Pruning hydrangeas - help please!
by
Kellie
+6
Last spring I noticed two of my younger shrubs were not doing very well. Living in zone 7, we did not have a particularly harsh or mild winter. I kept waiting for improvement and saw none. These were previously vivacious blooming plants. Any ideas why this happened and any suggestions on what I should do is much appreciated! Should I prune them in the spring or wait until fall if they preform the same this year? Thank you.
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When was the last time they were fertilized? Had you previously pruned them?
Normally you prune after the flowering. I personally leave the flowers on it and cut them of as soon as freezing temperatures are out of the country. Leave all the other stems alone. In spring you feed the plant. I had once a bug on mine. It was really sick : yellow leaves, almost no flowers. I cut that bush 10 cm to the ground, thinking it would have killed it. I did this in automn. The next year I didn't have flowers but the plant was really green and healhty. The year after it was FULL of flowers ! Maybe you should try it with one of your plants.
I think I agree with you because that is usually how I tend them. What time of year did you cut all the way back?
It depends on the variety. Hydrangea macrophylla blooms on old wood so you may have cut the flower buds. However, it could also be due to light exposure. Is there a tree that grow shading the bush more this season. Fertilizer is another great option that was mentioned here. Hopefully this year it will bounce back!
I knew nothing about Hydrangeas when wee purchased ours. Googled for information. There was also instructions on how to dry them. Now I leave them alone and only cut for a fresh bouquet. they still had a few blossoms on then until the first heavy frost came last week. I will fertilize them in the spring. They were
loaded with blossoms all summer.
what does everyone use to fertilize?
I use a fertilizer specially for Hydrangeas.
There are two types of hydrangeas ones that produce flowers from new growth and ones that produce flowers form old growth.
How and when you prune depends on if it blooms on old or new wood. This has some good info: https://www.finegardening.com/article/pruning-hydrangeas