How do you prune a hydrengea bush?

Question

After the bloom dies off do you cut it off like a rose or do you take that stem to the ground?

Answer 1

PRUNING: METHOD ONE
For Mophead and Lacecaps (macrophyllas - usually pink or blue)
For Oakleaf hydrangeas (white blooms, leaves shaped like oak leaves)

[Summary of Method I:
Prune these hydrangeas only in the summer BEFORE August (to be safe). Some experts believe these hydrangeas may be pruned even into August, but this might be risky. The hydrangeas may already have set their bloom buds for the next year (especially if they are growing in Zones 5 and 6).

Method I is for hydrangea types that bloom on OLD WOOD. (Stems are called "old wood" if they have been on the hydrangea since the summer before the current season. "New wood" are stems that developed on the plant during the current season) This means that flower buds are formed on the stems of hydrangeas around Aug, Sept or Oct for the following summer's blooms. If those stems are removed (pruned) in the fall, winter, or spring, the bloom buds will be removed, and there may be little or no bloom the following June/July.

There exists a small group of mophead hydrangea that defy this general rule and bloom after being pruned at the "wrong" time ('Endless Summer' is this type of hydrangea). But for the vast majority of hydrangeas, pruning after about July will result in fewer blooms the next summer.

THERE ARE CERTAIN INSTANCES WHEN PRUNING CAN BE HELPFUL: (1) All dead stems should be removed from hydrangeas every year. (2) After the plants are at least 5 years old, about 1/3 of the older (living) stems can be removed down to the ground each summer. This will revitalize the plant. (3) In addition, if it becomes necessary to prune a plant to reduce its size, it may be cut back in June or July without harming the next year's bloom. But it will return almost immediately to it's former size. This is one reason why it's best to plant a hydrangea where it does not have to be pruned.

REMOVING OLD BLOOMS
Removing old blooms on a plant is called "Deadheading."
Fortunately, we can remove the old blooms at any time of the year without harming the bloom for the following year. In June and July you may remove them in any way you would like (long stems or short stems). Here are some tips for deadheading:

(1) When you cut blooms for arrangements in June or July, you can cut them with long stems because the bloom buds haven’t set for the following year. (2) When you cut the blooms after the first of August, it would be safest to remove them with very short stems so you won’t disturb any developing bloom buds for next year. As long as you cut above the first set of large leaves, you will be fine.

EXCEPTIONS: For all mophead hydrangeas, the above method of pruning (Method I) will work very well. However, one may become confused when a neighbor or friend prunes his or her hydrangea in the fall or spring, and his hydrangea blooms just fine. Unlike most mophead hydrangeas, there are a few that will regenerate the bloom buds after the first set is destroyed. These hydrangeas are known as 'remontant'. They seem to be found most abundantly in gardens in more northern regions of the U.S. and Canada. Therefore, on these special hydrangeas, if the bloom buds are killed by frost or pruned off at the wrong time, they will regenerate the bloom bud and bloom as usual. ('Endless Summer' is just such a hydrangea.) To the right is a picture of a hydrangea that has this trait. It was sent to me by Donna from New Britain, CT. I don't believe she has a name for it. Donna says that she pruned this hydrangea in November, and, as we can see, it was covered in bloom the following summer.


PRUNING: METHOD TWO
For paniculata (such as PG and Limelight) and 'Annabelle'

Method II is for H. arborescens (Annabelle types) and H. paniculata (PeeGee types) hydrangeas. These types of hydrangeas bloom on new wood (new stems). It is a joy to grow these type hydrangeas because they are determined to bloom every single year, no matter how they are treated. The only time they cannot be pruned is in the spring ('Annabelle') or in the summer (PG) when they are preparing to bloom.

Paniculatas (PG/Limelight types) can be pruned in the fall, winter, or spring. However, it is not necessary to prune them every year. It is suggested that one trim out crossing branches and those that do not contribute to an attractive form whenever necessry. If one is attempting to grow a paniculata in a tree form, the developing trunk and main branches should not be removed completely.

Answer 2

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RE:
How do you prune a hydrengea bush?
After the bloom dies off do you cut it off like a rose or do you take that stem to the ground?

Answer 3

Some hydrangeas produce flowers on old wood. These should be pruned right after the plant finishes blooming. Some hydrangeas bloom on new wood. These can be pruned in late winter or early spring before the leaf buds begin opening up into leaves. The hydrangea paniculatas bloom on new wood and the mophead hydrangeas and oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood.

Answer 4

Cut your hydrangia in the spring before the growing season begins. use the one in three method to keep the shrub healthy. Cut out the oldest shoots and leave the newest ones. the older ones will be slightly darker. and any that touch or interfere with the shape of the shrub.

Answer 5

It's supposed to be cut down to 18 inches in the early spring before there's any growth.

Answer 6

My mom told me I am not allowed to trim her bushes she said she wants me to grow up to be a doctor, not a Mexican