Gardens are being warned against pruning their hydrangeas this month, or risk having no blooms at all this summer.
Who doesn’t love hydrangeas? These bold, frilly flowers can brighten any garden, but knowing when to prune hydrangeas or if you can prune hydrangeas in February can be a little bit of a minefield.
Hydrangea winter pruning warning
Hydrangeas are largely considered one of the plants you should never prune in midwinter, and this is true if your hydrangea plant blooms on old wood.
‘Pruning hydrangeas at this time of year is one of the most common reasons gardeners miss out on flowers. Many widely grown hydrangeas, particularly bigleaf and oakleaf varieties, have already formed their flower buds on last season’s growth. When you prune now, you’re very likely removing those buds before they ever get the chance to open,’ explains Stephanie Harrod, founder of Harrod Horticultural.
‘The reason timing matters so much is that hydrangeas set their blooms well in advance. Late winter and early spring pruning doesn’t give the plant enough time to replace lost buds, and any cuts made now can also leave stems vulnerable to frost damage. The plant survives, but its flowering potential for the year is dramatically reduced.’
Mophead and lacecap types of hydrangea bloom on old wood, so it’s best to prune them in mid-winter to avoid damaging the new buds.
‘However, if your hydrangea blooms on new wood, it can tolerate winter pruning, but it’s still advisable to wait until the leaf buds start to show, when the temperatures are beginning to increase for extra protection,’ adds Emma Fell, Head of Horticulture at Hillier Garden Centres.
Your safest bet is to skip this winter garden job for now, and only prune hydrangeas after they’ve flowered in late summer – or you risk suffering the consequences.
‘The consequence is usually a full season without blooms. The shrub may grow plenty of healthy leaves, but the flowers simply won’t appear. This is why gardeners often think their hydrangea is ‘failing’ when in reality it was pruned at the wrong time,’ concludes Stephanie
‘The safest time to prune depends on the type of hydrangea. Those that bloom on old wood should be pruned only after flowering in summer, if at all. Types that bloom on new wood, such as panicle and smooth hydrangeas, can be pruned in late winter or early spring. When in doubt, it’s better not to prune at all than to prune too early.’
Darlac
Darlac Compact Snips
While you need to avoid hard pruning until after your hydrangeas have flowered, it is okay to remove old flowerheads. These snips make deadhading a breeze.
If you want a garden of beautiful, blooming hydrangeas in summer, put your pruning shears down now. Step away, and let your plant thrive.
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