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Plant brand Proven Winners reported most shrub hydrangeas are sold in five types: bigleaf, mountain, smooth, panicle and oakleaf. Some flower on old wood, while others flower on new wood.
Once you’ve determined your type, that’s when you will be able to find out when to prune and how much to cut back.
Shrubs that bloom on old wood need to be pruned immediately after they are done flowering, but that can be tricky because they also flower late into the season. Sometimes there’s not enough time between the last old bloom and the beginning of the next, and pruning too late will strip your shrub of any flowers.
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Proven Winners suggested avoiding pruning hydrangeas that flower late in the season, other than removing excess branches. Some examples of those are oakleaf, bigleaf and mountain hydrangeas.
Hydrangeas that prune on new wood have a different process. They can be pruned in late fall once the plant has gone dormant. They won’t bud until late spring, so there isn’t a risk of removing new buds.
It’s also important to know how much to prune your hydrangeas. Proven Winners said it’s generally safe to prune as much as one-third of your hydrangeas that bloom on new wood.
“When you prune, make your cut just above a set of large, healthy leaves. If a branch is broken or dead, it can be removed completely. If in doubt, don’t prune! No hydrangea requires pruning to grow and bloom well.”
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