When to prune choisya for a healthy evergreen shrub that's full of sweetly scented blooms

Knowing when to prune choisya is important if you have this beautiful shrub in your garden. Also called Mexican orange blossom, this garden favourite is loved for its rich fragrance come spring. However, it is a fast-growing evergreen shrub – meaning it will benefit from regular pruning to keep it under control.

While knowing when to cut back shrubs can seem complicated – choisya follows the same pattern as most other evergreen shrubs.

As with when to cut back evergreen shrubs, the best time to prune choisya is early spring – once the frost has passed but before the new growth has started.

'April is the best time to give evergreen shrubs, like choisya, and flowering hedges a harder prune,' explains Jamie Shipley, gardening expert and managing director of Hedges Direct. 'You can leave evergreen shrubs un-pruned if you wish, or simply give them a light prune to tidy up the shape, just cutting back any unsightly shoots as well as damaged or diseased foliage. If you wish to carry out a harder prune, remove damaged, diseased or dead growth first and then deadhead your shrub – this often increases flowering.'

Though most evergreen shrubs need little to no maintenance, pruning is essential when tackling an overgrown garden or to prevent the plant from becoming overgrown.

What you'll need

Now you know when to prune choisya, you need the right tools for the job. Gloves will protect you from scratches and scrapes and a good pair of secateurs is a must.

Prepare your tools before pruning choisya

Before you start pruning your choisya your tools must be up to the job. The size of your choisya will determine exactly which tools you need.

For smaller shrubs, sharp secateurs should be more than enough – find out how to sharpen secateurs if yours are looking a little blunt. However, for larger shrubs or hedges, a hedge trimmer or loppers – like these Darlac Telescopic Ratchet Loppers from Amazon – will be necessary.

After pruning

Clearing up after pruning is as important as knowing when to prune choisya – as leaving cuttings to decay around the plan can invite disease and infection. 'After pruning, dispose of the cuttings and debris responsibly. Use a ground sheet – such as Henchman's heavy duty ground sheet – to collect trimmings, ensuring they don’t pose a safety hazard on the ground or around the ladder, this will help to simplify clean up,' advises experts at Henchman.

Simplifying clean-up is essential when pruning at this time of year as the weather can turn from favourable to very wet within just a few hours.

FAQs

When to prune Choisya white dazzler?

The best time to prune Choisya white dazzler is the same as when to prune choisya – late spring – ideally late March to early April – after all the frost has passed.

Why does my choisya not flower?

Your choisya might not be flowering because you don't know when to prune choisya. If you prune your choisya too late in the season – after the buds have formed – then you will have likely pruned off the flowers before they have had a chance to develop. Alternatively, if you have pruned your choisya too early in the season, then your choisya may have developed an infection.