By Bbond
Cambridgeshire,
United Kingdom 
My Mexican Orange Blossom suffered very badly in the harsh winter temperatures of 2010/11,which dropped to minus 10c on a few occasions. It is a very old plant - from the history of the previous owners and house, possibly 40 or 50 years old. It's main branches grow along the ground and then upwards and it has always previously flowered well, sometimes 3 times in a year. Now it's almost bare with just a very few leaves on a small number of branches. Each time I go to prune it I'm daunted by the sheer scale of the damage and huge bare patches. Any advice will be welcome.
10 Jul, 2011
Answers
You could use some of the shoots that you remove for cuttings. Use pieces about 4 inches long. Remove the bottom few leaves and insert in grittty compost , water and cover with a plastic bag (or put in a propagator,depending what you have available). They are fairly easily rooted and then you will have a replacement if the treatment is too drastic! After the pruning, give it a couple of cans of water with liquid feed added and a good mulch of garden compost.
10 Jul, 2011
I think i would be quite severe and give it two chances - live or die! I would cut it all back to about three foot and allow it to regrow. It sounds like it has been allowed to get a bit out of control. but as with severe pruning sometimes they can just give up and die.
10 Jul, 2011