Summer jasmine

I have a four year old Jasminum officinale 'Clotted cream'. I forgot to prune it last summer and it's completely bonkers now. We're talking full on exploded mattress. It's well out of its bounds. I'd like to prune it hard (I'm wondering about taking it back to 2 ft) but I'm not sure if I should do this now or wait until dorment season. I've read conflicting advice online, so would really welcome thoughts on this.

Thank you in advance.

 

Hi

late summer early autumn is best but 12 inches sounds a bit severe

 

This from Google sounds like a good plan...
I used to have one and I'd prune back all the long growth that goes everywhere to tidy it up.



Jasminum officinale 'Clotted Cream', also known as Jasmine Clotted Cream, benefits from pruning to maintain shape, encourage new growth, and ensure flowering. Prune after flowering, typically in late summer or early autumn, to remove old, flowered stems and any dead or damaged growth. Thin out crowded or crossing branches and tie in new shoots to their support. Hard pruning can be done if the plant has outgrown its space, but it will take a couple of years to flower again.
This video demonstrates how to prune Jasmine:



54s



DIY Home and Gardening
YouTube · 8 Oct 2022
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Timing:

• After Flowering:
  The best time to prune Jasmine Clotted Cream is after it has finished flowering, which is usually late summer or early autumn.
• Avoid Winter Pruning:
  Avoid pruning in the winter, as this can damage the plant and reduce flowering.

What to Prune:

• Old Wood:
  Remove the oldest stems that have already flowered to encourage new growth and better flowering for the following year.
• Dead, Diseased, or Damaged Growth:
  Remove any dead, diseased, or damaged stems to improve the plant's overall health and appearance.
• Crowded or Crossing Branches:
  Thin out any stems that are overcrowded or crossing each other to improve air circulation and light penetration.
• Weak or Thin Stems:
  Remove any weak or thin stems that are unlikely to produce good flowers.

How to Prune:

• Cut Back to a Strong Shoot:
  When pruning, cut back old stems to a strong side shoot lower down on the stem.
• Tying in New Growth:
  Tie in the new shoots to their support, such as a trellis or wires, to encourage them to grow in the desired direction.
• Hard Pruning:
  If the plant has become overgrown, you can prune it back hard to within 60cm of the base. However, be aware that it may take a couple of years for the plant to flower again after hard pruning.

General Tips:

• Regular Pruning: Regular pruning will help keep your Jasmine Clotted Cream healthy, full of flowers, and in good shape.
• Watering: Water the plant regularly, especially during dry spells.
• Feeding: Feed with a balanced fertilizer once a month during the growing season.
• Support: Ensure the plant has adequate support, like a trellis, to climb on.

This video shows how to prune and care for Jasmine plants:




59s



World Radio Gardening
YouTube · 20 Feb 2024

 

18 years ago, I gave my neighbour a Jasmine officinalis to celebrate the birth of their twin daughters. It was planted and left untouched to rampage wherever it wanted. The trellis it started growing on had rotted and I told my new neighbour it would stand a hard prune. She didn't believe me, thinking it would kill it. However, to carry out the required repairs to the porch, someone, her Dad, I think, "pruned" it down to a 2 ft. stump. It has already thrown several new stems, searching for something to climb on. I have explained they may not have flowers for a year or two but the Jasmine is JUST FINE!

 

Thank you everyone. I know it sounds a bit drastic - partly why I wanted to sense-check it with you nice folks! But I feel a bit stuck as it's reached the top of a wall and is all big up top without much lower down. Last year it looked rather lovely cascading down but it's just a mess now and has managed to unhitch our phone line from the wall Promised hubby I would sort it out and figured that if I go hard on it, I can hopefully better train the new shoots - especially now that I understand better what it grows like. I'll keep you all posted!

 

I find they are hard to kill and you can therefore be brutal with the pruning. They are also very easy to grow from cuttings (they layer themselves really easily as well so you might have some already), so you could create a few backup plants.
I'd wait till the autumn and see if you can remove it's support and cut bits away from the base to thin it out. They normally tangle around themselves but come away with a good tug. When there is less of it then you can see if you can retrain some of the growth (you can even cut it at different lengths to new encourage growth along the full height). If it proves to be impossible to work with then give it a complete chop.

The way I control ours is to cut back after flowering.

 

Okay, this may be a silly question, but ordinarily I'd cut to a bud or leaf node, but the first 2 ft of our stems are bare wood. Do you think it's okay if I just lop off? Just feels odd to do!

I have found some runners rooting and have potted them up as an insurance policy, thank you!

 

You will be fine, there will be dormant buds in the stem or it will just promote new growth lower down. I like staggered cutting, say a stem at 2ft, one at 3ft etc because it promotes bushiness and flowering the whole way up. If it gets to tall, you can just whip the top off and you still have the rest of the plant.

 

Marvellous, thank you!