Q&A for How to Prune Hydrangeas

Sometimes, hydrangeas won't bloom because the old wood is dying back. It can also be caused by pruning at the wrong time and cutting off new growth.

Yes, you can deadhead hydrangeas. It mainly depends on what time of year it is.

No, you don't have to prune them, unless you feel the shrub is too large and takes up too much space.

As with most plants, pruning should be done when the plant is dormant. This is typically in late winter or early spring.

It is recommended to deadhead, or remove the spent blossoms on your hydrangea in summer. This will encourage growth for the next year.

These spots are generally caused by fungal spores. Usually, the spots appear on the leaf and the leaf turns yellow and falls off, allowing the rest of the plant to survive.

Dry, brown leaves appear naturally in fall as hydrangeas prepare for winter dormancy.

Try leaving it alone. Hydrangeas don't ever need to be trimmed. They will naturally grow into a large, circular plant with little intervention.

Bugs and climate change. Prune the dying ones and take them inside on a windowsill so they can still get sun. When the climate and bugs get better, take the plants out again.

Leave it till spring. I don't prune my plants at all, but we have a harsh winter so they stay small.

I put pennies in the soil when I planted my shrub, and it is blue with some purple heads of flowers.

Yes, you should remove the dead flowers.

Ask a specialist to come and see, or take a few pictures of them and bring the pictures to a garden center.

No, you won't be able to turn a pink hydrangea into a blue hydrangea.

It depends. If it usually grows like that, it isn't a wild shoot.

You should prune your hydrangeas after the flowers start to fade in late summer.

The hydrangeas are most likely limp because they did not get enough water. Wait until they begin to straighten out and then only prune the top.

You may not have enough nutrients in your soil, or you are not watering them enough.

It doesn't like where it is, most likely. Hydrangeas do not like steady full sun, either morning or mid afternoon sun. Also, they like acidic soil. Mine, planted under and around pine trees are thriving.

Yes, they can. I recommend doing so in the early springtime.

I trim mine back in the fall. Cut off the dead flowers and a few inches of the stems. I tend to keep it at about 3.5 feet tall. It grows new leaves and buds in the spring.

Yes. Leaving the dead blooms (dried, brown flowers) till the summertime encourages new growth. Once the summer hits, prune the dead blooms from your hydrangea bush by cutting off the dried bloom directly under the head at the top of the stem.

Yes, but it's best to prune the dead and dying blooms and canes in mid-summer when there's a lesser likelihood of accidentally cutting off any new growth.