've explained it right. A scattering of Fish, Blood and Bone would be good for it after pruning or in the early spring.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Posts
...I should of course added 'my mock orange' !
Philadelphus responds well to being cut back quite hard and you could cut it all back to the base, but then you'd miss out on the flowers for a couple of years. I think I'd work through it starting this autumn, cutting back one third of the shoots each autumn for 3 years, that way you'll still get some flowers but after 3 years you'll have a totally rejuvenated shrub.
As Philadelphus blooms best on 2nd year wood, after you've done the 3 year pruning, I'd leave it a couple of years before pruning again, then repeat the 3 step process but at 2 year intervals from then on.
That sounds quite complicated but I think I've explained it right. A scattering of Fish, Blood and Bone would be good for it after pruning or in the early spring.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thank you Dovefromabove and Verdun. Most helpful.