# Hydrangea - end of season care



## bodean (Aug 21, 2020)

Seems my hydrangea plants are done for the year. Do I cut off the dead heads now or leave the plant alone until spring?


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## jal (May 30, 2020)

I can't tell what species that is, Limelight?


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

I clip the flower off every fall on my tree.


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## bodean (Aug 21, 2020)

@Harts

Thanks, think Ill clip mine off also


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

Looks like a little lime or another paniculata. I wait until early spring to do mine. I like the flowers this time of year and they keep some winter interest rather than just a pile of sticks. Its also a good idea to prune them in the spring because you can see which stems are budding and which may have died. I also like to prune out any weak stems at that time and prune for shape. That way you can get the plant to focus on the blooms you want it to and not waste energy on puny flowers. My two cents.

Edit: Here is a good video on the topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxNOIVxjGeg


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

^ I like this. Not to go against what I said previously but I have zero knowledge. I've always pruned my garden back in the Fall and it seems to come back fine the following year. Having said that, I could be doing it wrong! I just hate an unkempt garden bed for 6+ months.

I've watched that YT channel over the past year or two and enjoy what she has to say. Very informed and probably better advice than what I can give!


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

@Harts. I don't think there is anything wrong with clipping off the blooms if you don't like the look. In fact we frequently bring in some dried booms for display in the house. They make nice centerpieces and even fall wreaths. I just think it looks nice on the plant all winter, too, especially when we get some snow. That and I like the approach of doing everything once.... prune and fertilize in early spring when I am jonesin to get outside, rather than in the fall when I'm pretty burnt out on yard work.


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

My hydrangea hasn't flowered in 3 years and I have no idea why. The first year it was planted it already had nice blue flowers and then.... nothing since. I don't know anything about these, but I do fertilize it. Is this normal?


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

bosox_5 said:


> My hydrangea hasn't flowered in 3 years and I have no idea why. The first year it was planted it already had nice blue flowers and then.... nothing since. I don't know anything about these, but I do fertilize it. Is this normal?


Probably bad spotting. Blue flowers.... so maybe an endless summer or Niko blue? It might get too much sun?


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

gm560 said:


> bosox_5 said:
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> > My hydrangea hasn't flowered in 3 years and I have no idea why. The first year it was planted it already had nice blue flowers and then.... nothing since. I don't know anything about these, but I do fertilize it. Is this normal?
> ...


Its in the front of the house facing west so it gets 8+ hours of sun in the summer. I have no idea what kind it is, the landscaper put them in when the house was built.


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

bosox_5 said:


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Yup. 8+ hours is probably way too much for any type of hydrangea, but especially the ones we often see with blue blooms.


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

gm560 said:


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Well, that stinks. The plant actually grows awesome, big green and leafy, just no blooms


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

bosox_5 said:


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Sorry! You could easily transplant it to a better spot. I have done it dozens of times and they handle it pretty well.


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## Butter (Nov 14, 2017)

@bodean As others have said the Hydrangea in the original post is Hydrangea paniculata. I prune mine in early spring. I have found that you can get pretty aggressive when pruning them. That Garden Answer youtube video is a great resource.
@bosox_5 Any Hydrangea that are blue or can be changed to blue are Hydrangea macrophylla. I have given up on them completely. They are supposed to bloom on old and new wood. The problem is in colder climates the old wood flower buds are frozen off and the new blooms are just too sporadic. Like you said, the plants are heathy and beautiful but no flowers. I won't plant any more and will take out the ones I have at some point. You can't go wrong with Hydrangea paniculata or Hydrangea aborescens. Now that I've completely nerded out on Hydrangea I'll shut up.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

bosox_5 said:


> My hydrangea hasn't flowered in 3 years and I have no idea why. The first year it was planted it already had nice blue flowers and then.... nothing since. I don't know anything about these, but I do fertilize it. Is this normal?


As others said what you have is a hydrangea macrophylla. They need roughly 6 hours of sun and since you are getting great growth I doubt that sunlight is the issue.

These plants bloom on old wood which means that what grows this year will form a bud at the end of the year which will bloom next year. What usually happens is that these buds get winter damage due to cold temperature in zone 5a. This is happening to me as well. I can take a picture and show you the buds that form this year for me. You DONOT cut these. I think I had some last year as well but only saw 2 or 3 blooms.

This year I will wrap my hydrangeas in multiple layers of burlap to prevent winter damage and see how it goes. We can follow-up in the spring.

Below is a video for managing hydrangeas. Even though its from Proven winners that bloom on new and old wood this is what they say:

Do NOT prune the hydrangea back in fall. Leaving the fall blooms on your plants over the winter provides winter interest, and ensures you aren't removing buds that will become flowers in the spring and summer. Leaves, wood mulch and/or straw are good options to insulate your plants. Mound the mulch or leaves around your plants at least 12" high to protect the flower buds that will bloom early next year.

https://endlesssummerblooms.com/resource/protecting-hydrangeas-for-winter/


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

uts said:


> bosox_5 said:
> 
> 
> > My hydrangea hasn't flowered in 3 years and I have no idea why. The first year it was planted it already had nice blue flowers and then.... nothing since. I don't know anything about these, but I do fertilize it. Is this normal?
> ...


Sorry to disagree but too much sun is a very real thing for all hydrangeas, especially big leaf macrophylla. From the FAQ on the endless summer website you shared:



> My hydrangea grows beautiful green leaves, but I haven't seen any blooms yet. How do I get my hydrangea to bloom endlessly?
> 
> There are a few main reasons that you may not see blooms on your hydrangea bushes: sun exposure, over-watering and over-fertilizing. *Endless Summer® hydrangeas prefer morning sun and afternoon dappled shade. If they are planted in full sun, it may be too hot and intense for the blooms to produce.* Also, over-watering and over-fertilizing your plants can inhibit bloom production. Hydrangeas prefer moist, but not wet soil, and one application of fertilizer in spring or early summer.


https://endlesssummerblooms.com/product/the-original-bigleaf-hydrangea/

I have first hand experience with this and it is important to know that not all sun is equal. Getting blasted by afternoon summer sun will not make these plants happy and they don't bloom much if at all under stress. Sure there could be other reasons, but with 8+ hours and a western exposure, my money is on too much sun.


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## stevehollx (Apr 8, 2020)

bosox_5 said:


> Well, that stinks. The plant actually grows awesome, big green and leafy, just no blooms


My wife was cutting back our hydrangeas each winter to about foot stalks, and we've struggled with blooming. I was diligent on fungicide and watering this year. Super green growth but minimal bloom.

Did more research and it seems the ones we have are mostly lace cap hydrangeas. Noticed the blooms we got were on what appeared to be older growth stems. This year we're not going to cut anything back, and we'll see.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

@gm560 I recognize that sun overexposure is a real thing but you do end up getting some leaf scorch which is a good indicator of over sun exposure. Since the OP did not mention any symptoms of that there maybe a smaller chance of that and a slightly larger of freeze damage. I could be wrong. What might help is to see if there are any buds on it right now which would potentially bloom in the spring.

These are the buds I have and had last year but lost a bunch when temps dropped into single digits and below. I have mine which get def 8h of sun on both sides of my house during summer.

Edit: unsure why u cant attach pictures
Just added them


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## mobiledynamics (Aug 9, 2020)

Bosox. When/if do you prune your hydra. stems

Note, it set's it's flower buds on the terminal ends - so if you prune them anytime from sept. onward....you may be pruning off the flower bud for next season. I see you're also in MA. Winter kill as well is also suspect just due to location, but then again, seems like this year like last year, very mild, so less chance of winter kill on the flower buds


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

Had to search for this, but my hydrangea has its first bloom in 6 years.


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## Highlife159 (May 19, 2021)

So it was due to pruning the old wood?


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## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

I didn't prune anything


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