Hi, Sandra, You have the right idea: Gardenias bloom on new wood. Major pruning should be done after spring blooming. Minor trimming can be done at any time. If you want the plants to be less spindly, try this three-step procedure: Prune lightly in early fall, removing about 25 percent of the foliage. Prune again in early March, giving the shrub shape but leaving all lower growth alone. Prune the third time after bloom, heading back many large limbs so that they will develop dense foliage through the summer. We hope this helps.
Hi, Sandra, You have the right idea: Gardenias bloom on new wood. Major pruning should be done after spring blooming. Minor trimming can be done at any time. If you want the plants to be less spindly, try this three-step procedure: Prune lightly in early fall, removing about 25 percent of the foliage. Prune again in early March, giving the shrub shape but leaving all lower growth alone. Prune the third time after bloom, heading back many large limbs so that they will develop dense foliage through the summer. We hope this helps.