A question for the gardeners here.

[daughtersrus]

Should I be cutting back my hydrangea bush and my red fountain grass now or in the spring?

This is the first year that I've had the grass but in the past, I think that I've been waiting until spring to cut the hydrangea. This last year, the bush was huge but I didn't have many blooms.

Also, is it too late to separate yarrow?

I'm in the suburbs of Chicago if that matters. The weather has been pretty nice (in the 70's today) but I don't expect that to last much longer.

Thanks!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It is probably to late prune your hydrangeas however it depends on the variety. Here is a detailed site that gives you every fact about it. As a general rule of thumb you prune no later than July 4th for all flowering shrubs. Also you prune after flowering, not before.

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/pruning.html

Off the top of my head, it is pretty late to be pruning any shrub in Chicago in the first place. You should do it a bit earlier so your plants can "harden off" as they call it. Meaning they prepare for winter and lessens chances of dieback. Fall pruning should be done in Sept./Oct to be on the safe side (for no flowering shrubs or shrubs that bloom on new wood).

Now as far as your grass. Part of the charm of the grass is to have the "winter interest"and not prune it until spring. However it is not necessary. You can prune and mulch it well and have it ready for spring.
Do not prune until the plant is totally dead and you must prune early in the spring if you wait otherwise you risk cutting off the blooms.

Not too late to divide perennials. I should say it is never too late or early. OK, you probably should not divide them when you know it is going to be a long stretch of 90's or you are going on vacation.