When it ’s too late to cut back hydrangeas depends on the type you have . Here ’s how to snip at the good time .
cypher out when to abbreviate back hydrangeas can be confusing , especially because if you crop at the improper prison term , you could ruin next year ’s flush display . So when is it too belated to cut back hydrangeas after they blossom ? The answer come down to knowing the eccentric of hydrangea you have because the ideal metre to prune differs by species . This guide covers four types ofpopular hydrangeasand spells out exactly when it is too late to cut them back if you desire peck of flowers .
Dean Schoeppner
Credit:Dean Schoeppner
When to Cut Back Hydrangeas
Whether your thousand is full ofwhite - blossom fluid hydrangeasor theshowiest pink or blue bigleaf hydrangeas , if you do n’t time the pruning correctly , your hydrangea might havefewer or no bloomsthe follow yr . The timing depends on the eccentric of hydrangea you have , because some flower on young Ellen Price Wood , think of the current time of year ’s growth , and some bloom on one-time wood . And a few blossom on both old and young wood . When to tailor back hydrangea also depends on your climate and the story of pruning you want to do .
Robert Cardillo
Oakleaf Hydrangeas
Oakleaf hydrangea(Hydrangea quercifolia)has typical , dark green , lobed leaves that resemble oak tree leaves . They turn a beautiful burgundy - Marxist in the surrender , and the shrub ’s show go on after those leaves cast off off and its cinnamon - colored peeling bark is revealed along its stems . white-hot , cone - shaped bunch of flower appear from late outpouring to early summer , melt to rap as they senesce .
When to prune Back Oakleaf Hydrangea : flower flower on old growth , so it ’s good to thin out back oakleaf hydrangeas powerful after flowering , before it place bud for next year . Once the buds have formed , it ’s too late to cut back these hydrangea if you require flowers the next spring .
If you live where wintertime are very dusty , oakleaf hydrangea often suffer winter dieback of stem , which will reduce efflorescence . turn out back cold - damage fore after the chance of freeze temperatures have passed in late springiness . hold off to grab your pruning shears until the shrub begin to leaf out so it ’s well-heeled to evidence how much of the stem are all in .
Credit:Robert Cardillo
Bigleaf Hydrangea
If your hydrangea has purple orblue flowers , it ’s probably a bigleaf hydrangea(Hydrangea macrophylla ) . This beauty either has rounded , petal - dense “ mophead ” flowers or flattened , petal - reverberate “ lacecap ” flowers that bloom in summer to former downslope . Flowers also can be pinkor white , depend on the variety and your territory conditions .
Bigleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood , so much like oakleaf hydrangea it ’s too late to cut back these hydrangeas after next year ’s bud have formed in late summertime . However , many newer cultivars , such as those in the Endless Summer collecting , are able to bloom on both old and unexampled growth . This is a boon for cold winter regions where these shrub run to break down back to the priming coat . In these areas , it ’s best to leave the quondam , dry peak on this plant life for wintertime interest group and to help protect the come season ’s bloom buds from wintertime damage .
When to Cut Back Bigleaf Hydrangea : If your bigleaf hydrangeas only bloom on old wood , snub it back just after the heyday fade , but verify to do your pruning before August . In colder climates where wintertime dieback happens , it ’s good to cut back bigleaf hydrangeas and Endless Summer variety after the threat of hard frost has pass in late spring . hold back until the shrubs begin to leaf out to make your cut .
Credit: Erica George Dines
Panicle Hydrangea
Panicle hydrangea(Hydrangea paniculata)offersthe best cold and heat allowance of all the hydrangea type . Also known as peegee hydrangeas , these dauntless plant start blooming in mid to late summertime with white cone - form flowerheads that turn pink later in the time of year . Some hydrangea varieties , such as‘Berry White’and‘Vanilla Strawberry ’ , bloom in two - shade clusters of pinkish and white .
When to Cut Back Panicle Hydrangea : Panicle hydrangea blossom on new wood . This means they produce their flower bud after their leaf begins to leaf out in the spring , and at that point , it ’s too late to cut back these hydrangea . Do your pruning in former winter to early outpouring before increment appears .
Smooth Hydrangea
warmheartedness - mold leaves and elephantine , globular flower clump that change from orchard apple tree green to white during the summertime distinguish this billowing hydrangea . Smooth hydrangea , also known assnowball hydrangea(Hydrangea arborescens ) , is a beautiful aboriginal shrub that produces big blooms on new wood .
When to Cut Back Smooth Hydrangea : It ’s full to permit this industrial plant develop for one or two seasons beforehard pruning . After a few growing seasons , this hydrangea can be cut back in the give . If you desire a magnanimous shrub , you do n’t have to dress it at all .
Tips for Pruning Hydrangeas
For all hydrangea types , rationalize drained stemsback to a pair of healthy buds when novel increase appears in spring . Just cut back to the first point of young growth on a root word so you do n’t remove any blossom buds that have already take shape on the stem the old class . It ’s best not to trim back any type of hydrangea absolved back to the ground if you may help it .
Make your cut at a svelte angle about ¼ inch above a bud so you do n’t result too much unneeded stem behind . Use asharp pair of prunersto make clean cutting , and disinfect the blades with rubbing alcohol between plants to avoid unfold any works diseases .
Credit: Bill Stites
Credit: Marty Baldwin
