How to Prune Indian Yellow Jasmine Plants

Yellow jasmine, also known as winter flowering jasmine or jessamine, is a shrub or woody vine that produces an abundance of luxuriously scented blossoms in both spring and autumn. Hardy to zone 6, yellow jasmine returns bigger and stronger year after year, but can suffer damage during persistent or excessively hard frosts. Yellow jasmine demands little in the way of maintenance once established, but pruning is an essential part of owning the plant, for both aesthetics and health of the plant.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

• Yellow jasmine plant
• Pruning shears or snips
• Brightly colored string or yarn

1. Create a pruning schedule. Winter flowering plants like the yellow jasmine require pruning in mid to late spring, after the plant has finished flowering. Pruning in the fall can cost you a season’s flowers, so a spring pruning is essential to the health of the plant. Make note of the flower periods, specifically the month flowering ends. This will help you prepare for future season’s pruning.

2. Take visual stock of the plant. Step back and give the plant a thorough look over. Using the colored string, mark branches for pruning that are broken, dead, diseased or damaged. Also mark weak branches, branches that have crossed during growth, and excessive growth at least two years old.

3. Remove the unwanted branches. Using your pruning shears, cut away the marked branches as closely to the parent branch as possible. Step back occasionally to check your work. This will help you avoid a lop-sided pruning your plant.

4. Dispose of pruned branches. Branches free of disease can be composted. Other branches can be burned according to your town’s ordinances, or disposed of by your yard waste disposal company.