Is October A Suitable Month For Hydrangea Trimming?

Hydrangeas, commonly known as bigleaf, mountain, smooth, panicle, and oakleaf, are plants that bloom on new wood growth and are best pruned in winter or early spring. Fall is not the best time to prune unless the plant is dormant. Most hydrangeas sold in North America fall into one of five types: bigleaf, mountain, smooth, panicle, and oakleaf. Some form their flower buds on old wood, meaning next summer’s buds are already formed.

Pruning hydrangeas improves their shape, encourages new flowers, and increases the size of the blooms. However, knowing when to prune them can be challenging for beginners. Proper pruning promotes better blooms and plant health, and different hydrangea species require specific techniques. Hydrangeas are beloved for their stunning, showy blooms, and pruning them in late fall or early spring ensures that next year’s flower buds won’t be formed until late spring the same year they bloom.

Climbing hydrangeas are pruned after flowering in summer, while smooth hydrangeas bloom on new wood, so the best time to prune is early spring before any flower buds have appeared. Pruning hydrangeas in fall makes sense since the flowers are fading or faded and the bushes go dormant during the cold season. Dead flowers should be removed as soon as they are done blooming.

New wood hydrangeas should be pruned in the fall before they start growing the branches that will produce the flowers. To reduce the size of a hydrangea that blooms on new wood, cut off about one-third of each stem in late fall or early spring before it begins to grow. Prune about a third of the stems a little harder down the stem to get good foliage, and prune the rest for big flowers in summer.