Hydrangea blooms?

Question

Should I cut off the wilted hydrangea blooms or should I leave intact? Also should I cut back the shrub in the summer or fall? thanks

Answer 1

No, do not cut your hydrangea all the way back. Cut only about one-third of the shrub and leave two-thirds. You can cut dead wood all the way down to the base, but not newer growth. Actually, mop-heads do not really need pruning at all. But there are instances when it can be helpful, such as when it is too large and obstructing a view. Pruning should take place in September or early October. You can remove the blooms, called deadheading, whenever you wish. If you cut for blooms for the house in summer, you can cut long stems. If you cut in August, cut the stem quite a bit shorter. If you cut above the first set of large leaves, you will be fine.

Paniculatas can be pruned in fall or winter, the only time not to prune would be in summer when they are blooming, and spring when they are preparing to bud.

Also, feeding with a plant food about 10-10-10 will encourage new blooms; apply this in March. Do not ever apply more than a 14-level plant food; hydrangeas cannot handle it. The 10-10-10 is the best.

Answer 2

LIMITATIONS TO HYDRANGEA COLOR CHANGE: White hydrangeas can NOT be changed to pink or blue by the grower. (The Almighty sometimes adds pink and red to blooms as they age). If you live in a hot climate, it is unlikely you will ever see a "true red" hydrangea. No matter how convincing those pictures in the catalogs are or how much lime is added to the soil, one can only achieve a very deep or dark pink, but not a true red (at least here in the South. I'd love to hear from you if you have a different experience). One can rarely change the intensity of a color (how strong or pale the color is). The intensity develops for a number of reasons: the heredity of a particular hydrangea variety, weather conditions (hot or cold, humid or dry), health of the plant, and possibly other natural factors. Fertilizing hydrangeas once or twice a year may result in a little more saturated color simply because the health of the plant may be improved. A few varieties of hydrangeas tend more toward the pink or the blue range of colors, but will not retain even this color if soil conditions are not right.

Answer 3

If you've got an old-fashioned hydrangea, you can cut off the blooms either for cut flowers in your house, or when they fade, as long as you keep the cut in new wood. All hydrangeas, except the "Endless Summer" varieties bloom on old wood, so pruning should be done sparingly.

Endless Summer hydrangeas bloom multiple times during the summer and bloom on both new & old wood, so you can deadhead or prune them just about anytime you want.

Answer 4

ONce the flowers are gone and the leaves start to turn bad, you can cut it all the way down and it will bloom again next year. And of course they do not like full sun.

Answer 5

In general you should cut off any dead part in a plant so it will have more "energy" to keep going!

Answer 6

cut so new shoots will grow.