The potted hydrangea is not a passing trend as an outdoor plant. To make it vigorous and for its balls of multicolored flowers to shine, it must be pruned during the favorable period. Is it in spring like the rosebush or with the moon like fruit trees, pruning hydrangea can be a crucial moment for the development of this shrub. Follow our advice on pruning this king among the flowers in the garden!
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When to prune the hydrangea? – you have to have the wind of this vital activity
Sponsored linksWith the exception of climbing hydrangeas which are pruned in summer after flowering, most of these shrubs are cut in spring. For the mission to be successful, their flower heads are left over winter to protect the buds below.
Pruning a hydrangea means preventing it from becoming woody and congested. Additionally, thinning channels plant energy to produce strong growth and large flowers. As pruning sparse the branches and consequently the main stem becomes bare, mulch the plant with well-rotted manure or compost.
Sponsored linksIf pruning an olive tree and any fruit tree has an impact on fruiting, pruning the hydrangea is to unload the plant and convey the sap to all the stems.
Keep in mind that the way to prune hydrangea depends on the type of plant: some bloom on old wood and others on new. So incorrect pruning will affect flowering.
These four types: hydrangea macrophylla, hydrangea aspera, hydrangea serrata and hydrangea quercifolia should be lightly pruned by cutting off old flower heads to a pair of buds below.
As for hydrangea paniculata and hydrangea aborescens, don't be afraid to prune harder.
If you're not sure what type of hydrangea you have, it's best to cut it and see how it grows. If you notice it producing flowers on this year's growth, you can prune it harder next year.
The “mop head” /macrophylla/ and “lace bonnet” /serrata/ hydrangeas bloom on the growth of previous years. The two of them are an exception to the rule that shrubs that produce their flowers on the previous season's growth should be pruned after flowering. Referring to the structure of hydrangea stems, it is best to postpone pruning in the spring. This is because the stems look like cork rather than wood and hold enough moisture inside during the winter that it will freeze in freezing weather. If pruned in the fall, after flowering, the buds may freeze and perish.
Another relevant advice! Leave the old flowers on the plant over winter, until the worst frosts have passed. This will protect the stems and their new buds. Once the sap begins to rise in the spring, these shoots will open and many should continue to bloom the following year.
Come April, remove old flower heads just above a pair of buds. They can be knocked over easily, so cut carefully using the tips of your pruner. If the plant has many stems, cut at an angle between the buds to remove one of the pair. This will direct growth to one shoot rather than two, preventing the plant from becoming congested.
Snip all thin, weak stems around the base of the plant and remove one or two of the tallest, oldest ones from as low as possible to encourage new growth from the base. These will grow over the next few years and bear flowers in the future.
If you have a more vigorous plant, with more stems, cut some of them back to the base.
It is very important to disinfect the blades of the shears so as not to transmit parasites and diseases.
Climbing hydrangeas should only be pruned after they bloom in summer. Prune hydrangea petiolaris lightly, as most flower buds are produced at the top of the plant. Cut the flowering shoots to a pair of new buds.
Aspera, serrata and quercifolia are lightly pruned in the spring. Old flower heads and old cross or long stems are simply removed in the same way as 'mop heads' and 'lace caps'.
The paniculata and aborescens varieties produce flowers on new wood, which means you can prune them harder without losing that year's flowers. Pruning is not essential, but if not done the plant will grow tall, long with all the flowers at the top.
If you cut in early spring, pruning last year's growth forms a healthy frame that is between 30cm and 60cm high. Prune just above a pair of healthy buds on each stem. Cut the lowest healthy buds for large flowers or less hard for a natural look or a taller plant.
Native to eastern Asia and South America, the hydrangea has about 73 species that compete in shape, color and flowering time.
In Japan, the hydrangea is one of the traditional flowers of the country. After the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, the flower became a symbol of hope and opponents of nuclear energy adopted it for their movement. Blooming between mid-June and mid-July, the hydrangea precedes the dark rainy season.
