can you prune hydrangeas?

Answer 1

It is often said that no pruning at all is better than wrong pruning. Proper pruning is especially important with hydrangeas, where the misguided actions of an inept pruner can spell disaster. If hydrangeas are properly fed and watered, they will bloom if never pruned at all, even if they become overgrown, a bit scraggly, and produce fewer, smaller blooms than if they were pruned.

With the exceptions of climbing hydrangeas such as Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris and the shrubby H. arborescens and H. paniculata, which bloom on the current seasons growth, all other hydrangeas bloom on last year's growth and are essentially pruned in the same manner. All pruning, cosmetic or rejuvenative, should be done after the last frost in spring. Pruning in the late summer to early fall must be avoided at all costs, as it may encourage late growth that may not harden off for the winter.

Dead Heading
The first form of pruning, especially for the H. macrophylla, or lacecap hydrangea cultivars, is dead-heading, or removal of spent blooms. There is a prevailing philosophy that allowing the spent blooms to remain on the plant protects the buds of next year's flowers that are present along the existing stem during the winter. This appears somewhat dubious as the spent inflorescences deteriorate and blow away during the winter, and next year's flower buds do not seem to suffer. Come spring through early summer though, last year's flower heads must be removed lest they distract from the appearance of the current seasons bloom. Cut the spent blooms, along with the flowering stalk, back to the uppermost pair of new buds. Be careful not to damage any of the new green shoots.

Answer 2

Yes you can prune hydrangeas. During growing season prune lightly to encourage bushiness, then in winter prune hard as low as you can to just above any buds. This is very similar to the way that you would prune a rose bush. Feed with complete fertiliser near the end of winter.

Answer 3

The mophead and lacecap hydrangeas, H.macrophylla, flower on shoots formed the previous year and are lightly pruned in spring to remove old flower heads. Cut weak or old stems to near ground level. Forms of H.paniculata flower on the current years growth and are pruned in spring, cutting all stems back to one or two buds from their base. Climbing H.anomala ssp. petiolaris is pruned in summer to remove or shorten unwanted and misplaced shoots.

Answer 4

Absolutely, yes! In my opinion, Hydrangeas benefit from a good pruning back. I hack mine back every autumn to about 6 inches about soil level. I'll probably cut mine back in mid-October.

Answer 5

Yes definitely, but only prune the stems that have flowered, as the flowers form on the previous years growth.....and if you cut them all, you will get VERY few flowers the next year....

Answer 6

i cut back my hydrangea trees every fall so that they don't grow tall and when they come back in the spring they bloom multiple flowers. i actually cut mine all the way back, level to the ground, because they are along side the stairs to my front porch.

Answer 7

Yes, wait until it has stopped flowering. You can either cut it back to the lowest shoot you see on the branch, or right back down. Depends on how high you want it next season. We cut ours right back to maybe 5/6 inches off ground level, and they grow back fine. The further down you cut it, the less flowers you will get next season.

Answer 8

best time in march april cut out very old wood and shorten the yo unger shoots as far as a an active bud to incourage new groth

Answer 9

Yes. Just wait until they have finished flowering and cut them back as hard as you want to. They are very resilient plants and will come back beautifully next year.

Answer 10

Yes. Cut each stem to just above a side bud.