We've already determined that a friend of mine has three hydrangeas that shouldn't be cut down at the end of the year (deadwood?). My question is how to winterize them. I don't think she has ever done anything for any of her hydrangeas. Three of them have only bloomed the first year she planted them but she has always had them cut down to the ground at the end of fall. I convinced her not to do that last year but we had that warming then freezing issue this year and I think it pretty much killed all the blooms because they did absolutely nothing. What do I need to buy if anything to take care of these for the winter? Thanks as always.
Deadwood Hydrangea winterizing
- Thread starter mfsinger
- Start date
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Plants like this look better in their second year!
Please do not prune hydrangeas in the fall!!!!!
Wait until Spring until the buds break before pruning!
Only remove the dead wood!
That is the general rule!
But this depends on species.
Do you know which?
Wait until Spring until the buds break before pruning!
Only remove the dead wood!
That is the general rule!
But this depends on species.
Do you know which?
You can break them down into two groups
1 /Mopheads and Lacecaps (macrophyllas - usually pink or blue)
These guys bloom on old wood!
For Oakleaf hydrangeas (white blooms, leaves shaped like oak leaves)
2/ H. arborescens (Annabelle types) and H. paniculata (PeeGee types) hydrangeas - usually white to pink.
These guys bloom on new wood! These can be pruned down to a few inches from the ground.
Here's a good article: http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/pruning.html
2/
1 /Mopheads and Lacecaps (macrophyllas - usually pink or blue)
These guys bloom on old wood!
For Oakleaf hydrangeas (white blooms, leaves shaped like oak leaves)
2/ H. arborescens (Annabelle types) and H. paniculata (PeeGee types) hydrangeas - usually white to pink.
These guys bloom on new wood! These can be pruned down to a few inches from the ground.
Here's a good article: http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/pruning.html
2/
I had posted pictures of the leaves this past summer and you already determined that they are old wood types. She has one of the types that can be cut down. It's the type that gets about 4' tall with big white balls. I'm not concerned with that one. I'm not touching the other ones at all. My only question is whether I should cover them with anything or just let them be like we did last year. She complained about how ugly the brown sticks were sticking up out of the ground but that was because her cranky old neighbor decided he needed to make comments on a regular basis. He thinks everything should be cut back.
I forgot that she also added a Vanilla Strawberry hydrangea this spring. She ordered it online and paid around $40 for it. The thing is pathetic and finally bloomed one cluster about a month ago. It has three or four stems or stalks that all grow outward rather than upward. It is quite possible that we have it in a bad location.
I wouldn't listen to neighbor's who give bad advice!
Perhaps telling her to mind her own business is in order!
Brown sticks add winter interest in any winter garden.
I almost forgot!
I'd leave yours be until spring!
Perhaps telling her to mind her own business is in order!
Brown sticks add winter interest in any winter garden.
I almost forgot!
I'd leave yours be until spring!
It just needs to settle in.
Plants like this look better in their second year!
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