What is the best time of year in the northeast to cut hydrangeas back?
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In late winter or early spring, these shrubs can be cut all the way back to the ground. Smooth hydrangeas will produce much larger blooms if pruned hard like this each year, but many gardeners opt for smaller blooms on sturdier stems. To reduce flopping, leave a framework of old growth.
Pruning hydrangea can be confusing. It’s because it depends on the variety of hydrangea. Have a look at this sources recommendations for pruning.
https://www.almanac.com/plant/hydrangeas
The timing of the pruning seem determines by the hydrangea variety according to this source.
Prune during the summer, just after the flowers fade:
Bigleaf or Florist Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
Prune in late winter or early spring:
Hills-of-Snow or Sevenbark Hydrangea (H. arborescens ‘Grandiflora’),
Oakleaf Hydrangea (H. quercifolia)
Peegee Hydrangea (H. paniculata ‘Grandiflora’),
Tea of Heaven (H. serrata)
Prune as needed to control growth -
Climbing Hydrangea (H. anomala petiolaris)
https://www.thespruce.com/when-to-prune-hydrangeas-1403320
And another reference
http://www.finegardening.com/pruning-hydrangeas
I hope this helps. Its confusing because there are so many types!
The reason pruning hydrangeas gets confusing is because the older varieties, like your grandparents used to have, bloom on last year's wood, so you wouldn't prune them until after they bloomed but before they set buds for the next year. Many of the newer hydrangeas bloom on both last year's wood and this year's wood, so pruning is up to you. And some newer varieties bloom only on this year's wood, which means they die back to the ground over the northeast winters. You can leave the dead branches as a reminder of where the plant is until it starts to grow back in the Spring and then remove them. I hope this adds to the discussion!