Spring Cleaning: Garden Edition

One of the most sought after gardening questions is “should I prune my hydrangeas?” The answer: yes and no, as it depends on the type of hydrangea that you have. So, be sure to check what kind of plant you have before following the steps outlined below. Hydrangeas do not need to be pruned unless the shrub has grown too large and needs a little shaping up. However, your typical maintenance of removing dead branches and deadheading spent blooms is necessary on a normal basis.

Here is a list of steps to follow to successfully prune your hydrangea:

Prune after the flowers start to fade in the late summer

To determine if your hydrangea blooms on old wood, think about when it flowers. Hydrangea shrubs with this characteristic (old wood) generally begin blooming in early summer and tire out by midsummer, though sporadic blooms may appear afterward. These shrubs form next year’s flower buds in late summer or early fall as the days get shorter and tem­peratures cool off. In order to reduce the risk of removing these buds, prune just as the flowers begin to fade. Often times, the earlier you get it done after bloom, the quicker the shrub can recover, meaning that the shrub can produce more and larger blooms next season.

Don't prune your hydrangeas to the ground in the late fall. In doing this, you remove all of next year's flower buds.

Tidy up and remove old blooms

Gardeners who want to maintain a tidy appearance can snip off spent blooms just below the flower head and remove any wayward or straggly canes at the soil line. In addition to this, remove old leaves and other debris.

To improve strength, remove the oldest canes

When a hydrangea gets old and woody, it can produce smaller blooms. Regular removal of a few of the oldest canes at the soil line can keep the shrub vigorous, producing large and abundant flowers. The same method can keep a shrub from getting too tall by targeting the tallest canes for removal.

Cut back hydrangea shrubs in the late winter (before new growth begins)

Hydrangeas need to grow and set buds the same year that they bloom. Hydrangea shrubs that flower on new wood generally start blossoming later than old-growth bloomers (beginning in midsummer and continuing until the first frost.) These shrubs are forgiving if pruning is not done at a certain time as long as you avoid pruning when the flower buds are opening.

Bigger flowers = cut hydrangea all the way back

In late winter or early spring, these shrubs can be cut all the way back to the ground. Smooth hydrangeas will produce much larger blooms if pruned hard like this each year, but many gardeners opt for smaller blooms on sturdier stems.

To reduce flopping, leave a framework of old growth

 Some hydrangeas’ branches often fall over under the weight of their blooms, especially after overhead irrigation or after a good rain. One way to alleviate this flopping is to cut the stems to a height of 18 to 24 inches to provide a sturdy framework to support new growth.

Hopefully, (sometimes plants have a mind of their own) following these steps will allow for beautiful hydrangeas to grow in your yard, year in and year out. Happy gardening!