Pruning hydrangeas - Ask Extension
Last year I pruned back my hydrangeas, both old wood and new wood, to the same height. I wanted to lessen its height to fit the space. This year the b...
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Pruning hydrangeas #878048
Asked July 20, 2024, 3:52 PM EDT
Last year I pruned back my hydrangeas, both old wood and new wood, to the same height. I wanted to lessen its height to fit the space. This year the blooms came from the old wood, but the new growth went beyond and I could not see the blooms. Two questions- how should I prune now, and what should I have done last year?
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
When did you prune your Hydrangea?
Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), or "mophead"
hydrangeas like yours bloom on old wood, and are best pruned (if needed- it's not necessary) just after their bloom period. If you did it at another time you likely removed old wood from the season before that would have been flowers this season. There are some newer varieties marketed as re-blooming which can produce flowers on new wood as well as old, but the second flush is minor and takes a long time (in my experience).
Here is our page on Hydrangea: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/hydrangea-identify-and-manage-problems/
and here is one on pruning them:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/pruning-hydrangeas/
Christine
Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), or "mophead"
hydrangeas like yours bloom on old wood, and are best pruned (if needed- it's not necessary) just after their bloom period. If you did it at another time you likely removed old wood from the season before that would have been flowers this season. There are some newer varieties marketed as re-blooming which can produce flowers on new wood as well as old, but the second flush is minor and takes a long time (in my experience).
Here is our page on Hydrangea: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/hydrangea-identify-and-manage-problems/
and here is one on pruning them:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/pruning-hydrangeas/
Christine
