Cutting hydrangeas: here's how to successfully prune them to see them bloom
Hydrangeas, or Hydrangea, are superb shrubs that bloom for a good part of spring and summer in the garden and make magnificent bouquets of dried flowers. They still need to be pruned correctly to enjoy optimal flowering.
When to cut dead hydrangea flowers?
Whether it is to make bouquets of dried flowers or to prune your hydrangea, it is possible to remove faded flowers as you go. To do this, cut with pruning shears just above a pair of buds. The stem can be cut up to 30 cm in order to maintain a round shape. In autumn, the dry stems above a pair of buds are cut. Same thing for stems that have spots or seem too frail. Deadwood stems should be cut at their base.
The size of the hydrangea
From autumn, we remove the faded flowers. At the end of winter, more pruning can be done to improve future flowering. As the flowers grow on the branches of the previous year, they must be saved. Prune just above the first pair of buds from the top. You can also ventilate the center to let in as much light as possible.
Pulling back the hydrangea
With sharp and disinfected pruning shears, certain varieties of hydrangeas can be cut back. This is the case for arborescent species which flower on current-year wood and Hydrangea paniculata. Hydrangea macrophylla can be cut back approximately every seven years to breathe new life into the shrub. It is necessary to operate in the spring before the buds develop. All the stems are cut 20 cm from the ground, keeping only the main branches. We then spread compost at the base of the shrubs to allow them to grow well.
How to prune a hydrangea whose flowering is running out of steam?
If your hydrangea flowers less and less each year, cut off the older stems which are the least productive. Pruning is done low on the stem, above a healthy bud.
Dry the hydrangea flowers
North of the Loire, it is advisable to leave the dried flowers on the shrub throughout the winter. They will be cut in the spring. This allows you to have beautiful dried flowers and allows the shrub to better withstand low temperatures. If temperatures remain mild during the winter, it is possible to cut the flowers and dry them upside down in a cool room.
How to vary the color of hydrangea flowers?
If you plant your hydrangea in acidic soil, the flowers will be blue. If the hydrangea is in neutral soil, they will be pink. If you want to keep blue flowers, it is necessary to acidify the soil or use a blueing fertilizer.
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