Preparing for Hydrangea Pruning in Winter's Approach
When the vibrant pink, purple, and blue blossoms of hydrangeas start to wane into their autumnal brown, it's tempting to keep them in place. These colorful summer blooms transform into the perfect hue for autumn, contributing visual texture and a light brown and tan palette to the garden.
However, indulging in the fading blossoms for too long might harm the upcoming blooms, but this gamble of procrastination depends on the type of hydrangea you have.
All hydrangeas are perennials that reappear with their beautiful blossoms annually, but within the wider hydrangea family, there are two categories: old wood hydrangeas and new wood hydrangeas. Dependent on the type in your garden, you'll need to prune your hydrangeas at specific points in the post-bloom season.
Nicole Elizabeth Dillon is the proprietor of Breemar Flower Farm in Ashland, VA.
Do I Need to Prune Hydrangeas for Winter?
While hydrangeas will naturally die back and regrow during winter without being pruned, if you don't trim them, the branches might end up as a tangle of last year's wood and this year's growth. Over time, this may hinder the plant's growth and negatively impact its blooms.
Should you decide to prune your hydrangeas, the first step is to distinguish the type of hydrangea you have. For old wood hydrangeas, it's time to bring out the pruning shears as soon as the summer bloom period concludes. For new wood hydrangeas, you have more time.
However, according to Dillon, "Hydrangeas are quite forgiving when it comes to pruning, and they will recover just fine even if you prune them during the incorrect window. The drawback is that you may skip a blooming season depending on the type of hydrangea you have."
When to Prune Old Wood Hydrangeas
Old wood hydrangeas include popular varieties like climbing hydrangeas, oak leaf hydrangeas, and big leaf hydrangeas. These are shrubs that start forming next year's blooms while still in possession of this year's flowers. If you observe an old wood hydrangea, you'll start noticing green buds scattered throughout the plant, evident even as the flowers and leaves start to fade.
"Old wood hydrangeas, including big leaf hydrangeas, should be pruned in the summer after their blossoms have finished, typically around early August. This provides the plant time to form buds for the following year, ensuring that you won’t cut off the buds," says Dillon.
If you overlook this opportunity, it's not a loss, but, equally, put away the pruning shears. Pruning an old wood hydrangea after the next year's buds have already started growing will cut off the blooms for the upcoming summer. The only stems that should be pruned are those where you can see that it is clearly dead, with no green beneath the woody surface.
When to Prune New Wood Hydrangeas
Smooth hydrangeas and panicle hydrangeas are both new wood hydrangeas, which means they bloom on new growth each year. Because there's no growth until spring, you have flexibility when choosing to prune new wood hydrangeas. "I adore panicle hydrangeas because they're not especially fussy about pruning. They bloom on new growth, so you don't have to worry about pruning at the right time as much as you do other types of hydrangeas," explains Dillon.
While Dillon suggests pruning new wood hydrangeas anytime between early fall and winter to early spring, she favors waiting until late winter or early spring because the dried flower heads offer winter interest.
Tips for Pruning Hydrangeas
If you're planning to prune a hydrangea, take note of these tips to help make the process smoother and reduce the risk of damaging next year's blooms:
- Determine the difference between old wood versus new wood by looking at the stems. Old wood will have stems that are darker, browner, and stiffer. New wood will feel greener and more flexible.
- Trim back to the first set of new buds. After your old wood hydrangea's blooms have wilted, you can deadhead the spent flowers, but don't go beyond the first set of buds.
- Some hydrangeas might enjoy a harsh pruning. "Smooth hydrangeas should be left to grow for several seasons before a severe pruning can be done in the spring," says Dillon.
- Old wood hydrangeas can be cut back by one third. Don't prune these hydrangeas down to the ground, but, if you're trying to reduce the plant's size, trim it back by one third.
- Remove dead stems by examining whether there's any green beneath the woody surface. A dead stem can be removed at any time.
- How can I identify the kind of hydrangeas I've got? If you're unsure about the type of hydrangea you're dealing with, have a glimpse at the stem to see if it's old wood or new growth. Old wood is typically darker and has a stiff, aged feel to it, while new growth has a more greenish tone and feels flexible.
- What's the deal if I waited too long to trim my hydrangeas? Don't sweat it if you waited too long to prune your hydrangeas. Your plant should be just fine, and you can pick up where you left off the following year. In the meantime, get rid of any dead stems to keep your plant looking neat.
- Is trimming hydrangeas mandatory? You don't absolutely have to trim hydrangeas, but if you don't, the growth can become a tangled mess over time. This could impact the size of the blooms eventually.
- If you're interested in expanding your Gardening Ideas, you might find inspiration in SouthernLiving's seasonal gardening guides, which often feature Perennial Flowers like hydrangeas.
- Caring For Your Garden during the transition period from summer to autumn involves careful pruning of old wood hydrangeas. Accomplished gardener Nicole Elizabeth Dillon recommends pruning old wood hydrangeas after their Blossoms Have Finished, typically around early August.
- Gardening Landscaping Ideas often incorporate the use of Perennial Flowers like hydrangeas. To ensure optimal blooming in the next season, you should prune your hydrangeas in line with their specific needs; old wood hydrangeas should be pruned after their blossoms finish, while new wood hydrangeas can be pruned anytime between early fall and early spring, with late winter or early spring being preferred by some gardeners.
