How to Prune Hydrangeas

How to prune hydrangeas

Cut out one or two of the oldest stems at the base to encourage the production of new, replacement growth that will be more floriferous.
Poor or neglected plants can be entirely renovated by cutting off all the stems at the base.

When should hydrangeas be pruned?
How do you prune a hydrangea bush?
Do you cut off dead hydrangea blooms?
When should hydrangeas be pruned UK?
How do you prune hydrangeas in the spring?
How can I tell if my hydrangea blooms on old or new wood?
When to prune hydrangeas so they bloom?
How do you maintain hydrangeas?
Why are my hydrangeas not blooming?
What happens if you don't deadhead hydrangeas?
Should I cut off Brown hydrangea leaves?

When should hydrangeas be pruned?

Trimming should be done immediately after flowering stops in summer, but no later than August 1. Do not prune in fall, winter, or spring or you could be cutting off new buds. Tip-pruning the branches as leaves emerge in spring can encourage multiple, smaller flower heads rather than fewer larger flower heads.

How do you prune a hydrangea bush?

To get bigger flowers, cut them all the way back

In late winter or early spring, these shrubs can be cut all the way back to the ground. Smooth hydrangeas will produce much larger blooms if pruned hard like this each year, but many gardeners opt for smaller blooms on sturdier stems.

Do you cut off dead hydrangea blooms?

"Stop deadheading in the fall, when bigleaf hydrangeas produce their last flush of flowers, to enjoy the dried blooms throughout the winter," she says. "These can be removed to help produce healthy buds in the spring."

When should hydrangeas be pruned UK?

Almost all hydrangeas should be pruned in late winter or early spring, with the exception being the climbing hydrangea which is pruned after flowering in summer. Before you start hacking back your shrub you first need to identify which type of hydrangea you have in your garden.

How do you prune hydrangeas in the spring?

Wait to prune your bigleaf hydrangeas until new growth appears in the spring. Make pruning cuts one quarter inch above the first set of live buds. Hint: stems with live buds will be green on the inside, while dead stems will be brown. Entirely dead stems should be cut flush to the base.

How can I tell if my hydrangea blooms on old or new wood?

Old wood is quite simply, last year's wood. Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood set their flower buds in late summer on stalks that have been on the plant since the previous year. Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood include the mophead, bigleaf (macrophylla), lacecap and oakleaf varieties.

When to prune hydrangeas so they bloom?

If it's blue, or blooms in summer

Most of the other hydrangeas should be pruned in summer, once they have finished blooming. Most of these bloom on what's called "old wood" — growth from the year before. If you prune them in early spring, you risk cuting off the dormant flower buds.

How do you maintain hydrangeas?

Hydrangea Care Tips

Water at a rate of 1 inch per week throughout the growing season. ...
Add mulch underneath your hydrangeas to help keep the soil moist and cool. ...
Apply fertilizer based on your specific hydrangeas. ...
Protect against pests and disease by choosing cultivars with resistant traits.

Why are my hydrangeas not blooming?

The primary reasons hydrangeas don't bloom are incorrect pruning, bud damage due to winter and/or early spring weather, location and too much fertilizer. Hydrangea varieties can be of the type that blooms on old wood, new wood or both. ... So this fall your Nikko is producing blooms that will flower next spring.

What happens if you don't deadhead hydrangeas?

No need to worry – this is simply a sign that it's time to remove the flowers, a process called deadheading. When you deadhead hydrangeas, you aren't harming the plants at all. Removing the spent blooms triggers flowering shrubs to stop producing seeds and instead put their energy toward root and foliage development.

Should I cut off Brown hydrangea leaves?

Prune off the ugliest leaves, and adjust your irrigation to keep water off the leaves. When you see leaves with brown or yellowish spots, it could be anthracnose, a much worse issue because it can kill the shrub.