I was horrified to find my husband has “pruned” a large Jasmine plant until it is a bunch of sticks with very few leaves. Is there any thing I can do to save it - or is it a goner.
I’m assuming that you are talking about the jasmine vine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) –also called star jasmine, which blooms in summer with fragrant, white flowers.
If this is the plant—have no fear. In the spring, it will put out new leaves and begin climbing up a trellis or over a fence as before. It might even flower next year. I would suggest one or two applications of a rose/flower fertilizer (early spring and later spring) to encourage and support the new leaves.
Now, pink jasmine is a vine that blooms in late winter, with pink buds. This vine should be trimmed back and thinned out after flowering, to maintain its shape or structure.
And there are other jasmines hardy in our area – winter jasmine and primrose jasmine (both with yellow flowers) are fountain-like, somewhat woody shrubs. For these, the older (fatter/woodier) stems can be cut back after flowering to thin out the plant, reducing its thicket-like structure.
Regardless of which jasmine you have, a year or two of well-timed pruning will get it back into top shape.
