Pruning shrubs like hydrangeas is essential to allow them to achieve a beautiful bloom in the following season. But while pruning is essential, it can also be counterproductive if done poorly. Why, when, and how to prune hydrangeas are questions that this article will answer.
Pruning: Hydrangea, a lush, large-flowered shrub
The hydrangea is a flowering shrub that earns its keep by thriving especially in shaded spots, typically facing north, which does not stop it from delivering spectacular blooms.
Its corymbs can be impressively large, but they are especially known for a phenomenal range of blues, pinks, and whites.
Hydrangeas are ericaceous plants that enjoy cool soils, and especially non-calcareous soils. If you know your soil pH, aim for a pH between roughly 5.0 and 6.0 for the best results with hydrangeas.
Why prune hydrangeas?
Hydrangeas are not exactly like other summer-blooming ornamental shrubs. Pruning will not only influence the size of the blooms, but also the overall vigor of the plant.
Letting a hydrangea age without trimming will cause it to weaken over time, with real declines in flower production after three years without intervention. Without pruning it will not gain height or breadth either.
When to prune hydrangeas?
You can cut back spent blooms as early as September if you want to remove them for aesthetic reasons, but the main pruning takes place at the very start of spring, when the first buds begin to wake up.
How to prune a hydrangea?
So make the cuts from late March to early April, the blooms of the previous year just below the flowering branches. If the shoots are older (2 to 3 years), cut them back by about 12 inches (30 cm) to restore vigor.
Also don’t hesitate to thin out the center of your hydrangea to improve air circulation; it will bloom more intensely, and be sure to remove all dead branches or ones that look truly weak.
It’s important to understand that, with hydrangeas, the young branches of the current year are the ones that will bear the flowers next year. So don’t swing the pruner like you’d be carving a sculpture with a chainsaw into a block of ice; observe and take your time—your hydrangea will reward you!
