Garden

[coconut1818]

We have had our first freeze and all of my Blushing Bride Hydrangea's leaves have wilted and turned dark.  Do any of you have any recommendations on when you should cut them back?  I have been doing it in the spring once I can determine what wood did not have any growth on them, but it seems I don't get many blooms.  I was wondering what you guys would recommend?  One friend told me to just cut them all the way back but I'm kind of scared to do that now that they are good size plants, probably 3x3 at least.  Thank you in advance!

[Kitlynn]

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@coconut1818 wrote:

We have had our first freeze and all of my Blushing Bride Hydrangea's leaves have wilted and turned dark.  Do any of you have any recommendations on when you should cut them back?  I have been doing it in the spring once I can determine what wood did not have any growth on them, but it seems I don't get many blooms.  I was wondering what you guys would recommend?  One friend told me to just cut them all the way back but I'm kind of scared to do that now that they are good size plants, probably 3x3 at least.  Thank you in advance!

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I just trim off the dead leaves and leave mine alone after that. I have one that is in a huge pot on the patio and I have never trimmed it. It is about four feet high and wide in that pot. Other than taking off the dead leaves I just leave it alone.

[ValuSkr]

Doing less is more.  Okay to remove dead leaves but leave the branches alone until next year when the plant is growing again.  At that time you'll be able to tell which branches are actually dead vs. which are producing new growth / flowers.

[Carmie]

Blushing Bride Hydrangas bloom on both old and new wood.  You should not cut this variety back at all.

Next spring you will get blooms on the old wood first, then later in the summer, you will Get blooms on the new wood.

[Sweetbay magnolia]

Leave them alone.  Flower buds for next year are in the canes, though as @ValuSkr said, next year is the the time to get rid of dead wood, once it's apparent.  Hydrangea macrophylla are elusive sometimes - you can't always tell 'til new growth commences.

Blushing Bride is a re-bloomer, and will produce off of new growth, but if you cut them back now you will lose the most beautiful flush of the early Summer, next year.

[JustJazzmom]

People leave the spent blooms on hydrangeas as winter interest.

As others have said, leave alone till spring.

[Lilysmom]

@coconut1818, as a general rule of thumb, I never cut back shrubs by more than 1/3.  Good luck!  LM

[JoBee]

I live in the northeast and my hydrangeas are blooming NOW ! What is wrong with them?

[Lilysmom]

@JoBee, I wouldn't worry too much about it.  I am in Nova Scotia and we are getting the same warm Fall.  Same thing happening here.  They will stop doing their thing once the temps fall.

I did a late September early October garden cleanup as per Norma al.  A lot of what I cut down is growing again.  It will last until the frost comes.  LM

[JoBee]

Thanks for the reply. They usually bloom in the spring but not this year. Guess they have the seasons mixed up!  They haven’t been on schedule for 2 years now...... ever since I had an oak tree taken out that shaded them.