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Do I need to cut back my Hydrangeas

16 years ago

It's mid March and I noticed new growth at the base of my Hydrangeas. I was looking at some of the old stems from last year and most of them look dead (no green when scaping). I haven't done anything with them since Fall. Should I cut back all the old branches/stems and let the new stuff take over, or is there still hidden life in those branches. If I should cut back, how far? Thanks.

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Comments (5)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
16 years ago
Where do you live and what kind of hydrangeas are they? Different types of hydrangeas will sustain different pruning practices, depending on how they bloom (old or new wood, occasionally both). In milder climates - like mine - buds on viable wood are already present but it may take longer for them to be very noticeable in colder areas. To be on the safe side so as not to entirely remove any flowering potential for this season, you can always wait a while before removing stems that no longer show any life to confirm they are in fact dead.

We could be even more specific if we knew what type of hydrangeas you are referring to, though.
billpilot88
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the info. I live in Oklahoma and they are Endless Summer.
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It is leafing out at the bottom. Nothing on the old wood. It is zone hardy. Bloomed beautifully at the old house where it was in full sun. Now it is in mostly sun part shade after 3 pm. It gets plenty of water and the soil drains well. I have never pruned it. I have cut off flowers in the past after bloom. It only stands about 24" tall. The area of the yard is enclosed on two sides and centered with a rock border all the way around. I think it was hit with a hard freeze two seasons in a row after buds were formed. I will try your pruning advice. Thank you!
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It's never to late to plant hydrangeas. Just plant the new cuttings in the ground, in light shade, mulch it and keep it well watered and watch it grow!
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Can I cut back a regular hydrangea?
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They really can't look worse than my own, still holding some leaves in between black and green - very much a wilted salad effect. Hydrangea macrophylla 'Amethyst' blooms on old wood...anything more than dead heading only the spent flowers will take the flower buds for next year. I suppose you could remove the leaves if you wish (they aren't functioning or serving any purpose now) - if your plant is large though that could be tedious and with a little more time they will fall on their own to be picked up. That week you missed left lots of things looking shabby. I don't have hydrangea near the front but plenty of other things not looking much better - it frustrating trying to add an entryway wreath, make the house look festive when the garden is looking anything but :)
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Well-established hydrangeas of any type can be cut back hard and they will recover. The only issue with old wood bloomers is that this sort of severe practice may well eliminate any flowering for a season or two. I have some design clients that had a series of large mopheads that were not well placed and grew well beyond the space available. So before digging and relocating to a better area, they cut back these 8-10' monsters to just around 6" in late fall. They are all currently sprouting healthy new growth. FWIW, bigleaf hydrangeas generally only have flowers in a mophead (rounded) shape or as a flattened lacecap. Domed shaped flowers are usually found on the paniculatas and the oakleafs.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
16 years ago
'Endless Summer' is a selection that is supposed to flower on both old and new wood, so theoretically one could cut the plant to the ground each season and it would still produce flowers. I haven't grown it myself as it just doesn't seem to perform up to its hype in my climate, so I can't speak from personal experience. One of its touted attributes is that it is exceptionally cold hardy, so perhaps it's just a bit too early for much bud development to be seen in your area. As mentioned before, it certainly won't hurt for you to wait awhile before cutting back to see how it progresses as we get closer to spring.
billpilot88
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks! I'll see how it goes in the next month or so. Hopefully they live up to the hype and generate growth all over the old branches. New growth is definitely starting to poke out from the ground. Thanks again.
carlyg
16 years ago
I live in Central TX zone 8 and have some endless summers. I already have new leaves. some at the bottom are 2 inches already.

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