Pruning Hydrangeas

Gardening is still interesting every spring and so are the questions we receive from fellow gardeners. Here are a few tips from questions I have received over the last month.  When do I prune my hydrangeas?  Of course the question then is, do you know what variety you have?  The facial expressions are from blank stares to baffled looks. Well, I'm sure all of us know what varieties we have...right?   Hydrangeas can live for many years without ever needing to be pruned, but if your shrubs grow out of bounds or lose flowering vigor, then there are some essential pruning guidelines you must follow to ensure bountiful blooms the next year. Here are some guidelines:  Hydrangea macrophylla (bigleaf, mophead, or lacecap hydrangeas), and Hydrangea quercifolia ( oakleaf hydrangea), generally bloom on old wood and require little pruning. Prune spent blooms immediately after flowering(midsummer), or remove only dead, damaged, or unsightly wood. If it is an old shrub that has lost flowering vigor, cut up to a third of entire stems at the base in late winter to improve flowering vigor. Ideally you should cut the oldest stems, leaving younger mature stems that are loaded with buds for next year.  If you have Hydrangea arborescens (smooth hydrangea), or Hydrangea paniculata (pee gee or panicle hydrangea), these are varieties that bloom on new wood and actually produce larger blooms if cut back to the ground in late winter before any new buds appear. If you have the vining species, Hydrangea petiolaris, which requires little to no pruning. If you feel you need to trim it to keep in bounds, you should prune it just after flowering. Then there's the new variety known as Endless Summer, an Hydrangea macrophylla that blooms on new and old growth. It's really a foolproof plant.  Now that you are all clear on that topic.....next question?   Have an enjoyable spring clean-up and planting