What Occurs If Hydrangeas Are Not Deadheaded?

Deadheading hydrangeas is a crucial step to maintain healthy, fuller, and stunning flowers during the blooming seasons. It differs from pruning, which focuses on the entire hydrangea shrub, helping shape and maintain its size. Deadheading removes dead, fading, or “spent” blooms from the stem, allowing the plant to use its energy to produce new growth instead of seeds.

You can deadhead throughout the blooming season, but stop deadheading the shrubs around mid to late fall, according to Anna Eklöv of LÖV Flowers. The length of stem that you snip will depend on the time of year and the plant. Deadheading hydrangeas can lessen plant diseases, rejuvenate and reinvigorate old plants, help shape the plant, and get rid of old flowers and those that bloomed prematurely and were killed in a frost.

Some experts prefer not to deadhead their hydrangeas, as they get to spend more time enjoying the large flowerheads they offer, even when they’re dry. Reblooming hydrangeas should be deadheaded right after they finish their spring or summer blooming cycle, but deadheading new wood hydrangeas during the growing season isn’t vital to plant health. Deadheading hydrangeas is a one-and-done process, as hydrangea blooms can flourish and change color for months.

To promote better blooming later on, deadheading hydrangeas should be stopped in mid to late fall, leaving any spent blooms in place. This not only provides winter interest but also ensures better blooming later on. Deadheading hydrangeas can be done with some hydrangeas but is not essential for all plants.