Cutting false jasmine is generally not necessary. However, it may make sense to cut back the hardy ornamental shrub if it spreads too much. You should also prune it every two to three years for rejuvenation.
When and how do you cut false jasmine?
False jasmine should be cut after flowering, ideally in summer. Prune the shrub to shape, rejuvenate, propagate or remove diseased shoots. It also tolerates heavy pruning, but may flower less at times.
When is cutting false jasmine indicated?
There are a few reasons why you should attack the False Jasmine with the scissors:
- Cut to shape
- pruning
- Rejuvenation
- Propagation
- sick shoots
The best time for pruning
Do not prune false jasmine in the fall. As with all summer-flowering shrubs, wait until the false jasmine has finished flowering. Then the ornamental shrub has enough time to produce new flowers for the next year.
You should always remove diseased shoots immediately. If individual branches disturb the overall appearance of the false jasmine, you can of course cut them at any time.
If the farmer's jasmine grows over your head, shorten it by a third or half.
Rejuvenate False Jasmine by Cutting
After a few years, the false jasmine only blooms on the outer tips of the shoots. This is hardly noticeable on a compactly grown shrub.
Nevertheless, it makes sense to rejuvenate false jasmine every two to three years. To do this, cut off all old branches just above the base of the shrub in spring. The false jasmine sprouts new shoots at the interfaces and also branches out.
Alternatively, you can also cut three or four old branches every year to continually rejuvenate the false jasmine.
False jasmine tolerates pruning well
False jasmine can easily tolerate severe pruning. However, in doing so, you remove the shoots on which the flowers for the next season develop over the course of the year.
After a heavy cut, you must expect that the shrub will not bloom at all or only bloom very little for a year or two.
Tip
False jasmine or farmer's jasmine is a very robust, fast-growing ornamental plant. When fully grown, it reaches a good four meters and is otherwise quite wide. The often poisonous false jasmine is therefore not well suited for small gardens.
