Cut jasmine plant properly

The jasmine plant is an attractive climbing plant that tolerates pruning with slender and angular shoots, which should ideally grow on a trellis. In the course of late summer, cymes form on the plant, which are provided with strongly fragrant flowers. These flowers are bright white in the Jasminum officinale. The jasmine plant grows relatively quickly and must therefore be pruned regularly. In addition, pruning is also important for promoting shoot formation and maintaining the abundance of flowers.

Characteristics

The jasmine plant is a delicate olive tree and originally comes from China, but it also occurs wild in Ceylon and India. The fast-growing climbing plant needs regular pruning in order to bloom and grow magnificently for a long time. Due to its origin from warmer regions, the Jasminum officinale is not hardy and must be kept in a planter. The following aspects are important in the jasmine plant:

• in this country only suitable for keeping buckets
• completely green only in the summer months
• Flowering period from June to September
• unfolds strongly fragrant and white flowers
• dark and narrow leaves, very similar to the leaves of the olive tree
• Flowers are surrounded by five elongated leaves, which diverge in a star shape
• Petals have a long pistil in their center
• can be placed outside on the balcony, terrace or in the garden in summer
• needs a bright place to hibernate, with temperatures between 5°-10°C
• without a cool dormant phase in winter, there will be no flowering
• tie long shoots up to a round arch or trellis
• as a container plant in the room usually about 0.5-2 meters high
• with a climbing aid, the plant can grow 4-8 meters in height
• very pruning-tolerant plant, can cope with almost any pruning

time

The right time for pruning is crucial for the development of the jasmine plant, both for the development of the shoots and for the richness of the flowers. Ideally, the Jasminum officinale is pruned in early spring so that the plant can develop magnificently at the beginning of summer. The later the pruning is scheduled, the later the climbing plant will bloom. Without pruning, the jasmine plant will not bloom because the flowers are mainly formed on the new shoots. The following aspects should be considered when timing the cut:

• Start pruning early, March is ideal
• Cut back just before sprouting
• in regions with mild winters, pruning is possible as early as February
• do not prune during flowering and dormancy

Real or Fake Jasmine?

In order to be able to observe the special features when cutting, you must of course know exactly which jasmine you are actually looking at. For a gift e.g. B. it's not always clear:

• The real jasmine or Jasminum officinale belongs to the olive tree family. It comes from warm regions of China and Japan and now also grows on the Mediterranean, naturally as an olive tree plant. True jasmine is green only in summer, and its dark, narrow leaves resemble those of an olive tree. Its flowers are white with five oblong leaves that diverge in a star shape and have a single long pistil in the center.
• The Fake Jasmine or Philadelphus coronarius, on the other hand, belongs to the hydrangea family, which comes from colder regions and therefore feels at home in German gardens. It has slightly lighter, slightly velvety leaves that are jagged at the edges, and its flowers make it even more distinctive Real jasmine, which has small and almost round white leaves with many short yellow pistils in the Center.

The two jasmines cannot be distinguished by their scent: the false jasmine got this name precisely because of the scent, which is similar to the jasminum officinale.

Cut Jasminum officinale

If you don't have a Philadelphus, but a real jasmine, it naturally needs pruning as well. Although this true jasmine is not particularly closely related to the mock orange tree, as illustrated just below he has at least one thing in common with his namesake: he likes to let himself go and with good results trimming. However, you would have to be aware of some subtle differences:

• With real jasmine, you should take the pruning really seriously, because this plant, which we usually keep in tubs, needs some time until it has developed a beautiful, expansive shape.
• Real jasmine can also tolerate a rough pruning, but it would be a shame because it takes a long time before the pot looks really decorative again.
• That's why the real jasmine gets a pruning every year just before budding, really every year, and you should take some time for this pruning.
• With this plant you have to be careful to thin out as thoroughly as possible, otherwise this jasmine tends to only set flowers at the outer ends.
• However, this jasmine always needs a new and larger pot when its roots take up almost the entire pot. The repotting should then definitely be carried out at a time interval from the pruning measures, both at once would stress the plant too much.

Thin out

Thinning out the jasmine plant ensures that new shoots can grow back without a lack of space and that the desired shape is always maintained. Since it takes a relatively long time for the plant to look decorative again after radical pruning, not too much should be cut off at once:
Thinning out possible at any time during the growing season

• ideally thin out after flowering in early autumn
• Thin out thoroughly, otherwise there will only be flowers on the outer ends of the shoots
• Thinning cut creates space for young shoots
• do not cut off young shoots when thinning out
• Remove old, faded and densely growing shoots after flowering
• when cutting, pay attention to a circular base
• maintain natural cut shape
• when kept in buckets, it takes some time before a beautiful and expansive shape is developed
• also tolerates a rough cut, but careful approach is better

pruning

The jasmine is extremely pruning-tolerant and absolutely needs this process for its life cycle. The conventional pruning of the jasmine plant distinguishes between two types, which are carried out differently depending on the purpose of the pruning. If the pruning does not take place, the summer bloomer will only form a few flowers in the long run, which will only form on the fresh shoots. The following criteria must be observed when pruning:

• Carry out maintenance pruning annually at the beginning of spring
• Cut back about a third of the plant
• can be pruned without any problem, as there is a constant budding
• Cut back to encourage flowering
• Cut radically and directly at the base of the shoots
• in this way, many new and strong flowering shoots are formed
• Cut off woody shoots generously
• Pruning to maintain a certain size
• To preserve size, only cut off all side shoots that come off the main shoots
• do not proceed hastily, but with time and leisure
• even severely trimmed plants willingly sprout again

radical cut

With a radical pruning, the jasmine plant will be rejuvenated and bloom much more magnificently again. It may take longer for it to grow back completely afterwards, but the summer bloomer can recover all along the line after the pruning for rejuvenation and grow back healthy and strong:

• Only perform pruning when the plant is 3-5 years old
• do at the beginning of spring
• approx. implement every 2-3 years
• shorten the plant vigorously when cutting radically
• Shorten the longest twigs, cut back every third of the oldest twigs to ground level
• more than two thirds of the plant can be cut off completely
• Floor-to-ceiling cut also completely possible
• Jasmine always grows back vigorously
• promotes health and abundance of flowers

Conclusion

The jasmine plant is an extremely pruning-tolerant summer bloomer, which enchants with sweet-smelling flowers. Due to the strong growth, an annual pruning is necessary, which also increases the richness of the flowering phase. Pruning can be done at any time during the growing season if necessary, however, the Jasminum officinale should be able to rest without disturbance during the winter. A radical pruning ensures rejuvenation and strengthens the health of the plant. A more radical pruning can cut up to two-thirds or even all the way to the ground, but then it will take longer for the plant to flower again.

Worth knowing shortly

• Known to us as jasmine is the mock orange (Philadelphus), also known as false jasmine.
• Real jasmine can only be kept in pots and is not very widespread.
• The wrong person is much more common jasmine to meet This flowers on the new shoot (this year's shoot).
• As with most summer-flowering plants, pruning takes place shortly before budding in early spring.
• When it comes to editing, it depends on why you are editing. Should the plant be reduced in size or just stimulated to bloom?
• If the size is to remain the same, only all side shoots coming off the main shoots are cut off radically directly at the base.
• To rejuvenate you can cut down the plant vigorously. Jasmine tolerates every cut and drives out again willingly.
• It is best to cut back to a third. But you can also cut down to the ground, which is very radical.
• Of course, it then takes quite a while until a beautiful bush has grown again, which shines with many nice-smelling flowers.
• You should cut as early as possible. The later you cut, the later the jasmine will bloom.
• Without pruning, the plant will not bloom, as it is mainly the fresh shoots that bloom.
• Many gardeners also prune their jasmine after flowering. The thinning cut serves to create space for the young shoots.
• When cutting, make sure you have a nice circular base. The shrub looks so natural.
• It is better to carry when cutting garden gloves, because the escaping milky juice can cause skin irritation.

Learn more about pruning