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When/how to prune orange blossom

hatty_hatty_ Berkshire, 🇬🇧 Posts: 51
in Problem solving
Hi everyone!

I bought a bare root orange blossom stick from Poundland right at the beginning of lockdown. 

I wasn’t expecting much but it has grown really well but now I’m wondering how best to care for it. 

It’s grown in tall arch like branches. Is there a way to prune it so that it becomes a little more “bushy”? As you can see, I’ve tried to string it up so it doesn’t flop over. 

If I should prune it, when is the best time to do this?

Many thanks!

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 14,819
    Prune after flowering. It should flower in June , then cut off flowered shoots.  As it gets bigger, cut out one third of older shoots out each year quite low down, otherwise you get all the flowers at the top. I suspect that apart from dead heading, you could leave that for four or five years before pruning. Whatever you do, don't give it the tidy up trim to give a nice ball shape, you will be cutting off all the flowers.
    You don't stop doing new things because you get old, you get old because you stop doing new things. <3
  • chickychicky SurreyPosts: 9,259
    edited October 2020
    If it’s a Philadelphus (which I think it is from your picture) then you prune straight after flowering (about June or July).  Best way is to take about a third of the stems out at the base.  But that is for a mature plant - I would leave yours to grow for a couple of years to get established before you take the secateurs to it ✂️
    We did not inherit the earth from our grandparents.  We’re borrowing it from our children.
  • chickychicky SurreyPosts: 9,259
    Also, the young growth will be quite floppy, but it gets stiffer as it gets older.  They make very large shrubs - so you might find it outgrows it’s space there quite quickly.  Mine is about 12 foot tall and a meter across - has beautiful perfume.
    We did not inherit the earth from our grandparents.  We’re borrowing it from our children.
  • hatty_hatty_ Berkshire, 🇬🇧 Posts: 51
    Thank you @chicky and @fidgetbones! Very helpful. I will leave it to grow for a while before attempting any pruning. 
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