In general, hydrangeas that bloom on old wood require less pruning. It’s better to let them take care of themselves unless you need to prune them to maintain their shape or prevent them from encroaching on the space of nearby plants.
Some gardeners do advise removing a couple of the plant’s older stems to discourage it from flowering heavily. The new stems that emerge won’t bloom the following season, but they will be active bloomers after that.
If you want to use this method, make sure to cut the stems you are removing all the way to the ground. As a general guideline, remove about a third of the stems, paying special attention to the oldest or any that appear particularly frail.
Remember that the stems you cut will probably not bloom the following season when you need to trim your shrub back to shape it or reduce its size. You may guarantee that you will still receive some flowers in the interim by taking a cautious approach and gradually downsizing the plant over a few growing seasons.
Hydrangeas that flower on old growth should be pruned at the height of summer, after the plant has stopped flowering but before it has started to form new buds. After July, you run the danger of stifling the blossoms for the next year.
The admonition above only applies to blooming stem cutting. After the winter, if the plant has stems that are dead or damaged, you can trim them, but you should still go slowly. Rewind to just before the beginning of the damaged area.
It’s acceptable to remove any dead flowers to keep your hydrangea looking vibrant. After July, if you decide to do this, trim as near to the bloom as you can without harming the budding buds.
On what kind of aged wood do hydrangeas bloom?
The variety that forms buds on “aged wood” is the one that is most frequently discovered in gardens. This comprises varieties of Mophead, Big Leaf, and Lacecap hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla), as well as the Oakleaf variety (H. quercifolia). On aged wood, they all create blossoms.
On aged wood, do bigleaf hydrangeas bloom?
Many gardeners, both novice and expert, are confused about how to prune hydrangeas. Determine which species are present in your garden before you even consider getting your trimming equipment. In New Hampshire, hydrangeas come in a variety of kinds, and each one has quite distinct growth patterns and pruning needs. Some plants only produce flowers on fresh growth, while others mostly produce flower buds on older wood. To learn when and how to prune your hydrangeas, refer to the short guide below.
The type of hydrangea that most gardeners are most familiar with is the bigleaf variety. Bigleaf hydrangeas, often known as mopheads or lacecaps, are distinguished by their glossy, dark green foliage and enormous, vibrant blooms. In New Hampshire, it might be difficult to get them to flower because they often grow on old wood. A plant may have luxuriant foliage but no blooming buds because of the cold winter temperatures and drying winds.
At the tops of stems on old wood from the previous year, flower buds are created. Although lower buds along the stem have the capacity to grow blooms as well, the hydrangea’s blossoming potential is decreased if those buds are died or damaged throughout the winter. Wait until new growth sprouts in the spring before pruning your bigleaf hydrangeas. Approximately 1/4 inch above the first group of live buds, prune the plant. A hint: the interior of living stems will be green, whereas the interior of dead stems will be brown. Cut completely dead stems flush with the base.
Consider replacing your bigleaf hydrangea with a “remontant (reblooming) variety if you have difficulties getting it to bloom consistently year after year. In recent years, a number of cultivars that blossom easily on fresh shoots have been introduced.
Bigleaf hydrangeas and mountain hydrangeas have a striking resemblance and are closely related. Compared to their relative, mountain hydrangeas have more delicate branching and less ostentatious blossoms. Because flowers only grow on old wood, wait to prune stems until the spring when new growth starts and you can identify which buds are still healthy.
Native to Eastern North America, smooth hydrangeas fit in well with most gardens in New Hampshire. They have mounded growth patterns and mid-summer blooms of white to pale pink flowers. Smooth hydrangeas, in contrast to bigleaf and mountain varieties, bloom on young wood and may withstand severe pruning. From late winter until early spring, you can remove dated flowers from the previous year. The flowers on old stems will bloom, but they will be modest. In the spring, trim stems all the way to the ground for bigger, more vigorous blossoms.
The panicle hydrangea is without a doubt the most popular variety planted in New Hampshire. It is extremely cold hardy and blooms consistently from season to season. It develops into a tall, low-branched little tree or broad shrub, with branches that frequently arc under the weight of its numerous, enormous conical blooms. Panicle hydrangeas should be clipped in late winter or early spring before the emergence of the leaves because they blossom on new growth. To enhance the general structure and habit of the plant, remove wasted blossoms and prune. Make cuts to the branch collar of stems or one quarter inch above living buds.
The Southeastern region of the United States is home to oakleaf hydrangeas. Despite the possibility of winter damage and flower bud loss in northern gardens, this shrub’s eye-catching foliage and exfoliating bark are sufficient reasons to cultivate it. Removing dead or broken branches should only be done in the spring because oakleaf hydrangeas also bloom on old wood. Oakleaf hydrangeas often don’t need a lot of pruning. After fresh growth has started, thin stems as necessary and shorten the plant’s height.
By making simple trimming mistakes, many well-intentioned gardeners lower the potential blooming of their hydrangeas. Fortunately, hydrangeas are actually pretty easy to maintain as long as you are aware of their growth patterns and adhere to these straightforward pruning instructions.
Bloom on old wood: prune in late summer or early fall after blooming
Hydrangeas with oakleaf leaves prefer to be left alone so they can grow. They only need the occasional removal of dead or broken branches, which is very little pruning. After the plant has finished flowering, prune it to improve its shape.
What distinguishes hydrangeas with old wood from those with new wood?
Because of its stunning blossoms and general ease of maintenance, hydrangeas are a particularly popular landscape plant. However, there is a lot of misunderstanding regarding hydrangea maintenance and how to keep them looking their best. We discussed change-color hydrangeas previously, so we’ll focus on trimming now.
Despite the fact that they are all related, their growth and blooming patterns differ. Some hydrangeas exhibit pH-dependent color changes, and some flower on this year’s new growth (referred to as new wood) while others do so on last year’s growth (referred to as old wood). Everything relies on the type of hydrangea you have, so it’s important to know what you have and to keep the plant information card close at hand.
When to Prune Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas that flower on old wood can be pruned as soon as the flowers have faded. Plants that bloom on new wood can be pruned in late winter or early spring. Hydrangeas can be divided into six different categories: Macrophylla (Bigleaf), PeeGee (Paniculata), Oakleaf (Quercifolia), Smooth (Arborescens), Mountain (Serrata), and Climbing (Anomala petiolaris).
The majority of hydrangeas don’t actually need to be pruned. They will still grow happily and have a lovely appearance if you don’t prune them, but you can prune them to regulate the shape, manage the size, and eliminate dead wood.
Bigleaf, Oakleaf, Climbing, and Mountain Hydrangeas bloom on old wood and can be clipped as soon as the flowering period is through before they start pushing out buds for the following year.
To regulate the size and shape of the plant and promote new development, you can remove a few of the older, thicker stalks each year. The next season’s blossoms will be abundant if you only remove a couple of the oldest and heaviest stalks.
Smooth and panicle hydrangeas can be pruned in late winter or early spring and bloom on new wood. A little pruning in the spring may promote more blossoms. These varieties survive very rigorous pruning to manage the growth of the shrub.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that, in all honesty, hydrangeas don’t require any pruning. They can be deadheaded or not. They can be pruned or not. Keep pruning to a minimum if you want big shrubs.
How Can I Tell If My Hydrangea Blooms on Old or New Wood?
The quickest method is to look for your variety’s name on the tag. However, if you’ve lost the tag or it’s become completely unreadable, there are a few other indicators that can tell you if your hydrangea blooms on new or old wood.
Your hydrangea probably blooms on old wood, and spring pruning would have eliminated the buds, if you pruned it in the spring and it did not bloom that summer. Your hydrangea blooms on new wood if you cut it severely in the spring and it still blooms that year.
When your plant is blooming, inspect it; you ought to be able to tell the difference between old and new wood. New wood will be considerably more flexible, supple, and should still have a greenish tinge, but old wood should be stiffer, tougher, thicker, and more grey or brown in color.
Additionally, you can examine your hydrangea in the fall to see if any buds have already begun to emerge. It blooms on old wood if there are already buds on the branches. If there aren’t any buds in the fall, it will force them out the following spring on new growth.
If your shrub isn’t blooming, don’t get discouraged; just leave it alone for a couple of years. Sometimes a variety of environmental conditions might influence the creation of blooms. It might benefit from some time alone if nothing else in order to begin blooming the following season. If that doesn’t work, you can have other problems with the blooms like irrigation, sunlight, or soil conditions.
Do hydrangeas bloom on both new and old wood?
Some hydrangea species, known as “old wood,” bloom on growth from the previous year. The flower buds that will bloom in the upcoming summer are present in this old wood. We would have a plant without flowers this year if we pruned in the winter or spring because we would lose the flower buds. As a result, many cultivars undergo pruning following summer blooming.
The young growth that appears in the springtime bears flower buds when hydrangeas that bloom on new wood are present. These plants can be clipped in late winter or early spring before new growth starts because the buds are not present during the winter months.
Do they bloom on old wood, new wood or both?
The most challenging aspect about hydrangeas is that they come in a variety of floral forms:
On fresh wood, panicle and smooth hydrangeas bloom (growth created in the current season). After the plant leaves out in the spring, flower buds form and blossom a few months later in the summer. Because of this, these plants reliably bloom every year, regardless of how chilly the winter was.
Climbing, bigleaf, mountain, and oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on aged wood (growth created in the previous season). Flower buds start to form in the late summer and must remain dormant throughout the fall, winter, and spring for the summer to come. Therefore, these plants won’t bloom if:
- They are cut back. Potential flower buds will be removed by pruning at any moment.
- Deer will consume the flower buds as they wander through them.
- The weather has harmed them. The issue isn’t with winter weather; rather, flower buds are more vulnerable to harm in the spring when many days of warm weather are followed by a rapid freeze.
Big leaf and mountain hydrangeas that rebloom, also known as remontant hydrangeas, have the unusual capacity to bloom on both old and new wood. The plant can still flower on wood it generates in the winter even if the weather damages the buds. The Let’s Dance series and Tuff Stuff are reblooming cultivars.
What occurs if hydrangeas are not pruned?
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.