I bought a mock orange “Minicure” last fall. It was a good size – 3 gallon pot, big root ball. I never pruned it, but transplanted it a couple of times as it was getting burning hot afternoon sun. It’s been growing vigorously except no flowers, not even a flower bud. What should I do to make it flower? I bought it for its lovely fragrance.
Thank you for your question. The mock orange bush will be a lovely addition to your garden, and a spray of flowers brought inside will spread its lovely fragrance through the whole room.
Mock orange bushes are generally very low maintenance, grow well in most well-drained soils, and require only regular moisture. They can be pruned if you wish, but after they bloom, because they bloom on last year’s wood.
Since you only bought your bush last fall, and have transplanted it twice since then, I think you just need to give it some time to develop its root structure and grow the wood which will bear flowers next year. A lot of plant activity is taking place out of our sight underground and, although I’m sure you were very careful and started out with a large root ball, any transplanting is quite a shock to a plant’s system. That your bush is growing vigorously shows that it has been treated well and is happy in its new location. Now it just needs some time to get established. Normally it is best to transplant a shrub in the fall when it goes dormant. Fertilization is not usually required, but if your lawn is getting a lot of nitrogen, then the bush could use a fertilizer high in phosporus; a little compost around it is always good, and will also help to keep it from drying out in this very hot summer.
Here are a couple of websites with more information about mock orange bushes:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/mock-orange
https://www.gardenguides.com/93868-transplant-mock-orange.html
Good luck! Patience is probably what gardeners need most.