"MacCavity" wrote in message
...

I have a very old Philadelphus and I know I was meant to cut it back
after flowering in June but did not get round to it. It is full of old
stems/branches and needs a good reviving, it also has ivy growing up
through it. If I hack it back now am I doing more harm than good? Should
I wait until next summer? It looks like it has needed this for several
years, and hasn't flowered much for the last few years. Although I am
posting from France the weather here is pretty much the same as southern
England. Anyone got any ideas?

Remember it only flowers on old wood so if you cut it back severely it will
not flower for two years.
I had a huge philadelphus, 50 yo at least and my new neighbour cut it down
to ground level as it was on the boundary and he wanted to put up a fence.
We fell out about that in a major way as it was my tree.

It's shooting from the base now and flowered this year.
Don't know if this helps.

Tina