image from wikiHow
So here is information that I would find informative if I had hydrangeas. You will have to know what variety you have for when to prune them. Research about pictures if you don’t know to help with this. Iowa is warming up as the western states are. Humidity is up also from the southern states. But it is still summer in Iowa.
WHEN TO PRUNE DIFFERENT KINDS OF HYDRANGEAS WHEN AND HOW SHOULD HYDRANGEAS BE PRUNED?
By Robin Sweetser
April 17, 2020
When do you prune your hydrangea? Well, it depends on the variety. Yes, we know that sounds tricky but it’s not if you consult our handy cheat sheet to figure out the best time to prune.
Properly pruning hydrangeas based on your hydrangea’s type will allow you to have more blooms next year. However, before you start pruning, it’s important to figure out which type of hydrangea you have. If you prune at the wrong time, you could be cutting off next year’s blooms!
HYDRANGEA PRUNING CHEAT SHEET
Use this table to determine when to best prune the hydrangeas in your garden. Some types should be pruned in late winter, while others should be left alone until after they bloom in the summer.
Hydrangea Type When to Prune Where Flowers Appear
Bigleaf (H. macrophylla) Summer, after flowering On old growth
Oakleaf (H. quercifolia) Summer, after flowering On old growth
Panicle (H. paniculata) Late winter, before spring growth On new growth
Smooth (H. arborescens) Late winter, before spring growth On new growth
Mountain (H. serrata) Summer, after flowering On old growth
Climbing (H. anomala subsp. petiolaris) Summer, after flowering On old growth
MORE ABOUT PRUNING DIFFERENT HYDRANGEA TYPES
Bigleaf Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla)
Even though I’m located in Zone 5, my ‘Endless Summer’ mophead hydrangea—which usually has huge blue blossoms all summer long—was killed to the ground. Luckily, it has the wonderful ability to bloom on both old and new wood, so even though they were a bit later than usual, there were still many blooms.
My other blue hydrangea is a lacecap-type, called ‘Let’s Dance Starlight’, but instead of the huge, mophead-type of flower cluster that ‘Endless Summer’ has, the lacecap hydrangea bears a flat blossom made up of many small, fertile flowers surrounded by a few showy, sterile flowers. It is also hardy to Zone 5 and blooms on both old and new wood.
Both mophead and lacecap hydrangeas are considered bigleaf or macrophylla hydrangeas, so they can be pruned right after flowering by cutting back the flowering shoots to the next bud. If you have older plants that aren’t blooming well, you can cut up to a third of the stems off at the base in late summer to encourage new growth.
The hydrangeas grown most often in New England gardens are the panicle-types, since they are not only beautiful, but also very hardy, surviving Zone 3 winters with no problems. One of the oldest and most reliable favorites is ‘Grandiflora’, also known as Pee Gee hydrangea. Native to China and Japan, it was the first Asian hydrangea cultivar introduced to the United States, in 1862. They were a big hit during the Victorian era. The flowers start out a creamy white and turn a rosy pink as they age. They can be dried and look lovely in a winter arrangement. Find out how to dry these lovely hydrangeas here.
There are many panicle-types to choose from. I have one called ‘Pinky Winky’ that has long, cone-shaped white and pink flowers, and also ‘Vanilla Strawberry’, which has panicles that color from white at the tip to pink in the middle and red at the base. For something different, try ‘Limelight,’ which has chartreuse flowers that gradually turn pink in autumn.
Panicle-type hydrangeas should be pruned in late winter to keep them from becoming overgrown.
Smooth Hydrangeas (H. arborescens)
Smooth hydrangeas are North American natives, originally found growing wild in Pennsylvania. They tolerate light shade, begin to bloom in June, and continue to blossom until fall. Their white flowers are round and can reach 12 inches in diameter.
The popular cultivar ‘Annabelle’ grows to be 3-5 feet tall and can be used to light up a shady path or as a mass planting at the edge of the woods. It is hardy to Zone 3.
Smooth hydrangeas can be pruned back to the ground in the fall or early spring.
Oak-leaf hydrangeas are another North American native, having been discovered in Georgia in 1773.
Oak-leaf hydrangea
Also called swamp snowball, it is hardy to zone 5 and though it prefers full sun, it can take some shade and still blossom well. It blooms a little later than the other hydrangeas, beginning in August. Its flowers are large panicles that start out white and turn dark pink as they age. The leaves, which are deeply lobed like an oak leaf, turn a rich maroon red in the fall.
Oak-leaf hydrangeas don’t need a lot of pruning, but if you want to tidy yours up, prune out the dead stems at the base in early spring.
ABOUT THIS article
Get inspired by Robin Sweetser’s backyard gardening tips and tricks. Robin has been a contributor to The Old Farmer’s Almanac and the All-Seasons Garden Guide for many years. She and her partner Tom have a small greenhouse business and also sell plants, cut flowers, and vegetables at their local Farmer’s Market.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/news/gardening/gardening-advice/when-prune-different-kinds-hydrangeas
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365
WHEN TO PRUNE DIFFERENT KINDS OF HYDRANGEAS WHEN AND HOW SHOULD HYDRANGEAS BE PRUNED?
By Robin Sweetser
April 17, 2020
When do you prune your hydrangea? Well, it depends on the variety. Yes, we know that sounds tricky but it’s not if you consult our handy cheat sheet to figure out the best time to prune.
Properly pruning hydrangeas based on your hydrangea’s type will allow you to have more blooms next year. However, before you start pruning, it’s important to figure out which type of hydrangea you have. If you prune at the wrong time, you could be cutting off next year’s blooms!
HYDRANGEA PRUNING CHEAT SHEET
Use this table to determine when to best prune the hydrangeas in your garden. Some types should be pruned in late winter, while others should be left alone until after they bloom in the summer.
Hydrangea Type When to Prune Where Flowers Appear
Bigleaf (H. macrophylla) Summer, after flowering On old growth
Oakleaf (H. quercifolia) Summer, after flowering On old growth
Panicle (H. paniculata) Late winter, before spring growth On new growth
Smooth (H. arborescens) Late winter, before spring growth On new growth
Mountain (H. serrata) Summer, after flowering On old growth
Climbing (H. anomala subsp. petiolaris) Summer, after flowering On old growth
MORE ABOUT PRUNING DIFFERENT HYDRANGEA TYPES
Bigleaf Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla)
Even though I’m located in Zone 5, my ‘Endless Summer’ mophead hydrangea—which usually has huge blue blossoms all summer long—was killed to the ground. Luckily, it has the wonderful ability to bloom on both old and new wood, so even though they were a bit later than usual, there were still many blooms.
My other blue hydrangea is a lacecap-type, called ‘Let’s Dance Starlight’, but instead of the huge, mophead-type of flower cluster that ‘Endless Summer’ has, the lacecap hydrangea bears a flat blossom made up of many small, fertile flowers surrounded by a few showy, sterile flowers. It is also hardy to Zone 5 and blooms on both old and new wood.
Both mophead and lacecap hydrangeas are considered bigleaf or macrophylla hydrangeas, so they can be pruned right after flowering by cutting back the flowering shoots to the next bud. If you have older plants that aren’t blooming well, you can cut up to a third of the stems off at the base in late summer to encourage new growth.
The hydrangeas grown most often in New England gardens are the panicle-types, since they are not only beautiful, but also very hardy, surviving Zone 3 winters with no problems. One of the oldest and most reliable favorites is ‘Grandiflora’, also known as Pee Gee hydrangea. Native to China and Japan, it was the first Asian hydrangea cultivar introduced to the United States, in 1862. They were a big hit during the Victorian era. The flowers start out a creamy white and turn a rosy pink as they age. They can be dried and look lovely in a winter arrangement. Find out how to dry these lovely hydrangeas here.
There are many panicle-types to choose from. I have one called ‘Pinky Winky’ that has long, cone-shaped white and pink flowers, and also ‘Vanilla Strawberry’, which has panicles that color from white at the tip to pink in the middle and red at the base. For something different, try ‘Limelight,’ which has chartreuse flowers that gradually turn pink in autumn.
Panicle-type hydrangeas should be pruned in late winter to keep them from becoming overgrown.
Smooth Hydrangeas (H. arborescens)
Smooth hydrangeas are North American natives, originally found growing wild in Pennsylvania. They tolerate light shade, begin to bloom in June, and continue to blossom until fall. Their white flowers are round and can reach 12 inches in diameter.
The popular cultivar ‘Annabelle’ grows to be 3-5 feet tall and can be used to light up a shady path or as a mass planting at the edge of the woods. It is hardy to Zone 3.
Smooth hydrangeas can be pruned back to the ground in the fall or early spring.
Oak-leaf hydrangeas are another North American native, having been discovered in Georgia in 1773.
Oak-leaf hydrangea
Also called swamp snowball, it is hardy to zone 5 and though it prefers full sun, it can take some shade and still blossom well. It blooms a little later than the other hydrangeas, beginning in August. Its flowers are large panicles that start out white and turn dark pink as they age. The leaves, which are deeply lobed like an oak leaf, turn a rich maroon red in the fall.
Oak-leaf hydrangeas don’t need a lot of pruning, but if you want to tidy yours up, prune out the dead stems at the base in early spring.
ABOUT THIS article
Get inspired by Robin Sweetser’s backyard gardening tips and tricks. Robin has been a contributor to The Old Farmer’s Almanac and the All-Seasons Garden Guide for many years. She and her partner Tom have a small greenhouse business and also sell plants, cut flowers, and vegetables at their local Farmer’s Market.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/news/gardening/gardening-advice/when-prune-different-kinds-hydrangeas
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365
