Hydrangea macrophylla, also known as Big Leaf Hydrangeas, are plants commonly associated with beauty and beauty. They can be pruned into various types, including mopheads, lacecaps, and climbing hydrangeas. The best pruning time depends on the type of hydrangea, its blooming season, and growth habit. Tools and techniques should be used carefully to avoid damaging the plants.
Climbing hydrangeas should be pruned judiciously, leaving as much of the top of the plant unpruned as possible. Most flowers bloom higher up, so overly pruning is recommended. The first step in pruning hydrangeas is to identify the variety, which determines how, when, and if it needs pruning. There are two main groups of hydrangeas: Group 1: Those that should be pruned in early spring, before the flowers begin to bud or after the plant has finished flowering.
Group 2: Those that should be pruned after they finish blooming before August. Deadheading when the flowers are dead is recommended, as pruning may not grow a flower next year. Some hydrangeas bloom on new growth and should be pruned in late winter or early spring.
When pruning, make the cut just above a set of large, healthy leaves. If a branch is broken or dead, it can be removed completely. If in doubt, don’t prune. Cut branches back by one-half to one-third, cutting just above a node.
For H. arborescens, minimal pruning is needed, cutting away dead, sickly, or broken branches as needed.
📹 It’s August: Stop Pruning Your Hydrangeas (northern hemisphere)
Wondering when to prune your hydrangeas? At the time I’m shooting this video (August) I’m going to throw up a caution on timing.
How do you take care of hydrangeas in August?
Hydrangeas require constant watering, especially during summer when heat is intense and rainfall is scarce. Give your plant an inch of water weekly, keeping the soil moist but not too wet. Check your hydrangeas regularly to ensure they don’t lose their glow and wilt. Fertilizer is not essential for hydrangea survival, but only recommended during spring or early summer when the soil lacks the necessary nutrients. If the soil is already rich in nutrients, no need to add fertilizer.
To change the color of your hydrangea’s blooms, adjust the soil condition. Acidic soil with a pH level below 6. 0 produces blue to periwinkle-colored blooms, while alkaline soil with a pH level above 7. 0 produces pink and red flowers. Soil with between 6 and 7 pH levels yields pastel purple blooms. To change pink blooms into blue ones, add garden sulfur or aluminum sulfate, and ground lime for blue blooms.
What is the mistake for pruning hydrangeas?
Pruning hydrangeas is best done in late winter and early spring, making it a good weekend job during March. Pruning after winter frosts protects the plant from winter injury. Climbing hydrangeas should be left until early summer, as they produce flowers on old wood. Pruning too early may remove new buds before they bloom. Tom’s Guide offers expert editors to keep you informed and prepared for the prime growing season by pruning your hydrangeas at the right time.
What happens if I don’t deadhead hydrangeas?
The speaker expressed regret for not pruning all the flowers on their flower farm, citing a lack of opportunity to deadhead them all. Despite this, they were able to produce beautiful blooms.
How far down do you cut hydrangeas in the fall?
Pruning a hydrangea is generally safe, but not more than one-third off of the plant that blooms on new wood. For example, if your hydrangea is six feet tall, two feet off the top and sides is safe. Pruning more drastically than 30 is recommended due to the need to retain enough foliage for the root system to support. When pruning, make the cut just above a set of large, healthy leaves, and if a branch is broken or dead, remove it completely. No hydrangea requires pruning for growth and blooming.
What happens if you don’t cut back hydrangeas?
Regular pruning of hydrangeas is crucial for maintaining their shape and promoting new growth, resulting in larger, healthier flowers. Deadheading hydrangeas, which involves removing spent flowers from the stem, can also help encourage better blooming later on. However, not all hydrangeas can benefit from this method, as it may result in a tangled mass of woody stems and smaller, less showy flowers.
Should hydrangeas be cut all the way back?
To prune hydrangeas, start in early spring by cutting back last year’s growth to a healthy framework between 30cm and 60cm high. Prune to just above a pair of healthy buds on each stem, and cut back to the lowest healthy buds for big flowers or less hard for a natural look or taller plant. Climbing hydrangeas like Hydrangea anomola subsp. petiolaris and Hydrangea seemannii should not be pruned until after flowering.
How late can you prune hydrangeas?
Hydrangea paniculata, also known as panicle hydrangea, is a plant with conical-shaped flower heads that provide winter interest. It is best to prune back stems to just above a fat bud, called a heading cut, in fall, late winter, or spring. Quick Fire®, Limelight, and First Editions® Berry White® are plants that produce buds in late summer to early fall, so they should be pruned after they finish blooming and before August.
What happens if you don’t prune hydrangeas?
Regular pruning of hydrangeas is crucial for maintaining their shape and promoting new growth, resulting in larger, healthier flowers. Deadheading hydrangeas, which involves removing spent flowers from the stem, can also help encourage better blooming later on. However, not all hydrangeas can benefit from this method, as it may result in a tangled mass of woody stems and smaller, less showy flowers.
What happens if I prune hydrangeas in summer?
To rejuvenate a hydrangea, it is recommended that up to one-third of the older stems be removed each summer. Additionally, pruning should be conducted before late July to allow for the development of buds. The plant typically attains its original size, thereby ensuring its continued health and growth.
How do you deadhead hydrangeas in August?
While deadheading is beneficial for plants, it should be discontinued in mid to late fall to allow the blooms to remain intact throughout the winter season.
Can I cut my hydrangea back in August?
Plants produce buds in late summer to early fall, forming next year’s flowers. Pruning these plants should be done before August, with a heading cut. However, the Endless Summer® The Original Bigleaf Hydrangea and other cultivars from Bailey Nurseries are exceptions. H. macrophylla blooms on last year’s wood and new wood this year, so pruning is not necessary. To protect H. macrophylla from rabbit browsing, use a large, 4-foot tall ring of hardware cloth in winter.
📹 Step by Step: How to Deadhead Hydrangeas | Prune Hydrangeas
How to Deadhead Hydrangeas. You will learn how to deadhead hydrangeas. I will show you step by step how to deadhead …
Hey Jason, thank you for your very informative articles! They are much appreciated. I have two questions on pruning a rose Bush I have and my mop head hydrangea. So the first question is about pruning my Julia Child yellow rose bushes. I had heard you don’t prune in August you allow the rose hips to set up, but not sure if my Julia child can be pruned or just clip the dead roses Off, can I do that in Mid August? Second question is my mop head hydrangea/ my husband and I bought an older home and the home owner before us had planted in the back yard I am assuming years ago. Well, we didn’t know ( new Gardner’s here, he clipped it all the way down- last Fall. So this year we only had like 4 blooms- and I did research it grew new stalks on old wood. So it’s huge but only 4 blooms and I fertilized it 2 times this year. Will new blooms set for the coming year, also when is a good time to prune this Bush? I get dappled sun in my back yard. Thank you so much – Amy
Hi Jason… I’m so sorry to be off-topic but I’d like to know if you can recommend a variety of Rose that I might be successful with, even though I know bupkis about growing roses. There may even be a article of yours that would be a great reference. I’m happy to do the research myself if you could point me in the right direction in terms of a very traditional looking Rose, similar to the type you might find in a purchased bouquet. Color doesn’t really matter, and size isn’t a huge issue either. I’d just like a simple Rose that a beginner might do well with. I’m in zone 6 (Buffalo, NY), and as I said, I’m happy to “study hard” before I purchase. I simply don’t know where to start. Thanks so much, Jason! Oh, and right, I won’t touch my Hydrangeas at this point! I learned that the hard way! EDIT… Sorry to have made you read all that only to find you have PLENTY of helpful articles on this very topic. My apologies! Enjoy the late summer weather, Jason!
Thanks, Jason. I live in Prince Rupert and have a “mop head.” It is overgrown, but full of blooms this year. In fact, it’s still blooming. Three years or four years ago, it bloomed in June, but for the past few years it’s late July or early August. In fact, it’s still getting new blooms. Can I prune after blooming this year, or should I wait?
I have a mophead that blooms abundantly but is getting too tall and large (blocking a window). I know to only deadhead it but need to know how far down i can go and when. I’m on the Washington state/Canada border and it is the first of October. We havent gotten our first frost yet but want to do it before the night temps get down into the low 40’s. Your advice please. Its very happy, but too large.😊
I have some dead flowers on my hydrangea bush right now. Should I trim those back and just cut the dead wood? I live in the FL panhandle near Alabama so it’s still warm here. The leaves are all still green but the stalks are very long. Wondering if I should do any other trimming besides the flower heads?
I have a mophead hydrangea that has been suffering from the worst fungal infection. Most of the leaves have been picked off, but it’s still extremely present, but it’s not on the newest forming leaves. I’ve already forgone flowering from this year because I pruned it late last year. The whole plant is HUGE and it’s getting pretty tall and I’d hate to lose a plant that’s been here as long as this beauty has. Any suggestions for how to bring her back?
Hi Jason, i wonder if you can help me, a week ago i noticed a minute bug on my patio rose, even smaller than a grain of sand and there was thousands of them on minute webs, fast forward to today and most of the leaves have died and dropped off, i spayed them with rose clear and it didn’t touch them any ideas please.