Home » Misc » Cut back hydrangea bush

Cut back hydrangea bush


When to prune hydrangeas for best bloom

  1. Home
  2. Yard and garden
  3. Yard and Garden News
  4. When to prune hydrangeas for best bloom

Hydrangeas are one of the most popular blooming woody shrubs in Minnesota landscapes and, as you’d expect, people often ask how and when to prune these beloved shrubs.

Heading cuts redirect growth or shorten small branches. The high point of a heading cut should be about 1/4" above a bud.

Hydrangea paniculata, panicle hydrangea

Prune back stems to just above a fat bud — called a heading cut — in fall, late winter or spring. These plants have conical-shaped flower heads. I recommend leaving the dry, tan flower heads on the plant to provide some winter interest in your landscape, so I wait to prune these until late winter or spring. Some favorite panicle hydrangeas:

Hydrangea macrophylla, big leaf hydrangea This original Endless Summer inspired a large series of other H. macrophylla developed by Bailey Nurseries.

These plants produce buds in late summer to early fall (August-September) that will form next year’s flowers. So prune these shrubs after they finish blooming before August (again, make a heading cut).

An exception is the Endless Summer® The Original Bigleaf Hydrangea (H. macrophylla 'Bailmer' PP15,298) and other cultivars in the Endless Summer series from Bailey Nurseries such as Blushing Bride, BloomStruck® , Summer Crush®, and Twist ‘n’ Shout®.

The H. macrophylla bloom on last year’s wood and new wood that grows this year. So it will bloom whether you prune it or not. Protect H. macrophylla in winter from rabbit browsing on the stems with a large, 4-foot tall ring of hardware cloth.

The Endless Summer hydrangea made a huge splash on the Minnesota landscape plant scene because of its pink to blue color flowers (achievable with proper soil amendment) and because it blooms on old and new wood.

Hydrangea arborescens, smooth hydrangea

Let these plants grow a season or two before doing any serious "hard" pruning. Once the shrub is established and has a couple of growing seasons under its belt, prune these hydrangeas in the spring down to the ground, or not at all if you want a larger shrub. Flower buds will grow on this season’s growth or new wood.

Some favorite smooth hydrangeas: 

Hydrangea petolaris or climbing hydrangea

This tough, gnarly vine needs little to no pruning ever, except for removing any dead wood that develops.

Plant this vine in full sun on a solid trellis or fence where you want a long-living, dense screen. It is a dickens to get rid of once it gets established.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ Quick Fire® hydrangea. Notice the wall color matches the late summer bloom color. This was intentional! Annabelle, a tried-and-true fixture in Minnesota landscapes

Author: Julie Weisenhorn, Extension educator, horticulture

Reviewed by Debbie Lonnee, product development manager, Bailey Nurseries

Related topics: Yard and Garden News Featured news

Share this page:

Page survey

How To Change Hydrangea Color (Blue, Pink or Purple)

Learn how to change the color of your hydrangea flowers to blue, pink or purple By Sarah Hutchinson; Updated May 26, 2021

The color of a hydrangea can change dramatically, and sometimes they even exhibit multiple colors on the same shrub. Photo by: Ulrich Doering / Alamy Stock Photo.

Flower color can be changed only on specific species of hydrangea, mainly those related to H. macrophylla or H. serrata. The common thought is that flower color is related to the pH of the soil. However, as Michael Dirr explains in his book Hydrangeas for American Gardens, the color is not determined by the pH, per se, but the amount of aluminum a plant can access in the soil — which is determined by pH and phosphorus levels.

A lower pH allows aluminum to be soluble and absorbed by plants (unless phosphorus is high), and the flowers tend to be blue. A higher pH locks up the aluminum and the flowers tend to be pink. Shades of cream to green can also be seen when blooms first open, and tones can change as flowers age.

Tip: Find out your soil's pH by using a 3-in-1 soil tester.

Here’s how you can adjust your soil to affect the bloom color:

Can coffee grounds be used to change the color of hydrangeas?


Some gardeners report success in turning their hydrangeas blue by applying coffee grounds to the soil. The coffee grounds make the soil more acidic, allowing the hydrangea to more easily absorb aluminum. In addition, fruit peels, lawn clippings, peat moss and pine needles, are thought to have a similar effect.

Can eggshells be used to change the color of hydrangeas?


If you want pink hydrangeas, crushed eggshells may be one way to get them. Eggshells will slowly break down and reduce the acidity of your soil—making it harder for hydrangeas to absorb aluminum.

How do I make blue hydrangeas with vinegar?


Many gardeners add vinegar to their watering can to change the acidity of their soil and turn their hydrangeas blue. However, you'll probably have better results using Hydrangea Blue, a liquid fertilizer that produces blue flowers.

Hydrangeas: Growing & Care

Types of Hydrangeas

How to Prune Hydrangeas

How to Fertilize Hydrangeas

White Hydrangeas

8 Reasons Hydrangeas Won't Bloom

RELATED:


Garden Soil 101
Color in the Garden

90,000 terms, principles, rules and a detailed video from our specialist.

Hydrangea is a versatile shrub that many have been growing in the garden for decades, but not everyone knows how to properly prune hydrangeas, whether the techniques depend on the species, and what time of the year is best to devote time to this process.

Many people ask the question: is it necessary to cut the hydrangea?

If in all the years of the existence of this shrub on your site you have never approached it with a pruner, then we can say with all confidence that you have never seen this particular variety in all its glory! It is the correct pruning that helps abundant flowering, prevents the inflorescences from shrinking and provokes the correct development of the crown. With timely top dressing and good watering, the very next year after pruning, you literally won’t recognize your hydrangea and will be able to feel all the magic of transformation!

When should hydrangeas be pruned?

Like all fruit or ornamental crops, hydrangea will require attention at a time when the plant has already prepared for winter or when it has not yet had time to wake up after it. There are many opinions about the correct timing for such events, but we recommend pruning twice: in the fall and in the spring. At the end of the summer season, there are already a lot of worries, but it still makes sense to allocate quite a bit of time for your favorite shrub, because in winter, under a decent weight of snow cover, fragile shoots can break or even break. Even if the shrub does not die (and this is possible), then its decorative effect can be seriously affected. Therefore, we make gentle pruning in the fall, and when the snow melts, even before the start of sap flow, we will carefully correct our own sections or even cut them into a kidney. It is worth mentioning that some people prefer not to cut, but tightly tie the shoots together for the winter, but this is done, as a rule, so that the shoots cut off in the spring can be used as cuttings for propagating shrubs.

Which types of hydrangea should be pruned in autumn and spring?

Only those that bloom on the shoots of the current year. They definitely do not include most varieties of large-leaved hydrangea, which grows twigs for a whole season, so that next year they will be crowned with unearthly beauty inflorescences. By making an autumn or spring pruning of shoots that have not yet bloomed, you will not destroy them, but you will only wait for flowering in a season. Paniculate, tree-like, oak-leaved and rough hydrangeas can be pruned every year, forming a crown and stimulating the growth of new shoots.

Hydrangea pruning in autumn

When the leaves on the shrub have already turned yellow, or maybe they have fallen off, when the charming inflorescences have begun to dry out, changing color to brownish - it's time to take up the pruner! Tree hydrangea pruning, like panicle hydrangea pruning, has the same principle, despite the fact that these species have a different bush shape and grow according to their own rules. It is important to understand the essence of the process. We simply shorten the shoots to the second, third, fourth or even fifth bud from the base, regardless of whether it grows from a branch or directly from the ground, like a tree hydrangea. The main nuances to consider when pruning hydrangeas:

- we form a neat hemispherical shape of the shrub, for which it is possible to cut the outer shoots a little shorter than those that come out of the middle of the crown;

- it is best to do autumn pruning for 3-4 buds, so that in the spring, in case of damage to the shoot, it would be possible to cut the branch stronger;

- Quite often, at the very base of tree-like hydrangeas, you can see one or even two buds very close to each other. We count the buds for pruning the shoot already above, without taking them into account. Having made a strong pruning of the shrub, we risk waking up these low buds, and then from the very base a strong thickening of the crown can result, which will negatively affect both the health and the decorative effect of the hydrangea.

- if the declared height of the hydrangea bush of your chosen variety is from two to four meters, then the distances between the buds will be large (from 10 to 20 centimeters), which means that pruning can be done on the third, and if necessary, on the second kidney. True, do not forget that adjusting the bush in the spring will be more difficult to do if there are too few buds left.

We have prepared a video of pruning hydrangeas in the fall for clarity, and after watching it, you definitely should not have any questions on this topic.

YouTube video: Hydrangea pruning: timing and rules

In this publication, we have analyzed in detail how to properly cut a hydrangea so that it only pleases with its beauty from year to year, attracting not only your attention, but also the enthusiastic looks of your guests. In fact, if you do not prune this shrub every year, nothing bad will happen to it. The most important thing is to plant in acidified soil, fertilize from time to time and ensure abundant watering. You can buy hydrangea seedlings directly in our online store or choose the variety you like on the trading floor of our garden center in the Moscow region.

Share on social networks:

Site geoplastics: what is it, why is it needed and the technology for its creation

09/23/2019 Articles

Read previous article

Hydrangea care in autumn

11/24/2019Articles

Read next article

12/26/2022 Articles

Choosing plants according to the sign of the zodiac for your favorite garden

What is useful to plant on your site for hot rams, and what about creative fish?

We have compiled a selection of mascot plants for each zodiac sign.

Come see your

Read more

12/21/2022 Articles

Plants-record holders of our planet: interesting facts about plants

A selection of plants that may surprise you. What grass is considered the tallest in the world? Which plant can ride on the river? And what flower has only two copies left on the planet?

We have prepared for you a selection of plants that lead the top lists according to various criteria. Come be surprised!

Read more

20.12.2022 Articles

Actual colors of 2023 in garden landscaping

In this article, we will analyze what to focus on and how to apply trendy colors in garden design

Read more

07. 12.2022 Articles

Deciduous ornamental garden trees with a compact crown

Planning a small area is an art. What to do when you want to place buildings, a garden, and a beautiful recreation area with familiar deciduous plants? Choose the right varieties.

In this article, we will talk about which seedlings of ornamental plants to choose for a compact plot and how best to place them.

Read more

11/21/2022 Articles

Derain in landscape design: the best varieties and applications

Charming turf is a plant that can be recommended to every gardener. The shrub is loved for its unpretentiousness, varietal diversity and the unique color of the bark and leaves. In this article, we tell you which sod to choose and where to plant it

Read more

Subscribe to news:

Proper hydrangea pruning: subtleties and nuances of carrying out

Lush and proud hydrangea, pleasing to the eye with its luxurious flowers, can decorate any garden. But in order for the bush to look aesthetic and attractive, it needs periodic pruning.

We will tell you when and how to do it, how spring pruning differs from autumn pruning, and how best to do this procedure in autumn.

Terms and types of hydrangea pruning

Hydrangea pruning is carried out both in spring and autumn. Spring is the time for cardinal haircuts and the formation of a bush. And at the end of the season, when nature falls asleep, and the plants are preparing for winter, there is no need to radically cut hydrangeas. Now it is important for us to thin out the bush and free it from diseased, dried and improperly growing shoots.

Autumn pruning is carried out late, usually after leaf fall, because in September the plant changes color and is as beautiful and charming as in summer.

There are several types of correct pruning for hydrangeas.

  1. Traditional annual pruning in order to obtain a stronger and more abundantly flowering plant.
  2. Formative pruning, which allows you to give the bush the desired configuration and optimally position the skeletal branches.
  3. Sanitary cleaning, which is the removal of old and damaged shoots, dry inflorescences.
  4. And finally, the rejuvenation of hydrangeas with cardinal pruning, which is carried out on aging or badly damaged bushes.

Autumn pruning of hydrangeas

Although the main part of the work takes place in the spring, pruning of hydrangeas in the autumn is also a must. It is needed in order to divide all the work on the formation and improvement of the plant into two periods. In this case, the hydrangea will endure the entire procedure safely.

When pruning hydrangeas in autumn, you need to pay attention to old, damaged branches, as well as those that grow inside the shrub. They are removed, but young shoots are not touched in the fall. Also, shoots are cut almost to the ground, which for some reason were broken in the summer.

The air temperature during this period should be plus 5-10 degrees. For different regions, this is the beginning - the end of October.

The further north the region is located, the more gentle pruning of the plant should be in autumn, since hydrangea does not like severe frosts, and shortened branches will be less protected from cold temperatures. This is especially true of large-leaved hydrangea, which is thermophilic. The remaining species are considered relatively frost-resistant.

Important! It is not customary (especially in cold regions) to carry out autumn pruning of the plant for the first three years, since the seedling needs strength to withstand and survive the adverse winter conditions. During this period, only forced sanitary cleaning is done.

In the southern regions, it is possible to act more decisively in autumn, with the expectation of the next year. Experts believe that in warm climates, autumn pruning is even more preferable.

All varieties of hydrangeas have their own specifics for autumn pruning.

Peculiarities of hydrangea pruning by species

All varieties of hydrangeas have their own specifics of autumn pruning.

  1. Paniculata hydrangea. The shrub blooms on the shoots of the current year, so don't be afraid to accidentally cut off a branch with flower buds. In autumn, you need to remove flower stalks, cut off dry and lodging branches.
  2. Tree hydrangea. This species also blooms on the current year's shoots. The rules of the autumn haircut coincide with the pruning of the paniculate hydrangea. It is necessary to remove flower stalks, cut out dubious, broken and dry branches.

Let's dwell separately on pruning large-leaved hydrangea. The haircut of this beauty in the fall should be carried out carefully, remembering that she blooms on the shoots of last year. That is, right now we can accidentally cut off all the future beauty.

All the large-leaved hydrangea needs now is the removal of peduncles and unproductive branches.

Learn more