How to Prune Hydrangeas

The brightly-colored blooms of hydrangeas make a strong statement in your garden. They are sturdy and easy to grow. We have the answers to your questions about how, when, and why to prune hydrangeas. These hydrangea pruning tips will help you get the most out of these beautiful flowering shrubs.

Hydrangeas Prune Tools



Before you start, ensure you have all the necessary tools. You'll need:

• Protect your hands with gloves
• For branches up to 3/8 inches thick, use sharp bypass pruners (remember: anvil pruners can dull quickly).
• Sharp bypass loppers are available for branches up to 2 inches thick
• For branches greater than 2 inches in thickness, use a sharp pull-stroke pruning saw

When to prune Hydrangeas

It all depends on when your hydrangeas bloom in the spring or later in the season.

Spring flowers indicate that the flowers bloom on old timber. This characteristic means that hydrangeas begin to form next year's buds in late summer or early autumn. These buds can be accidentally removed by pruning in the late summer, just before the flowers begin to fade.

The flowers will bloom on new wood in the later summer. These shrubs are prone to growth and flower production occurring simultaneously, which can cause the flowers to be delayed. The new buds will not appear until the next spring, so prune in late winter to ensure that you don't lose any of your existing growth.

Hydrangeas do not require annual pruning. Many varieties can live long and happy lives, even without the need to be pruned or lopped. If you have a specific goal for your shrubs, don't snip them.

Hydrangeas: Why Prune?

Keep your hydrangeas trimmed can solve many common problems like:

• Leggy growth: Hydrangeas can become bare at the bottom and need to be pruned in order to make them look fuller.
• You may feel disappointed if you don't have enough flowers: Correct pruning techniques can help increase the number and size of flowers in the next season.
• Excessive growth: Are your Hydrangeas growing too high or taking over other plants in your garden? This could be the year they need to be pruned.

Pruning Techniques

The type of hydrangea you have and the goals you have for pruning them will determine which pruning method is best.

If you have hydrangeas with early blooming flowers that can flower on old wood:

• Take out the spent blooms below the flower head.
• Take out any straggly or wayward canes near the soil line.
• To improve the vigor of your hydrangeas as they age, remove a few old canes from the soil line.
• To prevent the shrub from growing too high, remove any tallest canes that are above the soil line.

You can have late-blooming Hydrangeas that bloom on new wood:

• To encourage larger spring blooms, cut the stems at or near the soil line.
• To create a strong framework, you can also cut the stems to 18-24 inches. You'll reduce flopping by making the blooms smaller.
• Once flower buds open in spring, don't prune.