How to Prune Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are a very common shrub in New Zealand. They are especially good for cool moist shady places.
To flower they need plenty of light but not too much direct burning sunlight.
One of the key ingredients for flowering is strong healthy flowering buds.
In winter once the leaves have all fallen off these deciduous shrubs
Do not remove the tips of the new growth those large fat buds will produce the best flowers.
However if the branches are too tall you may cut back some of these tips to big fat flowering buds that may be on the stem.
To flower they need plenty of light but not too much direct burning sunlight.
One of the key ingredients for flowering is strong healthy flowering buds.
In winter once the leaves have all fallen off these deciduous shrubs
- Remove all the dead branches down to ground level.
- Remove all the small weak and thin branches in the centre of the plant.
- You should be left with strong fresh looking new growth and some old stringy bark stems.
- By looking at the strong new growth which must be kept identify the old growth which should be removed as low as possible or at ground level.
- Leave some old growth if the shape of the shrubs will look silly, lop sided or similar
- Once you are happy with the shape and have lots of new strong growth that is it.
Do not remove the tips of the new growth those large fat buds will produce the best flowers.
However if the branches are too tall you may cut back some of these tips to big fat flowering buds that may be on the stem.