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can I get my philadelphus back to good form

berardeberarde Posts: 147
in Problem solving
It's a Manteau d'Hermine and so is supposed to be three feet tall only and I've had it for about 12 years. It hasn't tended to be a brilliant flowerer and I prune it after flowering , taking it down by about a foot to a leaf axil. It has got straggly, with no flowering lower down and I  actually thought in autumn and early spring that it had died. I can only think to cut it down to about a foot, give it a feed and see what happens. Is this the best idea and any clue as to why it has ended up like this. It has had attention, but maybe the wrong attention?

Posts

  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    edited June 2020
    Oh dear! I would remove all the dead-wood and old weak growth right now - right down to the base, or down to where the good, newer growth is coming from. After flowering is over, prune the good newer stems by 1/3 to 1/2.

    Best to regularly prune out old stems that are getting tired otherwise it becomes a thicket of sticks, as here.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited June 2020
    I hardly prune mine - it doesn't really need it, other than taking a few wayward stems out, or lightly trimming back after flowering. It should be covered in foliage and flowers/buds just now. 
    Mine gets a sprinkle of B,F&B in spring and nothing else done to it. It's in a raised bed behind a Phormium, beside a white Genista.
    Do you ever water it? 

    Found this pic from 2 years ago



    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • berardeberarde Posts: 147
    Thank you, I'll try the cutting back some bfb and more water than I've given it. Are they particularly thirsty  ?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Mine gets plenty - from the sky. Never watered other than that, but when it's exposed - it'll dry out more quickly, so make sure it's not going short.  :)

    Soil's well drained - raised bed. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • berardeberarde Posts: 147
    Thank you for the help. I cut out all the old , dead wood and it has at least made some nice perfume from amodest number of flowers. I'm not sure how far to cut it back now: there are 3 thinnish newer branches from the base and 2 older branches with newer wood starting around 2 feet. Should I cut the older stems  to the base or maybe just shorten the flower bearing branches?om a modest. As it has finished flowering and 
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