Hydrangea Pruning
Some Basic Tips for Hydrangea Pruning
Hydrangea pruning is a subject of hot debate among growers of the species. Some prefer only slight pruning, to let the flowers bloom more naturally, where others wish to shape the plant into a specific area of their gardens.
First off, you should know that hydrangea pruning is not something that you ever need to do, if you're dealing with the shrubs that bear mophead shaped blooms, unless the plants are very old, and need selective pruning in order to thrive. Otherwise, simply taking out the dead stems will suffice, and this can be done at any time. It is also OK to remove dead blooms anytime that is needed.
If your hydrangea is growing too wildly, taking up too much space, or growing old and out of shape, and you feel you have to prune it, here are the methods to follow:
Method One of hydrangea pruning is used if you have Oakleaf hydrangeas, or if your shrubs have blooms of the lacecap or the mophead varieties.
Prune your hydrangeas of the type listed above only in the summer months, before August. You want to make sure you're not damaging bloom buds that the plant has already set for next year. This method is for hydrangeas that only bloom on old wood, which means if the plant dies back over the winter, it will come back, but will not grow blooms until the following year. This family of hydrangeas can produce buds as early as August, for the following year. If you remove those stems after that, you are removing the buds of the blooms, and there will be almost no bloom the following summer.
When we refer to hydrangea pruning, we do not mean the process of removing dead blooms. That can be done anytime. We are referring here to the type of pruning which might destroy your hydrangea's chance to bloom the next summer.
Sometimes, pruning is helpful. Removing dead stems should be done every year. After the plants are over five years old, you can prune back about one third of the older, living stems, all the way to the ground. This will help to rejuvenate the plant. Or you may need to prune to reduce the size of a plant. This can be safely done in June or July, without risk to the next season's blooms.
Method Two of hydrangea pruning is for the Limelight and Annabelle-type varieties of the shrubs, and the PeeGee trees. These varieties usually can grow on new wood, too, which means that even if the plant dies to the ground in the winter, it will not only grow back by summer, but it will bloom that summer. The only time you cannot prune these hydrangeas is during the spring or summer, when they are getting ready to bloom.
Prune when you need to shape, or when you have dead stems or blooms. But do not prune when there is a chance you are actually removing buds for the next season's blooms. In this way, you will have the most beautiful hydrangeas in your garden.