How to Prune Hydrangeas?

Hydrangeas are hardy, easy to grow, with large, brightly colored blooms that make a statement in any garden. If you are wondering how, when, and why you should prune hydrangeas, we have the information for you! These hydrangea pruning suggestions will help you make the most of these stunning flowering shrubs.

Hydrangea Pruning Tools

Make sure you have the right tools before you begin. You'll need:

• Gloves to protect your hands
• Sharp bypass pruners to trim branches up to 3/8-inch in thickness (remember to avoid anvil pruning, which dulls quickly)
• Sharp bypass loppers to shave branches up to 2 inches thick
• Sharp pull-stroke pruning for branches more than 2 inch

When to prune Hydrangeas?

The timing will depend on whether you have hydrangeas that bloom early or late in a season.

Spring blooming means that the flowers bloom when they are on old wood. This characteristic allows hydrangeas to begin forming next year's buds in the late summer and early fall. You can avoid accidentally removing these blossoms by pruning them just as they begin to fade in late summer.

Late summer flowers indicate that the wood is still in use. These shrubs can grow and produce flowers simultaneously, so they get delayed. You won't see new buds until the spring following, so prune your shrubs in the late winter before new growth starts.

You don't need to prune hydrangeas every year. Many varieties live long, healthy lives and don't need to be trimmed every year. Only cut your shrubs if there is a clear goal.

Maintaining a healthy hydrangea plant can help to reduce common problems such as:

• Leggy growth: When hydrangeas are becoming bare at the base, pruning can promote a rounder and fuller-looking plant.
• A lack of flowers: If you do not have enough flowers, it can make your summer miserable. A good pruning technique can increase the size of the flowers and the number in the subsequent season.
• Overgrown growth: Are your hydrangeas overtaking other plants in the garden or getting too tall? If so, it might be time to prune them.

Pruning Techniques

The type and goals of your hydrangeas will influence the best pruning techniques.

You can grow hydrangeas which bloom early on old wood, if you wish.

• You can remove spent blossoms from just below the head of the flower.
• Remove straggly and wayward canes from the soil line.
• You can remove some of the older canes near the soil line to increase your hydrangeas' vitality as they age.
• To stop the shrub from becoming too tall, take out the highest canes from the soil line.

If you have late-blooming hydrangeas that will only flower on fresh wood

• For larger blooms in spring, trim the stems below the soil line.
• You can also trim the stems to an 18 to 24-inch height to keep a sturdy framework. You will not only make the blooms look smaller but also reduce flopping.
• Do not prune once the flower buds have opened in spring.