PRUNING JASMINE

This summer I decided it was necessary to prune the jasmine that faces north.  For now I shall leave the newly planted south-facing jasmines alone.  The books say they should be planted to face south, however, mine on the north-facing fence is in such a position that, on the north-facing side, it has always received sun part of the day when the sun heads west in the afternoon.  Now healthy and, apparently, happy, it's got a real grip on the trellis on top of the fence and, with its head now enjoying sun from the south too, it has tumbled over the fence on the neighbour's side.  Furthermore, it has wound its way through the neighbouring roses, New Dawn and Wild Eve, and right into the honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum 'Scentsation' which was pruned last week.   As the jasmine was slow to get going, it has been growing unmolested for 4 years or so. 





Pruned jasmine officinale

The idea is to prune jasmine to a leaf bud just after it has finished flowering, in late summer, while the weather is still relatively warm.  This encourages new growth before winter.  According to the Royal Horticultural Society "Early flower-flushes develop on the previous year’s growth, but later flushes develop on the tips of the current year’s growth".  Actually, it's rather confusing because some 'authorities' say summer flowering jasmine (not the winter-flowering types of jasmine) should be pruned in early spring. 

Flower buds on jasminum officinale, growing on tips of shoots

July 2013

I have decided that now is the most convenient  time for me because when the weather is cold, I am far less likely to want to do it and will probably forget to do it all together!   I am not, most definitely not, a winter gardener.  This is the first time I have pruned a jasmine and so I don't pretend to be an expert.  I have tried to use common sense.  I have avoided cutting into old wood of the jasmine but have cut back some of the long shoots quite hard, and removed entirely any that are very weak and sickly, and cut back any that are rubbing against other shoots.  Always cut to a leaf joint as in the above image.  If you do decide to give your jasmine radical treatment and cut it right down to the ground, be aware that it will probably not flower for a few years after that.



I think I might have gone a bit over the top this year with regard to the climbers that I have growing on my south facing fence.  Plants tend to grow how they will, rather than as the book says, or how we expect them to grow.  When I took the two jasmines growing in pots and planted them instead in the border to grow up a fence, I expected them to show gratitude for being allowed to stretch out their roots but I didn't expect the tops to take off quite so vigorously.  The reason for this, I suppose, is that the jasminum officinale on the north facing fence has taken years to show any sign of great vigour and I expected more of the same.  There is also the Generous Gardener rose trying to win the battle of space between the jasmines, and the four clematis that I have planted, not to mention the sweet peas, and the runner bean.  The runner bean, Wisley Magic, was planted as a seed before I planted the clematis, and then forgotten.  I got a surprise one day to find that it had not only germinated but had grown into a plant and started to scramble on top of Gillian Blades (clematis).  It's almost buried her.  I would pull the bean away in case the shade it causes is detrimental to the clematis but the bean has made a lot of lovely, scarlet flowers, followed by tempting young beans. 



Wisley Magic runner bean, jasmine, and Generous Gardener rose





Anyway, the clematis is still providing lovely white flowers so it cannot be too unhappy.  By the way, I found one long, straight and perfect runner bean hiding under a leaf.  It was delicious and not at all stringy.