{"id":1517663,"date":"1969-12-31T18:00:00","date_gmt":"1970-01-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=1517663"},"modified":"2023-12-13T04:37:20","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T10:37:20","slug":"heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prune Hydrangeas, According to an Expert Gardener"},"content":{"rendered":"<p dir=\"ltr\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/collection\/breathtaking-hydrangea-species\/\">breathtaking blooms<\/a> on hydrangea shrubs are a gorgeous addition to any garden. Learning how to prune hydrangeas\u2014and when to prune hydrangeas\u2014starts with knowing which type of hydrangea you have.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2>Types of Hydrangeas<\/h2>\r\n<h3>Old Wood vs. New Wood<\/h3>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">These hydrangea terms refer to which stems produce the blooms. Old wood means the flowers appear on stems that grew last season, and new wood means that flowers appear on stems that grow this season. How you should be pruning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-dry-hydrangeas\/\">hydrangeas<\/a> depends on which kind of stems they bloom on.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3>Hydrangeas That Bloom on Old Wood<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Bigleaf:<\/strong> This <em>H. macrophylla<\/em> group of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-change-hydrangea-color\/\">colorful hydrangeas<\/a> with blue, pink and purple flowers includes Lacecap, Mophead and Mountain varieties. (We love the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/wee-bit-giddy-hydrangea\/\">Wee Bit Giddy hydrangea<\/a>!)<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Oakleaf:<\/strong> <em>H. quercifolia<\/em> hydrangeas are distinguished by the large foliage that resembles oak leaves.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Climbing:<\/strong> The gorgeous, vining <em>H. petiolaris<\/em> hydrangea can reach heights of up to 60 feet.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Hydrangeas That Bloom on New Wood<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Panicle:<\/strong> <em>H. paniculata<\/em> hydrangeas have cone-shaped clusters of white flowers, with some varieties like Vanilla Strawberry fading to shades of red and green.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Smooth:<\/strong> Varieties of the <em>H. arborescens<\/em> group include Annabelle and Incrediball with large, mounding flower heads.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>How to Prune Hydrangeas<\/h2>\r\n<h3 class=\"\">Pruning Old Wood Hydrangeas<\/h3>\r\nThese hydrangeas need minimal pruning: Just cut away dead, sickly or broken branches as needed. You can also remove faded blossoms by cutting the stem with sharp garden shears below the flower at a leaf node. There may be new leaves forming below the flowers, so take care not to damage these. Prune these hydrangeas only up until mid-August. As fall approaches your hydrangeas will create buds for next year's flowers, and you don't want to accidentally cut these off.\r\n\r\n<em>Editor's Tip:<\/em> Pruning hydrangeas in early spring helps the shrub produce more flowers, though the clusters will be smaller. Use sharp pruning shears to angle-cut an inch or so off the branch tips.\r\n<h3 class=\"\">Pruning New Wood Hydrangeas<\/h3>\r\nThese hydrangea flowers appear a little later, starting in mid-summer. The best time to prune them is in late winter or early spring, when their leaves first begin to appear. For panicle hydrangeas, cut branches back by half or a third, at an angle just above a leaf node. Pruning this way helps keep the shrub height and shape in control. Or let the shrubs grow freely and prune only every two to three years to remove older or dead branches.\r\n\r\nFor smooth hydrangeas, you can prune them the same way as panicle types, although some gardeners choose to cut them down to the ground. Doing so will make the shrubs produce larger flowers, but the stems will be weaker and more prone to flopping over. Learn how to protect shrubs from heavy snow.\r\n<h2 class=\"\">Reblooming Hydrangeas<\/h2>\r\nTypical hydrangeas produce one set of flowers per season, but there are some reblooming types like Endless Summer. They produce blooms on old wood and then again on new wood. These don't need any pruning except as necessary to remove dead or diseased branches. Still not reblooming? Find out why are your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/hydrangeas-not-blooming\/\">hydrangeas are not blooming<\/a>.\r\n<h2 class=\"\">How to Know When Hydrangeas Are Done Blooming<\/h2>\r\nYou'll know that the hydrangea blooms are finished when the colors of the flowers, whether blue, pink, green or white, have faded to brown. The flowers will have a papery texture and the cluster will feel stiff. You can deadhead the flowers at this point to tidy the shrub\u2014but unlike other flowering plants, deadheading won't produce new sets of flowers. You can also leave the dried flowers on the shrub for visual interest during fall and winter.\r\n\r\n[embed_section]\r\n<h2>Tools You Need for Pruning Hydrangeas<\/h2>\r\n[embed-content imageid=\"1687145\" title=\"Expandable Hose\" buybutton=\"Shop Now\" linkurl=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/VIENECI-Expandable-Connectors-Lightweight-Expanding\/dp\/B07PY7B4Q8\" newtab=\"true\" \/]\r\n\r\n[embed-content imageid=\"1646420\" title=\"Garden Gloves\" buybutton=\"Shop Now\" linkurl=\"https:\/\/www.homedepot.com\/p\/Digz-Medium-Garden-Glove-79606-010\/308403581\" newtab=\"true\" \/]\r\n\r\n[embed-content imageid=\"958283\" title=\"Pruning Shears\" buybutton=\"Shop Now\" linkurl=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B00CWF7YBE\/\" newtab=\"true\" \/]\r\n\r\n[\/embed_section]\r\n\r\n[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[\/cf]","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our gardening expert explains what to do with your hydrangeas all year long. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7006,"featured_media":1517667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[339666,303797,303845],"categories-v2":[340126,308432,308456],"coauthors":[39567],"acf":{"ncv_override_generic_settings_option":false,"ncv_autoplay_option":"","ncv_stickyplay_option":"","ncv_ads_option":"","ncv_mute_option":"","ncv_comscore_option":"","ncv_moat_option":"","ncv_autoplay_mobile_option":"","ncv_viewable_threshold_option":"","ncv_sticky_offset_option":"","ncv_autopause_option":"","ncv_sticky_offset_mobile_option":"","ncv_autopause_mobile_option":"","ncv_sticky_mobile_option":"","ncv_remove_player_option":false,"long_pin_file":false,"long_pin":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.3 (Yoast SEO v23.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Prune Hydrangeas: Advice from an Expert Gardener<\/title>\n\n\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Prune Hydrangeas: Advice from an Expert Gardener","description":"Ready to learn how to prune hydrangeas? Here's how to know when to prune hydrangeas and how to get the shrubs ready for the next season.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Learn How to Prune Hydrangeas with These Pro Tips","og_description":"Keep hydrangeas beautiful and healthy all year long with these pruning tips.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/","og_site_name":"Taste Recipes","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tasteofhome","article_published_time":"1970-01-01T00:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-12-13T10:37:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Hydrangeas-SOC-1200x800-GettyImages-1094833362.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Nancy Mock","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Learn How to Prune Hydrangeas with These Pro Tips","twitter_description":"Keep hydrangeas beautiful and healthy all year long with these pruning tips.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hydrangea-flowers-686786843.jpg","twitter_creator":"@tasteofhome","twitter_site":"@tasteofhome","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Nancy Mock","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/"},"author":{"name":"Sarah Kosalos","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a3b4144a0b4e75b41d4983e404ce76e8"},"headline":"How to Prune Hydrangeas, According to an Expert Gardener","datePublished":"1970-01-01T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-12-13T10:37:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/"},"wordCount":681,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hydrangea-flowers-686786843.jpg","keywords":["Gardening","Home &amp; Living","Outdoor Living"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/","url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/","name":"How to Prune Hydrangeas: Advice from an Expert Gardener","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hydrangea-flowers-686786843.jpg","datePublished":"1970-01-01T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-12-13T10:37:20+00:00","description":"Ready to learn how to prune hydrangeas? Here's how to know when to prune hydrangeas and how to get the shrubs ready for the next season.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hydrangea-flowers-686786843.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hydrangea-flowers-686786843.jpg","width":1280,"height":800,"caption":"Close-Up Of Purple Hydrangea Flowers In Park"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Home &amp; Living","item":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/home-living\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Outdoor Living","item":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/home-living\/outdoor-living\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Gardening","item":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/home-living\/outdoor-living\/gardening\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"How to Prune Hydrangeas, According to an Expert Gardener"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/","name":"Taste Recipes","description":"Find Recipes, Appetizers, Desserts, Holiday Recipes &amp; Healthy Cooking Tips","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#organization","name":"Taste Recipes","url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/toh-logo-red.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/toh-logo-red.png","width":166,"height":125,"caption":"Taste Recipes"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tasteofhome","https:\/\/x.com\/tasteofhome","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tasteofhome\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/taste_of_home\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/tasteofhome"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a3b4144a0b4e75b41d4983e404ce76e8","name":"Sarah Kosalos","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/0a28554c7c6805f1e12587162a5194da","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c391149cc032a95446c6aefa7eb9977a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c391149cc032a95446c6aefa7eb9977a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sarah Kosalos"},"url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/author\/skosalos\/"}]}},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2025-05-24 08:40:34","action":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category"},"canonical_url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/heres-how-to-prune-hydrangeas-for-the-perfect-summer-bloom\/","author_details":{"368331":{"ID":"368331","display_name":"Nancy Mock","first_name":"Nancy","last_name":"Mock","user_login":"nancy-mock","user_email":"Nancy@hungryenoughtoeatsix.com","linked_account":"","website":"https:\/\/hungryenoughtoeatsix.com\/","description":"Nancy has shared her home cooking and baked goods with loved ones her entire life. Taking inspiration from her northeastern roots and Irish heritage, she shares her comfort food recipes on her site <em>Hungry Enough to Eat Six<\/em>. An expert in New England cuisine, Nancy enjoys delving into food history, viral recipes and regional dishes. Since becoming a Taste Recipes contributor, she\u2019s written about Fluffernutter sandwiches (a New England classic), re-created vintage Betty Crocker recipes, shared how to make \u201cmarry me chicken\u201d and much more. When she\u2019s not whipping up developing new recipes or testing cooking techniques, she loves finding vintage cookbooks from the last century to add to her growing collection.","twitter":"","instagram":"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hungryenoughtoeatsix\/","facebook":"","public_email":"","linkedin":"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nancy-mock-hungry-enough-to-eat-six\/","tiktok":"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@hungryenoughtoeatsix","youtube":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@hungryenoughtoeatsix2945\/","location":"Worcester, MA","school_and_year":"University of Vermont","education":"University of Vermont, bachelor's in English","highlights":"<ul>\r\n \t<li>7 years of professional experience as a writer and food photographer for brands like <em>Taste Recipes,<\/em> <em>Mashed<\/em>, <em>Foodie<\/em>, <em>Reader's Digest<\/em> and <em>Birds &amp; Blooms<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li>10 years as a <em>Taste Recipes<\/em> Community Cook<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Creator of<em> Hungry Enough to Eat Six<\/em>, which focuses on seasonal comfort food<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Grand-prize winner of the National Girl Scouts Cookie Recipe Content in 2016<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","expertise":"Recipe development; cooking techniques; baking; beer, wine &amp; cocktails; product testing; gardening &amp; plant care; grocery shopping; restaurants; travel","short_bio":"Nancy contributes writing, recipes and food photography to <em>Taste Recipes<\/em>, where she covers regional eats, food history and trending dishes. Her work can also be seen on her website, <em>Hungry Enough to Eat Six<\/em>, as well as other food-focused publications. Nancy and her family live in New England and she\u2019ll never say no to a plate of gravy-laden poutine.","user_nicename":"nancy-mock","type":"guest-author","nickname":""}},"images":{"1517667":{"image_url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hydrangea-flowers-686786843.jpg","post_data":{"ID":1517667,"post_author":"7006","post_date":"2020-06-25 11:11:42","post_date_gmt":"2020-06-25 16:11:42","post_content":"","post_title":"Close-Up Of Purple Hydrangea Flowers In Park","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"inherit","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"close-up-of-purple-hydrangea-flowers-in-park","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-08-18 11:44:04","post_modified_gmt":"2021-08-18 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