Professional Atlanta, GA on Mar 20, 2012

Pruning Hydrangeas and Encouraging growth around the bottom of my Shrubbery.

1. My Hydrangea is getting it's leaves for the spring. I noticed there are a lot of twigs / branches that don't have leaves yet. Am I supposed to trim back some of these at some point? If so when and how do I know which ones?

2. May shrubbery looks a little sparse around the bottom - how do i encourage it to fill in?

3. Once everything has finished blooming i'm going to trim it back. I know right now they're much too high and blocking the front of the house / part of the windows. Would you advise trimming back more than 1/3? Would it damage the shrubs?

many thanks!

martine

49 Comments Displaying 25 of 49 comments | See Previous

Patricia L Valparaiso, FL

Thanks Diane B,I will check that out

on Mar 22, 2012 · Like 0
Jimmy S Brooks, GA

I love how one question has brought on many other questions. Can I add to the list? My sister in law has awesome hydrangeas. She called them Pretty in Pink variety. I would love to try and propogate them. Any one have experience or can provide best way to do this? Specific time of year? Temp? etc. Thanks

on Mar 22, 2012 · Like 0
Carole Douglasville, GA

Pruned mine yesterday. WHen is the right time to fertilize them and what type of fertilizer?

on Mar 22, 2012 · Like 0
VP J Norcross, GA

You folk just answered some my questions about my seemingly half dead Hydrangeas. I will get out there and prune the dead stems away.
Thanks

on Mar 22, 2012 · Like 0
Lel S Roswell, GA

When pruning a hydrangea, where should you make the cut on the stick...should you go all the way to the bottom of each one?

on Mar 22, 2012 · Like 0
Miriam I New York, NY

A quick note to anyone posting questions of their own on this thread: Please post it as a new question, it will make it easier for others to see and respond to. :)

on Mar 22, 2012 · Like 1
Neda

does anyone know when is a good time to move a hydrangea from one part of the yard to another? which month?

on Mar 22, 2012 · Like 0
Southern Trillium LLC Stone Mountain, GA

Just want to clarify some things on pruning hydrangeas. There are many different types of hydrangeas, and they require pruning at different times of the year. Obviously, you can prune it anytime you want, and the shrub will grow. But pruning some varieties in the spring will actually decrease the number of blooms that you will enjoy. Some hydrangeas bloom on old wood, others on new wood. There are a few that will bloom on both old and new wood. ...»

You will need to know which type you have, and if you prune it at the wrong time of the year, you may be removing your flower display.
Here is a great article with more information http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles...

on Mar 22, 2012 · Like 2
Flowerscapes Garden Desig... Suwanee, GA

Miriam, if you want your azaleas to bloom this spring, don't prune them yet. The rule of thumb is to not prune after September or you will lose the next year's floral display. Rujuvination pruning is great, but it may take a year or more to really fill in. Some up at the Cooley estate took close to 3 years.

on Mar 22, 2012 · Like 1
Flowerscapes Garden Desig... Suwanee, GA

I use Miracle Grow acid food to keep my hydrangeas blue. For shades of purple, every other two weeks, I feed them regular Miracle Grow. My hydrangea beds look like a watercolor painting he way the colors blend.

on Mar 22, 2012 · Like 1
Douglas Hunt New Smyrna Beach, FL

@Jimmy Stinnett: Without opening a legal can of worms about whether plants should be patented, I don't think that technically you should be propagating "Pretty in Pink" However, I will say that it's a macrophylla hydrangea, and any of the rules that apply to that category in general would probably apply.

on Mar 23, 2012 · Like 0
Gladys H

It is legal to propigate any plant for your own use....as long as you are not selling it, you are fine.

on Mar 23, 2012 · Like 0
Southern Trillium LLC Stone Mountain, GA

Gladys, I believe you are incorrect on that statement. Any propagation of a patented plant, even for your own use, is against the law.
As an example, Monsanto has many types of patented seeds and products. Monsanto can even sue someone for having one of their patented plants growing, even if it spread by seed unknowingly, because it is still violating the protection of the patent. These patented plants are big money issues, ...»
and companies spend a lot of money developing them, and are then protecting their investment.
Here is an article with an example, even referring to collecting seeds off of a patented plant. http://www.organicconsumers.org/Monsanto/far...

on Mar 23, 2012 · Like 0
Jimmy S Brooks, GA

Thanks, sounds like it might be easier to spend the 12 or 15 dollars than to worry about legal problems. Without too technical of an answer, how can one even prove that it was bought or propogated? Are you saying, I shouldve kept every single receipt of every plant I have ever bought to prove it was paid for and not propogated?

on Mar 23, 2012 · Like 0
Southern Trillium LLC Stone Mountain, GA

Not saying that you have to keep records, and no one would probably ever have any reason to seek people out that have propagated patented plants. But, the fact of the matter is that it is still illegal.
Just imagine if you owned a company, and invested hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars along with many years of rounds of cross-breeding plants until you came across one that had ...»
all the necessary characteristics to be better than any that came before. You of course would want to protect what you developed and the protection of the law should allow you to sell them and recoup the investment, as well as profit from it.
Monsanto is on a different level, and they actually will seek out farmers that are growing their patented crops. They will then take them to court.

on Mar 23, 2012 · Like 0
Corrie K Schererville, IN

i have hydrangea that does not bloom at all -- only leaves-- i want to pull it out but roots are so deep -- i really don't know what to do now--i have it for seven years now -- when i got them they have pink ang light blue flowers--

on Mar 27, 2012 · Like 0
Roxy D Gainesville, GA

I have successfully probagated my hydrangea by laying a healthy piece of it on the ground, still attached, and placing a rock on it for a few months. It will grow it's own roots by fall, and pooof,, new plant.

on Mar 28, 2012 · Like 1
Douglas Hunt New Smyrna Beach, FL

@Corrie: Did you buy your plant in a nursery, or was it an Easter or Mother's Day gift? If the latter, it may have been a type that is only marginally hardy where you live and you will never see blooms because they get zapped by the cold every year. If your winter was as mild as it was for many folks, however, this may be the year you get blooms.

on Mar 28, 2012 · Like 1
Corrie K Schererville, IN

@ Douglas Hunt-- I bought it in nursery and it;s says hard zone 5 which we are -- it grows and comes every year actually with a very lush foliage -- iI just don't get flowers at all -- i got three of them---- HELP

on Mar 28, 2012 · Like 0
Douglas Hunt New Smyrna Beach, FL

Do you know what type of hydrangea it is, Corrie? Do you ever prune it? What are the growing conditions?

on Mar 28, 2012 · Like 0
Evelyn R Manchester, MD

Illegal propagation - dang, I'm in trouble! But I don't know if they're patented. Been continuing the tradition of my mother and grandmother who would plant a piece of a rose bush and pop a jar over it (sorta like a frugal woman's cold frame). Bushes - like Roxy says. When nature provides seedlings, I just send up a "thank you". :)

on Mar 30, 2012 · Like 0
Rhonda G Lockport, NY

If propagating for our own use is illegal; we'd all be in trouble. I do believe like some copyright laws that it is ok to propagate for personal use as long as no resale is involved. Many nurseries though I know are at fault for this. I think what we are looking at are trademark infringements. I think one can propagate a plant but probably not say or call it by it's trademarked name once propagated or even possibly say it would perform just as well as the original trademark and sell it as such.

on Mar 31, 2012 · Like 0
Southern Trillium LLC Stone Mountain, GA

Rhonda, I guess a good comparison for why it would still be illegal to propagate patented plants for personal use would be to think about the music industry. People spend lots of money, and their talents, to produce a song. They make back the money by selling the song to people and to other uses. If you buy the song once, then pass it to your friend, family member, or other, you have removed a sale of their protected item. Although you are not profiting from passing it along, you ...»
passed along the patented item which removed a sale from them.
This is why the patent clearly explains how a patented plant can not be propagated and divided, yet if it re-seeds on its own, that is ok. It all depends on the methods.

on Mar 31, 2012 · Like 0
Rhonda G Lockport, NY

Hi ST, I'm going back on my old business law classes regarding trademark infringement, copyright and patent laws. I believe as my understanding there is such a thing as the 'fair use doctrine' where one can reproduce copies of cr work for purposes as criticisms, reporting, teaching etc. It is determined that this is not an infringement of copyright. It also states that as long as it is not for profit.Regarding patents, the Fed. govt. can issue patents in return for disclosing the invention ...»
and the patentee reserves exclusive right for just so many years to make, use, or sell the patented item before it goes before public domain to with what they, the public pleases. But again, I think these laws are for protecting anyone from making profit on someone else's invention or creation. I had come up with a couple of ideas for garden and decoration items and had a very popular website pass it off as their own until I informed them otherwise. Give credit where credit is due.

on Mar 31, 2012 · Like 0
Southern Trillium LLC Stone Mountain, GA

Interesting points Rhonda. I will check with my brother to see his thoughts. He is an attorney in Atlanta and may be able to clarify even further.

on Mar 31, 2012 · Like 0