Hydrangeas

[Nancyg56]

I planted hydrangea this year, but I have no experience with the varieties that I planted. One was Endless Summer, the other has a whitish greenish flower. Does anyone know if they should be cut back in the fall?

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

I cut back all 3 of my hydrangeas (I think they may be endless summer) when the colder weather starts to hit, I live in Oregon so it's never really really cold. I let the flowers dry on the plant and then I cut them off. I haven't yet because I am still making beautiful bouqets with them. But I cut off all the dead heads and they come back better then ever every year. It even blooms on new growth. Good Luck. Someone may have better advice on where exactly to prune.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

I have an "Endless Summer". This is it's third summer. I left it alone the first year and finally cut it back this spring. I was hoping the winter was mild enough to let the old growth survive. No luck. So I'm going to prune it back hard this fall, mulch over it well and see what it does next spring. It blooms on old and new growth, but mine only has new growth.

If your other Hydrangea blooms only on old growth, it might not bloom much for you in CT. If you can't find the variety name, I would take a wait and see approach. Just make sure you mulch or protect those roots some how this winter.

 

[Nancyg56]

Thank you. I will cut back the dead heads and add more mulch. It has quite a bit, but a little more should not hurt. We'll see what happens next year.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

This link will help...it says NOT to prune in the fall, lest you should get tender growth that has no time to harden off before the winter. The exception is "Endless Summer" and other types that bloom on new and old wood. In short, deadheading seems reasonable, but pruning is unneccessary unless the shrub is old and in need of renovation. http://www.agnr.umd.edu/users/cmrec/art4.htm

 

[Nancyg56]

Thanks, UrsulasShadow! Another link to go into my favorites . I am going to send it to my sister because she usually cuts everything back ( I mean everything) and has had no flowers on her Hydrangea since the first year that she planted them.

 

[mdvaden]

I put together a pruning time-table at my site, compiled from data found at several university extension websites.

This table has November, December, January, February and March as the months to prune Hydrangea.

One thing about Hydrangea; if the weather is warm enough to trigger new tender growth after pruning cuts were made, the same unseasonal weather could also trigger new growth from buds anyway, if it wasn't pruned.

Usually, the bulk of my Hydrangea pruning seems to be in February. Leaves are gone, holidays are gone.

Scroll to the bottom 2/3s of this page for pruning time-table

 

[Nancyg56]

Thank you for your link. I will keep this one also, as I also planted mountain laurel and holly. I never knew when to prune them, whch would explain why I did not always have flowers on some of the old bushes I have. Now I just have to get them through the winter. We have a metal roof and the snow flies off of it onto the ground. Hopefully the bushes are planted in an area that the snow misses, we waited two winters in order to make sure that we did not plant nursery stock where the worst of it lands and avoided the drip line from the rain.


I hope we marked it off right, as the invstment in this planting bed was substantial.

 

[mdvaden]

Did you plant any Hellebore or Bleeding Heart? Those are amongst my favorites.

We have a big yard now, so I may add some hardy Fucshias.

 

[Nancyg56]

I did plant two bleeding heart. I am hoping to see it again in the spring. If not, I heard of a new variety that blooms all summer long, but I cannot remember the name. I'll head to the garden center to look for it. This planting bed was a challenge because it is on our North side and gets limited sunlight. Add the metal roof and the challenge gets even greater. The planting bed travels aroung the entire perimeter of the house and front porch. I have an hynoki cypress in the corner with several varieties of hosta and astilbe, along with coral bells to round out the bed. A sedum that is there is not doing so well. It is reaching for the sun, so I am going to move it. Daylillies in shades of pink, rose and burgandy ( the shade of my roof) for color. We have an island in front between the porch and the street that has a burgandy Japanese lace maple, euonymous, ferns, astilbe (short compact plants hilighting the foliege rather than the flower) more hosta and some grasses. The island slopes too high, so in the spring I want to lower it, but don't want to disturb the maple yet. I should have listened to my DH rather than the landscaper .

I have never seen hardy fuchias, but am interested. DO they like the same conditions as the annual varieties? I keep the annuals in hanging baskets in my back yard because we have several shady spots, just filtered sunlight so they do well.