When to prune your Hydrangeas so they bloom this season.
The Best Time for Hydrangea Pruning
It’s unavoidable. A few warm days, birds chirping, snow melting, and crocuses sprouting can only mean one thing. Time to get those pruners out and do a little trimming.
When it comes to hydrangeas, however, incorrect pruning is the biggest reason for lack of flowers. That’s because we prune them at the wrong time. So let’s get it straight once and for all.
Pruning New Wood
The ones you can prune now are those that flower on stems they will grow this year, i.e., new wood. Easier said than done since most of us don’t know which ones we have and what kind of wood they have. Let’s drill down a little deeper to figure that out.
Flower Shape and Foliage Clues
You can tell your hydrangeas apart by noticing the flowers and/or foliage. If the flowers are big, round, and either white or shades of pink, and it blooms early in the season, you have a woodland or smooth hydrangea. Botanically it’s known as hydrangea arborescens. Varieties like ‘Annabelle,’ ‘Incrediball®’ and ‘Invincibelle® Spirit’ are among the woodland hydrangeas in today’s market. Woodland hydrangeas never have blue flowers.
When your flowers are football- or cone-shaped, you have either a panicle or oak leaf hydrangea. Flowers start out cream, white or green, and age to shades of pink. No blue flowers ever on either of these two varieties.
If the foliage looks like an oak tree, you have an oak leaf hydrangea. How’s that for an easy identification? You might have ‘Alice’, ‘Snowflake’, or “Snow Queen’ among others. The oak leaf hydrangea flowers this year on the growth it put on last year, i.e., old wood.
Your panicle hydrangea (‘Limelight,’ ‘Vanilla Strawberry ™,’ ‘Strawberry Sundae®,’ etc.), on the other hand, flowers on the wood it will grow in the coming months, i.e., new wood.
Now you know that new wood flowering hydrangeas (woodland and panicle) are the only ones you should be cutting now. All the other flowers on old wood. If you cut the old wood bloomers too early, i.e., now, you risk losing your flowers.
How Much to Cut
You can take your woodland hydrangeas down to about 18-24 inches. But don’t go further than that, if even that much. You need strong stems to hold up the flowers, especially after a rainstorm. The older the stems are, the stronger they become so let them be. You can even leave up a few taller stems to form a supporting framework. They will disappear into the plant once it leafs out.
For your panicle hydrangeas, you can cut them down by at least one-third. You might want to take even more if the plant has become distorted from snow load and other causes.
Be comforted in knowing it’s very hard to make a mistake when it comes to pruning new wood hydrangeas. They are very forgiving in that they always grow back and fill in.
What about Old Wood Hydrangeas?
These are the ones I call the troublemakers. Old wood hydrangeas come in a few flavors. Some are the ones with the round flowers that you can sometimes change to shades of pink or blue. They can either be mountain hydrangeas (serrata), or big leaf hydrangeas (macrophylla). Climbing hydrangeas (petiolaris) and oak leaf hydrangeas (quercifolia) also flower on the growth they produced last year.
Develop a New Love for “Broccoli”
For all old wood hydrangeas, with the exception of dead, diseased or damaged wood, you must hold off cutting until you see their little buds called “broccoli.” It’s only when those buds emerge that you will know which stems to discard. However, if you need to cut your plant back because it has outgrown its allotted space, then have at it knowing the potential consequences. A point to remember is that some people never cut their old wood hydrangeas and the plants do just fine.
Keep in mind there’s no guarantee of flowers from old wood hydrangeas if your plant has lost its buds to weather or whatever. Many areas had a rapid and deep freeze last November before the hydrangeas had a chance to harden off. There is a prevalent fear that cold spell killed the buds that were already formed. If this is your story, you will get a nice green bush but no flowers.
The Magic of Reblooming Hydrangeas
Here’s the saving grace. With a big leaf or mountain hydrangea that reblooms (not possible on oakleaf and climbing), you can still expect to get flowers from that plant even if the terminal buds were destroyed. Rebloomers have the amazing genetics to produce flowers on new stems they will generate in the current season as well as along the stems of last year’s growth
But you must give them the proper cultural conditions to do that. The right amount of fertilizer (applied now), moisture, and light (part sun) will keep them happy. Then they can concentrate on mid-season flower production.
Before you trim your hydrangea, figure out which type of hydrangea you have and if it blooms on old wood or new wood.
So you see, this hydrangea pruning thing is really pretty simple. All you need is a sharp pair of pruners to get those new wood bloomers off to a good start.
Written By: Lorraine Ballato
Author of: Success With Hydrangeas: A Gardener’s Guide
Learn more about Hydrangeas at…
“This post is provided as an educational/inspirational service of the National Garden Bureau and our members. Please credit and link to National Garden Bureau and author member when using all or parts of this article.”
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24 comments. Leave new
Are PeeGee hydrangeas woodland like oak leaf or like abororescens? We lost three oak leaf plants and two PeeGees last year. They were probably 30 years old and some had holes in the branches. How can I avoid losing more?
PG hydrangeas, they are not woodland (arborescens) or oak leaf (quercifolia) species. The “PG” stands for “paniculata grandiflora” and they love the sun. They could have died from a number of reasons, all of which have to do with their growing conditions. Drought is always a possibility when they are in the sun, as well as soil fertility, etc.
Oak leaf hydrangeas on the other hand, can tolerate a fair amount of shade as they are native to woodland environments. However, they are the least tolerant of wet feet. Again, cultural conditions could be the issue.
You might want to take a sample of each of your plants to your local cooperative extension location or an independent garden center and ask them to help you identify why these plants failed. Without having more info, it’s impossible to clearly identify the reason(s) these plants died.
When should I prune my Endless Summer hydrangeas?
Here is a YouTube video about spring pruning for Endless Summer Hydrangeas from the breeder that will answer these questions.
Lorraine Ballato, the blog author says – Unless you live in the coldest zones (like Michigan) you shouldn’t touch those plants until you know 2 things for certain:
1: the stem is dead (scratch it to confirm) and won’t give you flowers, and
2: you know for sure (check your local long-range forecast) that you won’t get any more weather-related issues like a late-season storm. Those storms can take out dormant buds that have been sleeping on your plant. If you cut prematurely, you can initiate their growth cycle and expose them to that weather event. The best advice I give is to wait until you see those little heads of “broccoli” which tell you exactly where your flowers will develop. Then cut away whatever else you don’t want/need.
My hydrangea tree is a vanilla strawberry I bought this spring. Did real good but flowers started to turn brown. Had bugs. I put 7 dust on it and is doing better. Do I prune now or wait till flowers are all brown. Which I hope is in September. Seems to be ahead of itself compared to our neighbors. I was told not to fertilize till next spring. I water good. Is the brown flowers natural? Thank you Theresa
We asked author Lorraine Ballato for her thoughts on your hydrangea, here is her response:
“Congratulations on buying Vanilla Strawberry. It’s a fabulous panicle hydrangea. Here are some suggestions for caring for it.
First of all, panicle flowers go brown when they are either parched or past their “cycle.” I would suggest better irrigation, additional compost to improve better water retention, and deeper mulch for overall improved future performance.
Second, Sevin is indiscriminate and kills natural enemies, pollinators, etc. In the future, it would be better to identify the specific bug via your local master gardener office or an independent garden center. Then treat for it as recommended.
Third, re pruning: this plant flowers on new growth in the current season. You can prune it once it drops all its leaves and goes dormant, or in the new growing season just at bud break when it starts to green up.
Lastly, fertilizing should be done in the new growing season when it starts to green up.
You can get lots of info about how to care for your hydrangeas on my free hydrangea blog at http://www.LorraineBallato.com.”
I received a hydrangea plant and it is now withering. Can I plant it in my garden now?
Yes, depending on your location but you should be able to plant it in your garden. Be sure to water the plant well and keep moist for the first few weeks after transplanting.
I just bought I believe is a panicle hydrangea, the flowers are blue and have faded, how far down do I go on the stem to trim it back for new blooms?
Any of your purely new wood bloomers can be cut and trimmed in the spring-like panicle and woodland plants. Their flowers this year will come from the growth they put on in the spring. In fact, pruning cuts can stimulate them to produce more flowers. Look at our new blog Hydrangea Danger Zone for more information.
I have the pink hydrangea. I just received it today. Do I. Prune it now or next year? Its not very tall does have leaves.
This hydrangea does not need pruning the first year.
Great info! Just pruned mine. Thank you.
I cut my hydrangeas down and the leaves are all out. Really thick beautiful. Do I cut that all of again
Answer from author Lorraine Ballato:
Hello, Bev! Despite not knowing which kind of hydrangea you have or where you live (zone?) unless you are in the Southern Hemisphere where it is spring, the answer is the same. This time of year, do not cut any hydrangeas now. Let me explain: all cutting/pruning stimulates a plant and if you cut now, you will send the wrong signal to your plant. You want it to go dormant and rest up for next year. You do not want to divert its energy to anything which will rob it of the energy it needs to reach dormancy.
I devote an entire chapter to pruning in my book, Success With Hydrangeas, A Gardener’s Guide. I also address pruning in my free hydrangea blog. You can sign up for the blog by going to http://www.LorraineBallato.com.
I hope that helps. Best regards, Lorraine Ballato
Lorraine! Thank you for that important detail regarding pruning and how it stimulates a plant. That just connected several dots for me 🙂
I have white wedding hydrangea the blooms have turned brownish in color and now they don’t look healthy. Do I need to cut the blooms off now
Please advise me. They are only a year old
We asked Lorainne Ballato your question and here are her suggestions: “Congratulations to you for getting such a stellar hydrangea. The strong stems and white flowers are exceptional. Unfortunately, your brown flowers are the result of the plant being moisture starved.
I would suggest a few things:
first, give it a deep, long drink of water. Use your knuckle to test if it is enough. Stick your finger into the ground at the base of your plant. When the soil at the base of the plant is moist at the second knuckle on your pointer finger, then it has enough;
I would also amend the soil with about 1-2″ of compost which will help it retain moisture better;
Lastly, I would make sure to have a 2-4″ layer of mulch at the base of the plant, again to help in moisture retention;
Then you need to watch your plant, do the knuckle test on a regular basis, and learn how the soil and moisture equation works out with this plant. Adjust your watering practice accordingly.
As for deadheading, it won’t make a difference. In fact, it might stress your plant further. Let me explain. Cutting always stimulates a plant to push out more growth and this time of year, it is better to let the plant settle down and prepare for dormancy, especially when a plant has been stressed. I leave my panicle flowers on my plants through the winter for winter interest as they catch snow and ice and can look stunning. But if you don’t want to do that, wait until the plant is dormant, i.e., after it has dropped its leaves, to cut off the dead flowers.”
Hello! We have many blue and purple/pink hydrangea plants that bloomed beautifully last year (we live in north metro Atl, GA). All the blooms eventually turned brown and died, but stayed on the plant branches. Should we have deadheaded those dead blooms off of the plant? Or will they fall off eventually on their own?
Lots of people leave the dead Hydrangea blooms on for winter interest. Eventually, the flowers will dry off and fall away but if you want to do a little cleanup and snip them away without removing much of the new green tissue that is completely fine.
Last year I planted a beautiful Hydrangea plant that produced dark blue flowers. Sadly I planted them in full sun and I live where there is a great deal of humidity all day & night. By mid August the beautiful large blooms had fallen and appeared brown. I read up on the species that I had and cut the dead flowers off right to the point above where a new shoot appeared to going to bloom or grow. Within a couple of weeks my plant looked dead. I was mortified. I continued to give it a lot of love, and I began to see some kind of growth but not sure it was from my Hydrangea. There were no flowers after the cutting. I let it be and covered it properly for the Winter.
I am going to move the plant to a spot where there is a lot of sun but late afternoon has a bit of shade to compensate for the high humidity. this spring once the snow disappears and the ground is thawed.
Is there anything I can do or not do to have blooms again on my plant. Thank you in advance!! New Gardener here. 🙂
Hello, Barbara:
So glad to hear you added a beautiful hydrangea to your garden. But not so happy to hear of your issues with it.
Before I can give you a good answer, I need a bit more info.
First, it would be a great help to know the plant’s name. That way I can determine if it is a rebloomer which might be salvageable this season.
Here’s the rest of what I need to know:
What zone is this plant in?
Is it planted on the south side, west side, etc., and how does the prevailing wind hit it?
What EXACTLY does “give it a lot of love” mean: water (how much and how often), fertilizer (what, how much and how often), etc.
What did you do when you planted it, e.g., added Holly-tone (UGH!), peat moss, etc.
What kind of growth was observed and how could it not be from the hydrangea?
What plants are growing around it?
Is it mulched? If so, with what?
What does properly covering it for the winter mean: burlap, stuffed leaves inside a tomato cage, bubble wrap, A-frame, etc.
One of my recommendations right off the top is to go to my blog at http://www.lorraine ballato.com. I have been writing in real-time for over 2 years about many hydrangea issues and handling. You may find some very relevant and helpful info in that blog by using the search bar. For example, I have written in detail about winter protection, how much sun vs. shade, fertilizer, rebloomers, etc.
The one thing you need to keep in mind is that hydrangeas are finicky. Your gardening experience has nothing to do with your success with this plant. Many advanced gardeners struggle with it so know that you are not alone. But once you figure this plant out, then you can feel really accomplished and enjoy your plant.
Lorraine Ballato
Still waiting for the meat… prune early Fall, late Fall, Winter Spring Summer?
It would depend on your hydrangea type and if your Hydrangea blooms only on old wood, only new wood, or both old and new wood. The only new wood species you can prune now are woodland and panicle hydrangeas before the buds are set this spring. If you cut any old wood hydrangeas now, you will cut off the buds. When your hydrangea blooms on BOTH old and new wood (rebloomer), your pruning should be limited to stem tips that you know are dead. That’s because a reblooming hydrangea can put out flowers from the length of the stem even when the terminal bud dies. The best thing to do is wait to see “broccoli” before making that determination. If you know which stems are completely dead down to the ground, then you can safely cut them down without losing any of this year’s flowers. They are already toast. If your plant blooms only on old wood you need to wait until after the plant blooms or you see “broccoli”.
If you have any additional questions, please let us know.