Hydrangea paniculata and Hydrangea macrophylla are the two primary varieties of hydrangeas. There are many variations of these two fundamental types, but there is one significant distinction between them: the pruning schedule.
Because Hydrangea paniculata bloom on new growth, they require rigorous pruning in late fall or early spring. Every season, I prune my Hydrangea paniculata by at least half of their total growth.
Hydrangea macrophylla, in contrast, blooms on old wood, therefore pruning these plants in late fall or early spring will result in the loss of all of its flowers. I advise waiting for hydrangeas to bud before cutting back on anything other than dead wood or stems that are brown and unproductive in the spring and late fall.
Hydrangeas must be pruned at the proper time for successful blossoming. If they aren’t flowering, you’re probably trimming too early in the year. The improper application of feed or a lack of sunlight, on the other hand, may prevent hydrangeas from blooming. The majority of hydrangeas benefit from light feeding and need partial to full sun.
Depending on the soil’s acidity, the Hydrangea macrophylla will even change its bloom color from pink to blue (acid soil flowers are blue, alkaline soil flowers are pink).
Despite the differences in blossom size, shape, and color, paniculata is by far my favorite. Why? Hydrangea paniculata is clearly the winner in terms of performance and ease of growth. They grow quickly, are tolerant, and easily produce flowers for extended periods of time.
When in bloom, macrophylla hydrangeas are stunning, but for many Ontario gardeners, they only produce an abundance of foliage and minimal amounts of flowers. They are difficult to work with, require precise timing and pruning techniques, and are often not as hardy as paniculata.
Which paniculata kind do I prefer? A difficult one to respond to. For its enormous, all-over, white blooms on strong, sturdy branches that don’t require staking, Hydrangea “Incrediball” is my favorite. Without the labor, Incredible Ball provides the classic appearance of an Annabelle Hydrangea.
With its enormous ice cream cone-shaped blooms that change from chartreuse to pink as they develop, the hydrangea “Limelights” is virtually tied for first place. The Hydrangea “Quick Fire,” whose white cone-shaped flowers turn blazing crimson in the late summer, is the last one to catch my eye. Why choose another plant when this one has a long-lasting bloom, is simple to grow, and draws so much attention?
Your success with hydrangeas depends on picking the right variety and understanding when to prune. I hope your future is blooming great!
In Ontario, when should hydrangeas be pruned?
Early in the summer, oakleaf hydrangeas typically bloom earliest. Above a pile of huge, textured leaves in the shape of oak trees, they bear large, white, cone-shaped blooms on robust, cinnamon-colored stems. In the fall, the flowers frequently take on pink or crimson hues before turning rusty brown for the winter. Oakleaf hydrangeas typically do not rebloom. While mature oakleaf hydrangeas in bloom are a joy to behold and will be a pleasure for decades to come, they do grow more slowly than other varieties.
Because oakleaf hydrangeas establish their flower buds for the following summer in the leaf axils of the stems the summer before they bloom, they place their flower buds on ancient wood. The enormous terminal bud at the top of the stem and several smaller buds in the leaf axils down the stem are already formed for the following year in the close-up photo above, which was taken in October.
The majority of shrubs that flower on old wood need to be clipped as soon as the flowering is over. However, because they finish blooming so late in the season, hydrangeas that grow on old wood don’t have enough time to grow back and develop flower buds for the next year when they are pruned after they have flowered. Because of this, we advise against pruning this variety of hydrangea other than to remove any branches that are entirely dead in the spring after the plant begins to leaf out. All oakleaf hydrangeas, non-reblooming bigleaf and mountain hydrangeas are a few examples of hydrangeas that only bloom on ancient wood.
When the plants have gone dormant in late fall or in the early spring, hydrangeas that bloom on new wood can be cut without harm. There is no chance of damaging the flower buds if you prune in the fall or spring because the flower buds for the following year won’t form until late spring of the same year they bloom. If you enjoy the wintertime appearance of dried hydrangea blossoms in your garden, keep them on and prune them in the spring. Prune them in late fall or early winter if you live somewhere with a lot of snowfall or if you prefer a neater appearance in winter. Examples of hydrangeas that only bloom on new wood include panicle and smooth varieties.
Hydrangeas that rebloom have flowers on both old and fresh wood. Because of this, it can be challenging to prune them at a period when no blossoms would be lost. Reblooming cultivars should be pruned similarly to hydrangeas that bloom on old wood, so once the plant begins to leaf out in the spring, you should only need to remove a few (if any) dead branches. Reblooming bigleaf and mountain hydrangea types are two examples.
In general, it is okay to prune hydrangeas that bloom on new wood up to one-third. It is permissible to prune up to two feet from the top and sides of a hydrangea that is six feet tall, for instance. For two reasons, we do not advise trimming more severely than 30%:
- By further pruning it, too much of the strong structure that supports the plant’s erect posture is lost.
- The plant must maintain a sufficient amount of leaves to produce enough food to sustain the root system.
Make your pruning cut immediately above a group of substantial, healthy leaves. A branch can be totally removed if it is dead or broken. Don’t prune if you’re unsure! No hydrangea needs to be pruned in order to flourish and expand.
It’s a popular misperception that hydrangeas can be pruned to keep them shorter all year long. Avoid doing it to avoid potentially removing the flower buds. Your hydrangeas will grow back to their previous size or even larger because trimming encourages new growth, thus it is ineffective to prune them to lessen their height. Instead, move your overgrown, dormant hydrangea to a different location in the early spring and swap it out for a kind that naturally remains shorter.
Which month do you prune back hydrangeas?
Depending on which group the plant belongs to, the timing and extent of pruning are determined:
Advice on Pruning for Group 1:
- As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder in the late summer and fall, buds for the following year’s blooms start to form.
- Typically, removing dead, diseased, or damaged branches is all that is required to preserve shape, size, and a healthy plant. Otherwise, gentle pruning ought to be practiced.
- In the summer, trimming should begin as soon as flowering ends, but no later than August 1. Pruning should not be done in the fall, winter, or spring because you risk removing fresh buds.
- Tip-pruning the branches in the spring as the leaves begin to appear can promote more numerous, smaller flower heads as opposed to fewer, larger flower heads.
Advice on Pruning for Group 2:
- On the growth of the current year, flower buds form.
- Early in the spring, as the leaves are starting to emerge, prune.
- Just above a node, prune branches back by half to a third.
- After that, prune any fragile or spindly branches.
- Minimal trimming encourages huge, strong bushes with many of tiny flower heads in H. arborescens. Hard pruning between 12 and 18 inches from the ground, or even all the way down, will result in fewer but larger flower heads that may flop if unsupported.
- For H. paniculata, remove the surrounding smaller wood while leaving the larger stems in order to establish a sturdy foundation.
Pruning may be connected to flower head size. Shoots will grow more vigorously and flower heads will be bigger and fewer with more rigorous trimming. Smaller but more numerous flower heads may result from less aggressive or tip pruning.
Consideration of hydrangeas’ mature size is the best piece of advise. Place them in a location where they won’t outgrow and won’t need a lot of pruning to keep them in check. Hydrangeas don’t need to be pruned precisely or often; as long as dead wood is removed, they will remain healthy and continue to develop and bloom.
How much should hydrangeas be pruned back in the fall?
Trimming season for hydrangeas that bloom on new wood runs from late fall through early spring. This group includes smooth and peegee forms, which function well whether they are pruned lightly, to the ground, or not at all. In order to maintain a compact stature and luxuriant flowering, Peegee hydrangeas are frequently pruned into trees with one or two main stems that are between 15 and 30 feet tall.
Smooth hydrangeas can be pruned all the way to the ground; however, the more frequently they are cut, the less able their stems are to withstand the weight of their huge blooms. Smooth hydrangeas grow in mounds that are 3 to 6 feet tall and wide. When the plants are pruned to leave between 18 and 24 inches of growth, a woody base forms that helps the stems support the pompom blooms more effectively.
Do hydrangeas need to be pruned before 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.
In Ontario, how are hydrangeas cared for?
First and foremost, you need to be aware that not all hydrangeas are hardy. I’m referring specifically to the mophead hydrangeas (hydrangea macrophylla). The gorgeous blue and pink hydrangeas that can be found all across the Lower Mainland are called mophead hydrangeas.
Hydrangeas of the smooth and panicle types (hydrangea paniculata) overwinter successfully here (hydrangea arborescens).
Flowers Cone-shaped flowers are supposedly characteristic of panicle hydrangeas, but I only sort of agree with that description. According to me, depending on the variety, the cone shape might be either quite clear or highly ambiguous. The size of the flower also varies widely.
The flowers of smooth hydrangeas are larger and dome-shaped. The flower size is more constant (between 6 and 12) “amongst variations (measured in diameter).
Hardy hydrangeas come in countless colors of white, pink, and lime when it comes to flower color. The tones and/or colors of the blooms frequently change as they become older.
Smooth hydrangeas have green, flexible, generally softer stems than panicle hydrangeas, which have reddish, woody, robust stems. This is because smooth hydrangeas sprout from the ground every year, but panicle hydrangeas regenerate on growth from the previous season.
The leaves of smooth hydrangeas are lighter green and softer, whereas those of panicle hydrangeas are often darker green and more leathery.
The need for trimming differs significantly between panicle and smooth hydrangeas.
The branch tips of panicle hydrangeas only need a minimal annual trimming. (If your ancient panicle hydrangea is no longer flowering nicely, that is the exception.) The hydrangea will then require “inspiration” to bloom once more. In the early spring, simply prune a couple of the oldest stems as close to the ground as you can.)
Every year in the early spring, smooth hydrangeas require severe pruning. Reduce all stems to around 3-6 inches “from the ground. Because of this, if your intended planting site is prone to significant winter snow loads, smooth hydrangeas are a preferable option.
Depending on the type, a mature hardy hydrangea can range in size from 3′ × 3′ to 10′ x 10′.
Hydrangeas can be planted in the following ways, as shown in the photo gallery below:
- shrub used as a focal point or in combination with other perennials and shrubs
- as a planting of a foundation (meaning against the foundation of a house)
- as a planting campaign
- like a hedge
- like a tiny tree (see note below)
Note: Hydrangea trees are actually hydrangea plants that have been fashioned to seem like trees. Selective pruning for several years is required for this process. Any hydrangea can be trained into a tree if you have the patience to do so (otherwise, ready-made tree hydrangeas are available.)
Although hydrangeas are simple to grow, they do require wet soil. Hydrangeas will express their dislike of being dry. Your hydrangea should flourish if the soil is adequately prepared, mulch is added around the base of the bush, and thorough, infrequent watering is practiced.
Shade tolerance varies among different hydrangea cultivars. In general, hydrangeas can thrive in locations with at least three hours of sunlight per day.
Because hydrangeas flower a lot, fertilizing them is a smart option. Use just fertilizer for transplants and bone meal during the first year. To maximum bloom production after that, apply a slow-release fertilizer once a year.
I haven’t met a hydrangea that I didn’t enjoy, but the following is a good representation of the kinds that are out there:
You’ll agree that this hydrangea’s name is fitting once you see it in bloom. Bombshell is covered in so many flowers when it is in bloom that its leaves are hardly visible. Indeed, compared to other panicle hydrangeas, it produces the most flowers.
White blossoms gradually turn to delicate pink as they ripen. Bombshell has a longer flowering time and begins blooming earlier than the majority of panicle hydrangeas.
Bombshell is a compact and well-kept tiny hydrangea that matures to a height and width of about 3′.
The reason Invincibelle Spirit made the list is because it is the first (and only) smooth hydrangea with pink flowers. The huge, dom-shaped blossoms appear in the middle to end of the summer.
A medium-sized hydrangea, Invincibelle Spirit eventually grows to be 3–4′ high and broad.
The new and better version of “Annabelle” is called “Incrediball.” (Annabelle was found in 1910 in Anna, Illinois.) Despite being beautiful, Annabelle’s flowers frequently flop, giving the plant a disorganized appearance. If an Annabelle is hit by a lot of rain, it will appear more like a tornado landed on it.
Incrediball, on the other hand, has exceptionally strong stems that maintain the flowers upright. The really shocking part is that Incrediball’s flowers are much larger, with a maximum diameter of 12″! When fully opened, the blossoms turn white before turning back to lime green.
Little Lime is the hydrangea I’m currently obsessed with. Last season, they were on show in a stunning way at our front entry, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. I approached numerous times to take in the sight of their captivating, beautifully colored petals.
White, lime, pink, and other colors are all present in the thick flower clusters of the Little Lime plant. In terms of blossoming, it is very productive.
Because Quick Fire blooms one month earlier than the other hardy hydrangea varieties, it is a prized variety.
Quick Fire is shaped like a free, airy flower. The blossoms start out white, then turn pink, and then intensify into cherry red.
We only started growing Fire Light in 2014. However, it merits note due to the distinctive flower’s color and shape.
Fire Light flowers start out white and turn a rich pink color as they age, just like most pink hydrangeas. The panicles of the flowers have a very distinctive, dramatic shape.
Hardy hydrangeas are one of our region’s best flowering shrubs. Give any hardy hydrangea type you come across that I haven’t listed a try. You might really like it.
To explore many more hydrangeas, including those that will be available in 2016, visit the Proven Winners website. I’m eager to give them all a try!