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Where to start with the mock orange?

#1 · 9th July 2023, 6:23 pm

Hello there

Still trying to get to grips with the many plants and shrubs in this beautiful garden we’ve moved to! We have this old mock orange at the front of the house which smells beautiful and which I’m keen to keep as it provides a bit of privacy. But it’s getting a bit large and I don’t know where to start pruning it as it’s got so much to it, as I assume it’s old. I don’t want to kill it!!! Yikes! Any advice hugely appreciated.

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#2 · 11th July 2023, 7:57 am

Hi @wendywoo

Pruning mock orange couldn’t be simpler. They are a tough and resilient deciduous (loses its leaves in winter) shrub.

The best time to prune them is after they finish flowering. So once it finishes give it a tidy up. I wouldn’t be too brutal. I’d shape it to maybe clear some of the lower branches to give it a multistem appearance. Take off upto 1/4 at a go. And then see how the shape forms next year.

Remove any dead, diseased or damaged stems first. Then work your way around the shrub for an even look. Pruning equally. Follow my hydrangea pruning guide below for a similar approach. Hope that helps?

Lee

#3 · 12th July 2023, 8:06 am

That’s so helpful - thanks so much Lee!!! I found the hydrangea pruning video really helpful so I’ll revisit that. Fingers crossed I’ll not ruin it - it’s lovely as it is - just too big!