prune it? Philadelphus virginal

**"* D* <m*@gmail.com>**

I did a quick internet search because ours has also been in the ground for 5
years without flowering. BBC gardening calls it a beginner's plant and maybe
so but not so much with the flowering part.
At the Master Gardener's Conference in Little Rock AK this year I saw one in
bloom and it increased my interest in coaxing flowers. Bloom food made no
difference. Ours is planted in the same general light, water, etc. situation
as the full-of-flowers one I saw.

Equally frustrated and equally out of ideas, I think I'll follow the BBC
advice and cut it back. That method makes other perennial shrubs such as
fortsythia bloom.

"Time to prune: July to August . . .To keep plants in shape, cut back shoots
to a strong buds every year after flowering. On older plants, also remove
roughly a quarter of the oldest branches each year to encourage new growth.
."
Martha in Muskogee

On 9/15/07, loisdan@juno.com <loisdan@juno.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Folks,
>
> Any suggestions? We've had our Philadelphus Virginal for five years and
> it has never bloomed. Tried superphosphate this year -- nothing. At first
> we thought, it might be "not enough sun" until I went on Gardenweb, where
> there was a whole lot of conjecture about the virginal strain being no
> good, about Wayside plants not growing, etc., etc., etc. My husband says
> pull it out, but it is a lush and beautiful mature shrub at this point
> and I'm very determined to make it bloom!
>
> I've heard either full sun or part shade is OK. My Lily-of-the-Valley
> struggle with too much light in the same spot, and the Iris bloom, so I
> was thinking I had enough light. We are really, really frustrated.
>
> Thanks,
> Lois de Vries
> Visit http://loisdevries.blogspot.com
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