WHEN TO PRUN THE HYDRANGEAS SO THAT THEY BLOSSOM IN ABUNDANCE

All gardeners know that when autumn arrives it is time to prune many species of plants. You may have doubts about whether to prune hydrangeas in this season. Well, it all depends on the type of hydrangea you have. Some varieties flower on old wood, meaning they have formed tiny buds the previous season. If you cut a stem that contains the flower buds for the next season in the fall, you will be eliminating the flowers of the next year. Today I am going to explain to you when to prune hydrangeas depending on their variety.

WHEN IS THE PRUNING OF THE HORTENSIAS DONE?

There are varieties of hydrangeas that only bloom on new wood, meaning they form their flower buds on the current season's growth. These types are suitable for colder climates, so there is no chance of the flower buds being damaged during the winter. There are other varieties that flower on the previous year's branches, which is called old wood. Some recent cultivars combine both traits and flower on both old and new wood. But they are rare exceptions.

This is the pruning of the five most common types of hydrangeas:

PRUNING A PANICULTA HYDRANGEA (HYDRANGEA PANICULA)

They are a variety that bloom only on new wood. These hydrangeas can be pruned in the fall or very early spring, but it is best to wait until spring to reduce the risk of injury. WHEN TO PRUN A TREE HYDRANGEA (HYDRANGEA ARBORESCENS) Of this type of plants, the most popular is the Annabelle Hydrangea. They all blossom into new wood. Like the previous ones, these hydrangeas can be pruned in the fall, but it is advisable to wait until early spring. WHEN TO PRUN A CLIMBING HYDRANGEA (HYDRANGEA PETIOLARIS) Hydrangea petiolaris is the most common variety of climbing hydrangea. It produces large white flowers in early summer and heart-shaped, dark green foliage that turns yellow in fall. It produces flower buds on the branches of the season, but they do not open until the next. For this reason, these hydrangeas should be pruned in summer, after flowering, and thus allow it to form new branches that will bloom the following year.

PRUNING TIME FOR OAK LEAF HYDRANGES (HYDRANGEA QUERCIFOLIA)

They are a variety that blooms only on old wood.

For this reason it is important to prune just as the season's flowers are fading, and not later. Later they begin to form new branches and in them the buttons of the flowers of the following spring.

PRUNING OF HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA

They are the most varied group. All varieties of this type of hydrangea flower on old wood, but there are modern cultivars that do so on both old and new branches. The opportune time to prune these hydrangeas is just after the season's blooms have faded. In this way, branches will begin to grow that will bloom next year. We hope that you have clarified how to prune your hydrangea according to the variety that it is. I always thought that pruning a hydrangea was something complicated until I discovered these clarifications for variety. I don't have all of them, I only grow the hydrangea macrophylla, and the truth is that being careful with its pruning, magnificent results are always obtained. Even being a specimen that grows in a large pot.