Subject: Hydrangea pruning time?

From: [email-masked]
Date: 14 Mar 95 16:42:57 EST

I was out working in the garden today (FINALLY!!!!), happily pruning
down the buddleia, giving the ornamental grasses haircuts--but I stopped
short at my hydrangea--should I be cutting it now, or in the fall?
(I think it's a PG--it came unlabeled from the nursery, but that's
what it looks most like in books.)
Carol
Zone 5/6

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From: [email-masked] (Don Bonner)
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 08:09:34 GMT

>what it looks most like in books.)

General pruning advise.  If it blooms late in the year prune in the beginning 
of the year.  If it blooms in the beginning of the year prune after the 
flowers have bloomed but not too late in the year.
Hydrangea's bloom on new growth so you can prune now and get flowers later in 
the year.  You can also use pruning to postpone the flowering of certain 
plants such as mums and stonecrop so that they are fuller and flower later in 
the year.
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>From each according to their abilities.
To each according to their needs.
                                          [email-masked]
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From: [email-masked] (Don Bonner)
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 08:09:34 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (Kris Benarcik)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 19:57:52 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Howard
Slenk) wrote:

> 
> PRUNE IN JUNE is important advice for hydrangea growers.  In June 
> you can see what part of the plant is dead and what is growing.  Hydrangeas 
> bloom on OLD GROWTH, NOT NEW.  The first respondent is incorrect on this 
> point.  The new basal shoots that come up after a stiff pruning in April 
> or May will not bear flowers the first season.
> 
> MAKE LOVE TO MOTHER EARTH
> 
> Howard

Howard-

Sorry to disagree, but here goes anyway....Pruning time depends on the
species of Hydrangea.   Hydrangea arborescens and H. paniculata and their
cultivars flower on new growth and should be pruned in early spring.

Hydrangea macrophylla and H. quercifolia and their selections and cultivars
flower on old growth and should be pruned right after they bloom.

So the first step in knowing when to prune hydrangeas is knowing what
species you have.

Kris Benarcik
The Scott Arboretum