Q.Saving an old Mock Orange bush
My Mock Orange bush is ancient and,although it blooms each year, it has fewer flowers. People tell me it is past time to (drastically) cut it back. How far down do I cut?
Wait until it enters winter dormancy; it is too late to prune this year. Most flowering shrubs need annual pruning to keep the plant flowering at its best. Rejuvenation pruning is one technic for vastly overgrown shrubs. In late winter, cut all the stems down to 6 inches. Fertilize when growth starts. A less drastic measure is to remove 1/3 of the stems every year to the ground. You might fudge a bit the first year and remove closer to 1/2 of the stems. Take out the oldest, largest ones. You will have more blooms the following year.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/mock-orange/mock-orange-pruning.htm
