Prune jasmine: when and how to do it

Jasmine, with the scientific name Jasminum, is a genus of about 200 species of climbing and shrub plants very popular in gardening and decoration due to the great beauty of its flowers, with an intense and pleasant aroma in some species. These are plants widely used to decorate walls or walls in all kinds of environments and it is worth learning how to cultivate it properly so that it always looks beautiful and healthy, thus being able to enjoy its smell.

One of the most important care of this plant is pruning, basic to make it grow in the desired and healthy way. If you want to learn when and how to prune jasmine , join us in this article.

When to prune a jasmine

When it comes to analyzing when it is better to prune jasmine, it is necessary to differentiate between its winter or summer types or varieties. The Jasminum officinale , one of the most common, is one of the summer jasmines , which should be pruned at the end of winter , when the frosts have passed and the warmer temperatures of spring will not arrive. Thus, the growing season will allow pruning wounds to heal faster. It is also possible to prune after flowering, leaving two to three buds per stem, to stimulate growth the following season. If it is a winter jasmine , it will be necessary to prune it after its flowering, which usually occurs between March and April. in the northern hemisphere.

In addition to pruning to stimulate growth, as we have just explained, a young jasmine will need a training pruning the first years, in order to give it the desired structure. This must also be done in the periods of time specified above.

How to prune a jasmine – steps and types

In pruning this plant, the first thing is to see what type of jasmine we are going to prune. As always, be sure to properly sanitize all of your pruning tools before and after the process. With these points clear, follow these guidelines to prune a jasmine correctly :

How to prune a climbing jasmine

These jasmines can be one of the most difficult to prune initially, since their stems, which are usually intertwined and close together, can make the basic approach very difficult.

1. In this case, it is best to start at the bottom and look at a single stem each time, individually.
2. Prune the branches that are crossing too much with those that do interest you, and try to protect those that grow in the right direction.
3. Keep in mind that sometimes it will be enough to untangle and orient them by hand instead of necessarily having to resort to cutting.
4. Cut everything you need, because if the jasmine has become unbalanced and needs severe pruning to lighten its weight, this plant will endure it without problems.

How to prune a bush jasmine

As is logical, in shrub-type jasmine, the pruning of formation is more important, since it will dictate the structure, size and shape that the plant will have even more clearly than in climbers.

1. Cut the branches that grow completely horizontal.
2. Cut all those that are born towards the interior of the plant.
3. From each pair of parallel branches, leave only one. This seeks to allow more light to reach the plant and favors better ventilation, which will avoid fungal problems. For the rest, keep the shrub the size you consider appropriate for the space in which you have it.

How to prune a potted jasmine

Since jasmine is a high-growth plant, if you have potted jasmine indoors you will need to prune them more frequently to keep their size in check. Follow these tips:

• You can prune around a fifth of your new shoots each growing season, but always do so outside of your blooming season.
• In a pot, it is also important to prune its roots every time you transplant it, especially if you are not going to put it in a larger container.
• Finally, and regardless of the type of jasmine it is, maintenance pruning to remove leaves or branches in poor condition are always important, as well as the elimination of flowers or fruits that have already passed.

Basic jasmine care

These are the main care of jasmine so that it is in good condition:

• Climate: Jasmine can adapt to a fairly wide range of temperatures, but they do best in hot climates, and they rarely endure frost. Do not expose them to temperatures below 0 ºC.
• Watering: it is important not to over water this plant. Water about three times a week in moderate amounts in the warm months, and weekly in the cold months. In rainy season, you can stop watering. 
• Light: give it all the light you can, both indoors and outdoors, as it needs it to flourish and develop.
• Soil: it requires a loose soil or substrate with very good drainage, which you can improve by adding some sand. Enriching it with organic matter such as worm castings or compost will help the plant a lot, especially in its growth phase.
• Fertilizer: like many other species of flowering plants, it requires a good fertilizer when the flowers begin to develop. Use specific fertilizer, or enrich the soil with organic fertilizers rich in potassium and nitrogen.