Hydrangea Pruning Tips For Extra Blooms?

Hydrangeas, commonly sold in North America, can be categorized into five types: bigleaf, mountain, smooth, panicle, and oakleaf. Some form flower buds on old wood, while others form them on new wood as they grow. The best way to care for hydrangeas depends on the type you have. To prune hydrangeas, follow these steps:

1. Prepare your tools: Gather your tools, identify the branches to prune, perform the cuts, and post-pruning care.
2. Cut branches back by one-half to one-third, cutting just above a set of large, healthy leaves. If your hydrangea has outgrown its space, you can prune away select branches to curtail its size.
3. Perform the cuts: Cut branches back by one-half to one-third, cutting just above a set of leaves. Post-pruning care: Trim hydrangeas in early spring, before the flowers begin to bud or after the plant has finished flowering.
4. Trim back stems to just above a fat bud (heading cut) in fall, late winter, or spring. These plants have conical-shaped flower heads that provide better growth and better blooms.
5. Use clean and sharp pruners: For best results, use rubbing alcohol, heat, or a combination of rubbing alcohol and heat.
6. Consider your hydrangea’s mature size: Locate them in an area they won’t outgrow and require heavy pruning to keep them in bounds.
7. Cut out one or two of the oldest, weakest stems at the base of the plant to encourage new growth and better blooms.
8. Leave unpruned hydrangeas unpruned, and watch our expert guide to pruning for more information.