No,that is completely the wrong time as you will remove all that year's flowering wood. Wait until June-ish for it to flower and cut back those stems that have dead flowers on them. With luck you will also see fresh, softer stems which you must leave well alone as these are next year's treats.
Our plant has nexer flowered in the four years we have been here. It is very vigorous and when we had help to landscape our garden a couple of years ago they cut it down to about 2 ft and removed some of the plant from root level. Should we now give up - we have again got a huge healthy 'green' bush but no flowers again this year.
I think the severe pruning it got has probably made it sulk. Plus, they are slow developers. Plus, they flower on little spurs that come off the growth they made the previous year. The huge green bush that you have should flower next June with a bit of luck. When it has finished flowering you can cut it back. It will need time to grow new shoots after the pruning which will then produce flowers the following year. Have patience and no more samurai sword work.
Agree with everything Verd. says (as usual), I will prune mine soon, and it needs a bit of renovation pruning having got a bit congested. I can see the new whippy green shoots to avoid which will flower next year.
And please please please, don't give it the "blob" treatment (going all over it with hedge clippers). Nothing sadder than Philadelphus (and forsythias.... argh) turned to congested tight little blobby balls of mangled leaves and dead wood. Take the time to do it properly with secateu/loppers or even a little saw, and leave the new wands intact in all their arching shapely legth.
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imprune in trying to work out when to prune ? Is it January ??
No,that is completely the wrong time as you will remove all that year's flowering wood. Wait until June-ish for it to flower and cut back those stems that have dead flowers on them. With luck you will also see fresh, softer stems which you must leave well alone as these are next year's treats.
Our plant has nexer flowered in the four years we have been here. It is very vigorous and when we had help to landscape our garden a couple of years ago they cut it down to about 2 ft and removed some of the plant from root level. Should we now give up - we have again got a huge healthy 'green' bush but no flowers again this year.
I think the severe pruning it got has probably made it sulk. Plus, they are slow developers. Plus, they flower on little spurs that come off the growth they made the previous year. The huge green bush that you have should flower next June with a bit of luck. When it has finished flowering you can cut it back. It will need time to grow new shoots after the pruning which will then produce flowers the following year. Have patience and no more samurai sword work.
My philadelphus is 14.Ft high and flowering profusely. Should I prune it and when?
pat
Agree with everything Verd. says (as usual
), I will prune mine soon, and it needs a bit of renovation pruning having got a bit congested. I can see the new whippy green shoots to avoid which will flower next year.
Yes, what Verdun said.
And please please please, don't give it the "blob" treatment (going all over it with hedge clippers). Nothing sadder than Philadelphus (and forsythias.... argh) turned to congested tight little blobby balls of mangled leaves and dead wood. Take the time to do it properly with secateu/loppers or even a little saw, and leave the new wands intact in all their arching shapely legth.
I moved mine two years ago its all leaves at the moment not much bark but has never flowered
should i prune it now
also it has blackfly on it which ive sponged with soapy washing up water