How to Prune Different Kinds of Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are beautiful focal points in the garden and generally require minimal care beyond pruning.

Although many hydrangeas have interesting foliage and bark, most are grown for their large, showy flowers.

If hydrangeas don't bloom for a season, it's usually for one of three reasons: they haven't gotten enough sun, an early frost or cold has killed the buds, or they've been pruned at the wrong time.

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Read on and find out how and when to prune hydrangeas depends on the type you have in your garden.

what are you going to need?

Equipment tools:

Deflect clipper

Materials:

Lawn debris bag(s)

Large leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)

The large-leaved hydrangea usually has flowers whose color changes with the pH of the soil: blue in acidic soil and pink in alkaline soil.

However, there are also some varieties that simply remain white. Its leaves are coarsely toothed and shiny, dark green in color.

Large-leaved hydrangeas create their buds from late summer to early fall. Therefore, pruning in spring or even late fall will eliminate flower buds and any chance of them blooming in that season.

Spent flowers can be trimmed as they fade to keep the plant looking neat. When most of the flowers fade, it is time to prune them.

Selectively prune dead and weak stems, old and new, using contour pruners. But you don't prune all the old wood, because that's what will continue to flower as the new shoot matures.

Smooth hydrangea (H. arborescens)

Simple hydrangeas, including the popular H. arborescens 'Grandiflora' variety, generally do not have flowering problems, although their white flowers are not as showy as we would normally expect from hydrangeas.

It is a round shrub with slightly rounded leaves with a pointed tip, lighter at the bottom than at the top.

This shrub flourishes on new wood. Therefore, pruning should be done in early spring to ensure abundant flower growth.

Remove branches that have been damaged or killed during the winter and trim the others slightly to shape the plant.

Peegee hydrangea (H. paniculata 'Grandiflora')

This is the most common variety of hydrangeas. Also known as panicle hydrangeas, peegees display huge clusters of snowball-shaped flowers in mid to late summer.

The flowers start out white and slowly turn pink, drying out and remaining on the plant long after the leaves have fallen.

Flower buds appear on new spring growth. A little light pruning of individual stems in late winter or early spring will not only prevent the plant from overgrowing but will also encourage healthy growth and flowers.

During the growing season, you can leave the blooms dead (remove spent blooms) and clean up the overall shape of the plant as soon as the blooms lose their attractiveness.

Oakleaf hydrangeas (H. quercifolia)

It's probably not surprising that the oakleaf hydrangea is easily recognized by its oakleaf foliage. Since its main attraction is foliage, any loss of flowers is less disappointing than in most other varieties of hydrangea.

Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on old plants and should be pruned immediately after flowering is complete. If you have experienced death in winter, prune the stems below the point of injury.

Mountain hydrangea (H. Serrata)

Mountain hydrangeas are small shrubs with narrow, pointed flowers with flat flower tips. This plant is sometimes confused with Hydrangea macrophylla due to their similar flowers. However, this type lacks the large leaves of Hydrangea macrophylla.

Flowering takes place on old wood and the pruning needs of the plant are minimal. You can prune after flowering, trimming the flower stalks to form a pair of healthy buds. In early spring, prune unhealthy stems to ground level.

Tips for pruning hydrangeas

In general, varieties that flower on old wood should be pruned immediately after flowering. And those that bloom on new wood should be pruned before new growth begins in spring.

Always remove dead, damaged, or diseased stems as the first step during routine pruning. When shortening the stems, cut just above a couple of healthy buds. Winter-damaged stems can be cut into live wood.