Mock Orange - can I hard prune now?

13 years ago

I have three large (6 to 8 feet) unruly-looking mock oranges that I'm thinking of pruning severely, hoping they will come back looking better.

What I'd like to know is....if I trim them down to about two or three feet from the ground, what will they look like by the end of the summer? How long will it take for them to "fill out"?

These shrubs give me privacy at the side of my house and I'd like to keep some of that if possible.

Would I be better to prune them less drastically?

Any advice most appreciated!

Carly

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Comments (4)

Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
13 years ago
Prune after bloom. Total recovery to current size should be several years.

Dan
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
mine are just budding.. so yours should have barely bloomed ...

as dan said ...

google RENOVATION PRUNING OF SHRUBS .... to learn how to do it... take the largest 1/3 of the branches out.. as close to the ground as possible ...

none of this trimming the ends nonsense ...

ken
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see link ... a 3 year process ... i would speed it up a bit.. take one of them off now .. off the branch with two ... i would take the second in fall ... we are wanting it to sprout way down low ... so you will get fresh... new.. vigorous growth ... because there will be no insult to the roots.. plus all that new sun .. the following spring.. after it flowers.. i would take the last old one down ... ken https://www.google.com/search?q=rejuvenation+pruning+of+flowering+shrubs&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
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in some old post.. it was stated.. and agreed upon ... that if you dont have a quality MO ...just get rid of it ... when i moved here in 2000 i bought a plastic bag of MO at some now defunct farm store ... grew them for 12 years ... and just once... did it have fragrant flowers ... they got sacrificed to the fire gods ... then i went and bought some quality named versions.. and bazinga.. it was said.. an underperforming MO is not worth the space it takes... just be done with it ... i would guess.. they bloom on new wood .. as the green one above appears to ... all the flowers seem to be on the new growth.. else you would never see the flowers in the interior .. its not what i call an airy bush ... buddy ... study your plant ... determine the largest branch diameter .. and cut out all equivalent trunks .... removing no more than a third ... with no insult to the root mass ... you might be surprised how it responds next spring ... this is step one . if in 3 years.. it still isnt flowering with vigor.. then i would assume its a sunlight issue ... [note in the stories above.. those who grow it in shade.. explicitly said.. they are under limbed up canopy ... not all shade is created equal .. leaving you to figure it all out.. in your yard.. its called a micro climate ...] ken
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carlylake
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks dan & ken..

Ken, you said to take the largest 1/3 of the branches out as close to the ground as possible. I understand that that's the way to do it, but if I do that I'll still have a very untidy looking shrub with long branches hanging over the driveway...I'd much prefer a more compact shape, maybe 4-5 ft tall.

Dan, you said that it would take several years for the pruned plant to grow back to its present size. But what will it look like at the end of this summer? Will it be scraggly and open, or will it look full, but not as tall?

Carly
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
13 years ago
you said that it would take several years for the pruned plant to grow back to its present size. But what will it look like at the end of this summer? Will it be scraggly and open, or will it look full, but not as tall?

No idea. I have no information about your site, how you will prune it, the health of the shrub, nor what the weather will be like this summer. It may have some reaction growth if healthy and pruned properly and happy.

Dan

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Mock Orange - can I hard prune now?

Comments (4)

Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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carlylake
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Mock Orange - can I hard prune now?

Comments (4)

Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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carlylakeOriginal Author

Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)

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BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

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carlylake
Original Author