In this clause I show you how to prune hydrangeas , with a dim-witted stair by step process .
There are multiple mintage of hydrangea and many different variety or cultivar within each species . This means , it is reasonably easy to find a hydrangea to befit your garden .
Hydrangea flowers
Hydrangeas are grown for their showyflowers . When we prune hydrangeas , it is more often than not so as to assure that we get the bestflower displays each summer . Therefore it is significant to read all about hydrangea flowers before we find out about the pruning techniques .
Hydrangea species tend to have flower of different shapes . This is one of the distinguishing feature . Thus :
One of the other distinguish features of hydrangea is their flower colours . We typically see pinkish , blue , mauve , white or fleeceable flower color on hydrangeas . The pinkish / blue cultivar tend to have blue flowers wherethe ground is acidic , pinkish flowers where thesoilis alkaline and mauve flowers where the soil is indifferent .
bloom color of hydrangea also change over the develop season – white flowers often bend pink and blue and pink flowers often evanesce to shades of green and ruby-red .
In fact , what we mean of as the flower petals on hydrangea are actually sepals – outer bract that protect tiny flowers within . It is the sepals that are non-white and therefore the primary feature of speech of hydrangea salad days .
Another important point to remember is that most of the flowers on most hydrangea are sterile and therefore do n’t produce source . On mophead hydrangea , there are a few productive seed - bearing blossom in the centre of the bloom , but most of the flush are sterile . On lacecaps there are more prolific flowers . These are the small inner flower . The with child away prime are sterile .
How to prune Hydrangeas – step by step
There are some magnetic declination in how to prune hydrangea according to the different species . Steps 1 to 4 below apply to mophead and lacecap hydrangea . Other species are pass over in Steps 5 and 6 .
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Understand how hydrangeas flower
The important stop to recall is that hydrangeas flower on shoot that pass from the late twelvemonth ’s growth . So if you cut hydrangea halt back too hard you will drop off the next season ’s flowers .
Timing
It is loosely salutary to prune mophead and lacecap hydrangeas in former winter or early spring . It is a good idea to leave the expend blossom heads on the plant life over winter as this be given to protect the bud of the efflorescence shoot that are developing lower down on the theme .
Lacecaps are a little bite hardier , so if preferred their blooming can be removed after flowering . But many multitude prefer to leave all the dead blossom drumhead on the plant over winter as they bring home the bacon more optical pastime that than the bare stems .
Cut out dead or congested stems
Before you sheer back the dead prime in tardy winter or early springtime , it is best cut back any dead stems right to the base . It is also a good idea to take out 1 or 2 stems from the centre of the bush each class to let in more light and encourage fresh development that will flower in the year to come .
If a specimen is old or very engorged , you may cut all the radical back heavily to regenerate the whole bush . But be aware , there wo n’t be any efflorescence that class . Instead blossom will come the following class on the current year ’s increase .
Remove spent flower heads
After you have thinned out the shrub a piddling , you’re able to remove the spend flowers . Cut the stems just above a pair of healthy buds .
As the bud begin to break , feed the plant with a balanced fertilizer and mulch it well . This should boost the novel shoot to produce off strongly .
Hydrangea paniculata and Hydrangea arborescens
Hydrangea paniculataandHydrangea arborescensflower better if given a slightly more vigorous pruning . So , as well as removing any stagnant or damaged root , you should prune these back to the low pair of healthy buds in bounce . Do this across the whole flora , make a framework of stems 2 - 3 feet high ( 30 to 60 cm ) . This should produce strong intelligent branch and magnanimous prime panicles .
Climbing hydrangea – Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris
flower on the climbing hydrangea chiefly appear at the top of the plant , so it is honest to give as much of this unpruned as you’re able to . However , crop back any unruly shoots you do need to remove immediately after flowering .
Conclusion
What you need
All you really need are a sound pair of secateurs . I always apply Felco Number 2 secateurs which I have always found to be the proficient secateurs for any pruning Book of Job .
US Buyers
UK Buyers
Felco Professional Model 2 Secateur
Felco Leather Secateur Holster
Buy Hydrangeas
Annabelle Hydrangea
Fire Light Hydrangea
Little Quick Fire Hydrangea
Pinky Winky Hydrangea
Limelight Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pinky Winky
Hydrangea arborescens ‘Strong Annabelle
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer - Bloomstar
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Blue Danube
Martin Cole has been an avid plant lover and nurseryman for more than 20 years and love to let the cat out of the bag and drop a line about horticulture . In 2006 he was a finalist in the BBC Gardener of the Year rival . He is a member of the National dahlia Society .
He previously lived in London and Sydney , Australia , where he took a diploma course in Horticultural studies and is now based in North Berwick in Scotland . He base GardeningStepbyStep.com in 2012 . The website is drive at everybody who loves flora or has been bitten by the gardening hemipteron and wants to know more .
Gardening Step by Step has beencited by Thompson and Morgan , the UK ’s largest ring mail rules of order works retailer , as a website that bring out good gardening content .
