Good lawn and garden preparation begins early, just like with anything else. In order to ensure that your plants are robust and healthy by the time winter arrives, you should begin preparing your hydrangeas for the winter months in the spring and summer.
The most widespread hydrangeas are bigleaf hydrangeas (H. macrophylla), which are also among the most vulnerable to winter damage or harm from improper care.
The wood from this year’s blooming hydrangeas, like Bigleaf, contains the buds for the blooms of the following year. In other words, if you remove all of these individuals before the winter, you will virtually remove your blossoms for the following season.
On the other hand, because you can prune back a lot of what would be vulnerable to cold damage before the freeze, fresh wood bloomers are much simpler to prepare for winter.
How much winterizing your hydrangeas will require will depend on where you live (and how cold it gets). For instance, you might not need to take any action in Florida. You should be a little more forward-thinking in the snowy, northern states.
Use ground cover to build an insulating layer around the roots beginning in the late summer or fall. Use a mulch of bark, pine needles, straw, or leaves that is at least 18 inches thick. If you reside in a region that experiences frequent freezing, you can even use leaves and straw to insulate the entire plant by enclosing it in chicken wire and stuffing the space with leaves. (Note: Don’t perform this method with maple leaves.)
Other advice for getting your hydrangeas ready for the winter is provided here:
- Continue watering! Until the ground is entirely frozen, you should keep watering your hydrangeas regularly throughout the fall and winter. Hydrangeas require a lot of water to maintain healthy stems and create those enormous, gorgeous blooms.
- During the winter, feed them. Your Hydrangeas will remain healthy during their “off season” if the soil’s richness is increased in the middle to late fall. Instead of fertilizing the soil, you may cover it with a great, thick layer of compost. Even if you reside somewhere where the ground freezes, you can mulch and compost your soil. It will gradually decompose throughout the winter and provide nutrients to the soil and your plants.
- Obtain a blanket for them. Insulate the root system of your hydrangea from the cold, even though it is not as important if you reside in a region with milder winters. A layer of mulch will help the soil retain moisture even if you do reside in a warm climate zone. Add at least 6 inches of mulch or straw to shield roots from freezing temperatures. To avoid animals constructing their homes in your mulch all winter long, it is better to wait until late fall or early winter.
- Know when to seek cover. Zone 7 hydrangeas, or those that grow when the temperature falls below zero, require protection from the elements. It’s still a good idea to cover plants to prevent excessive die-back and weakening of the plant, even though the hardiest types and those that bloom on new wood may not need to be covered as quickly as the old wood varieties.
- Burlap or another permeable material should be used to wrap or cover your hydrangea. Avoid using plastic since it will retain moisture. To keep the weight off the plant, I like to use a tomato cage with my cover draped over it. Like these, you can purchase them from any garden center or on Amazon.com.
How are hydrangeas prepared for the winter?
Protecting flower buds is the aim of winter hydrangea care. The simplest approach is to pile 12 inches or so of mulch made of chopped-up leaves or bark around the base of the plant. After the ground freezes in the late fall, set the mulch pile there. Plants can then be exposed in the spring, when the temperature starts to stay above freezing.
Should I trim my hydrangea to prepare for winter?
If and when you prune is the key to happy, healthy hydrangea flowers. Of course, fertilizing and offering the ideal environment have a lot to recommend them. However, if you don’t prune properly, your efforts will be in vain. Deadheading is not the same as trimming. Pruning refers to more drastic cutting to preserve shape or remove dead growth. However, feel free to discard spent blossoms or cut fresh ones to use in arrangements.
Hydrangeas can bloom on either fresh wood or old wood, depending on the species. The wood from which they blossom determines whether and when to prune.
Old wood-blooming hydrangeas do not require pruning and benefit from it. They’ll blossom more abundantly the next season if you leave them alone. But feel free to deadhead or gently thin. Just keep in mind that while new growth may appear, it won’t bloom until the following season. In our region, four different species blossom on aged wood. Additionally, they are not limited to the hues displayed here.
Climb using suckers. On your wall or trellis, resist the desire to remove the dormant growth.
The flower heads are more conical in appearance, and the leaves are large and resemble oak leaves. It’s a pleasant surprise for a hydrangea when its leaves turn reddish-orange in the fall.
They are very comparable to lacecap types, but smaller and with more compact leaves.
Pruning should be done in late winter or early spring on hydrangeas that bloom on new wood. Trim back to two feet to prune to shape. The next season’s blossoms are produced by strong, fresh growth that is encouraged by trimming. In our region, there are two types that bloom on fresh wood. They are also not restricted to the colors displayed.
Oakleaf variants are not included in cone-shaped blooms. Keep the blooms on throughout the winter to provide interest; even dried out, they are quite lovely.
regarded as a wild kind. They often have smaller blooms and leaves than Bigleaf variants and are completely white. They enjoy full sun and can grow very tall.
Knowing whether or when to prune now will help you avoid the disappointment of a hydrangea that doesn’t blossom. Don’t forget that a robust shrub will produce more gorgeous blossoms if it has well-draining soil and good organic fertilizer. Come on in, and we’ll show you where to go to develop your green thumb.
When should I prepare my hydrangeas for winter?
You should begin prepping your hydrangeas in the late fall if you reside in a region that experiences extreme cold during the winter. These precautions won’t be as required in regions where the temperature rarely drops below freezing.
Your location, local weather patterns, the kind of hydrangeas you have, and when to start winterizing them are all factors. Your main concern should be hydrangeas that bloom on old wood since those that bloom on fresh wood don’t get the blooms for the following year set before winter.
However, right now is the ideal moment to begin winterizing your bushes. You may reduce the risk of stress and damage to your plant during the chilly, dormant months by giving your hydrangeas adequate water and nutrition throughout the year.
Do I need to trim back my hydrangeas in the fall?
Only prune these hydrangeas in the summer after bloom, not in the fall. In August and September, old wood hydrangeas begin to form their bloom buds for the following year. It is advisable to delay pruning your hydrangeas until the following year if you don’t do it right away. If not, there won’t be any blossoms the next spring.
To Prune Or Not To Prune
The first thing to understand is that hydrangeas don’t require annual pruning. In fact, they are capable of producing robust blooms for years on end with no pruning at all.
Pruning is only necessary to maintain a shrub’s shape or to make it manageable after many years of growth. However, if you plan to prune, there are a few things you should know first.
Knowing whether to prune your particular kind of hydrangea in the fall or in the middle of summer is the first step. Where did you learn that? That relies entirely on when your hydrangeas bloom, though.
Hydrangeas come in two different kinds, one of which blooms on new growth and the other on old wood growth.
In the summer, varieties that bloom on old wood growth emerge from flowers that did so on last year’s growth. These should be pruned in the summer, immediately following their blooming season.
Regrettably, pruning these in the fall may stunt the growth where the fresh blooms might otherwise appear.
If, however, your hydrangeas bloom in the fall, it signifies that they are flowering from the same season’s new growth. After the blossoms have withered away in the fall, these hydrangeas can be cut back. They will then develop the new growth that will support the blossoms that will arise in the following fall in the spring.
Preparing Hydrangeas For WinterFall Hydrangea Care
After discussing trimming, it is time to discuss winterizing your hydrangeas. The climate where you live will determine how you prepare for winter.
First off, every fall, all hydrangeas can profit from one thing, regardless of where you live: a reinvigorating layer of compost!
Applying a few inches of compost around the base of your plant not only aids in protecting the roots from the winter, but it also gradually supplies nutrients that can be utilized for development and flowers the following year. Click here to buy Charlie’s Bagged Compost.
MulchingFall Hydrangea Care
A fresh covering of mulch in the fall will be beneficial for hydrangeas whether you are in a region with harsh winters or one with milder ones.
With addition to protecting hydrangea roots from abrupt thaws and freezing, mulch also aids in moisture retention. However, where you reside will affect how much mulch you use.
The usual rule of thumb is that the more mulch you need, the colder the climate. A few inches of mulch on top of the compost is more than enough to help retain moisture in regions where it is extremely rare for temperatures to fall below freezing.
A 6 layer is more appropriate if you live in a colder climate with winters that reach 0 degrees. And if your temperature grows even colder, wrap the main base in 8 to 12 layers.
In cooler climes, apply the thicker layers, then remove the mulch in the spring to allow the plant to start growing again.
Taking good care of your hydrangeas this fall will result in bigger and greater blooms the next season. See our post How To Plant, Grow, And Care For Hydrangeas for additional details on how to take care of hydrangeas.
Should I remove the brown blooms on my hydrangea?
Myers advises leaving the dried blossoms on your hydrangeas if you’re looking for an easy way to spice up your winter yard. Bigleaf hydrangeas produce their final rush of flowers in the fall, so to enjoy the dried blossoms all winter long, stop deadheading at that time. To aid in the production of healthy buds in the spring, these can be removed.
Do I trim my hydrangeas after the first frost?
A frost caused harm to my hydrangea. On the stalks, whatever leaves that were present were impacted and perished. I reduced all woody stems to the ground. At the plant’s base, green leaves are forming. I’m hoping the bush makes a comeback. Does it have any potential for growth and will it blossom this year? Garfield Heights’ Linda E.
I hope your hydrangea is now lush and bursting with blooms. Yes, a lot of hydrangeas started to leaf out early this year before being severely impacted by frost, which destroyed their leaves and stems. Fortunately, these plants can withstand being trimmed back to the ground in many cases. My damaged ones were overflowing with lovely flowers despite not having been trimmed down.
It’s a reasonable question to ask whether or not your hydrangea will blossom, and the answer mostly depends on the species.
White-bloomed, 3-foot-tall Hydrangea arborescens, an Ohio native, frequently has stronger stems and more blooms after being severely pruned back to the ground in late winter. “Annabelle,” “Incrediball,” and “Invincibelle Spirit” are some of its cultivars.
Hybrids of H. paniculata, commonly known as “panicle” or “Pee Gee” hydrangeas, can also be hard-cut in the late winter and will bloom on new growth. Given that Pee Gee hydrangeas typically grow to be 8 to 12 feet tall and broad at maturity, I highly doubt you’ve trimmed one of these plants all the way to the ground. They are beautiful and hardy shrubs that can benefit from a late winter pruning to promote blossoms and aid in the development of a full, strong habit. Or just leave them alone.
Pruning is rarely necessary for oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia). This plant won’t bloom this year if it is severely pruned, but it will probably live and look lovely the next year.
It is most likely Hydrangea macrophylla if yours has pink or blue flowers. These lacecap or mophead hydrangeas typically only bloom on aged wood. There won’t be any blossoms if the plant is trimmed back too severely or to the ground in late winter. Or if, as is sometimes the case in Northeast Ohio, the cold during a harsh winter killed off the stems and flower buds, there will be few or no blossoms. This is why gorgeous displays of pink or blue hydrangeas may only appear in Ohio every three years.
For protection over the winter, wrap them in burlap or cover them with 1 1/2 inches of mulch. If you choose to prune them in the early spring, make sure to leave at least three sets of buds.
Fortunately, some new Hydrangea macrophylla varieties are being developed that bloom on fresh wood as well, which is great news for cold-climate gardeners! These continue to bloom throughout the most of the summer even after being cut (or frozen) to the ground. To promote new growth and flowers, prune them sparingly early in the growing season.
Reblooming cultivars like “Endless Summer,” “Penny Mac,” or the “Let’s Dance” series should be on your radar. Although any hydrangea can have its blooms removed in the fall, pruning them at this time of year is not advised.
During this time of year, the main garden chores are watering, weeding, and cleaning up. Many perennials can be revived by being pruned almost to the ground if they are genuinely looking terrible. When it’s hot and dry outside, water your plants thoroughly a few times per week.
Peonies, poppies, and bearded iris should all be planted between now and mid-September.
Transplant or divide perennials with spring and summer blooms when the days begin to cool. To provide time for plants to grow before winter, try to finish this by early September. Late in the summer, when I divide plants, I usually chop down the foliage by half and water thoroughly. Select days that are expected to be cloudy, rainy, or cool.
Houseplants in pots should be pruned, divided, and replanted right away to give them time to regenerate before being brought back inside.
For drying, gather flowers and herbs. Cut back tomato plants. Harvest and compost any spent produce that cannot be used in the kitchen. Prepare bare regions for transplanting or reseeding.
For fall color, plant garden chrysanthemums, sternbergia, colchicum bulbs, and autumn crocus. The time to order spring bulbs is now.
Readers should be aware that if you use one of our affiliate links to make a purchase, we might receive a commission.