Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) will often grow up to 8 or 10 feet tall and wide. These types of hydrangeas bloom on new wood. This makes them one of the easiest hydrangeas to prune as they can be pruned almost any time of year, except summer.
Shrubs That Can Be Cut To The Ground
Some overgrown shrubs can be cut to the ground and they’ll grow right back (this is sometimes called rejuvenation pruning). Typically, these are fairly vigorous shrubs that produce flowers on new wood. But be careful – even some of the shrubs on this list may never recover if they’re not in very good health before you whack them back.
Five Reasons to Prune Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas generally need very little pruning. However, there are times when a good prune will be helpful. Here are 5 reasons to prune hydrangeas. Damaged and Diseased Stems. Always prune out damaged or diseased stems. Many hydrangeas that bloom heavily (particularly on long stems) will get weighed down from heavy rain, or blown around by […]
When To Prune Hydrangeas
The timing of pruning for hydrangeas depends on which type of hydrangea you’d like to prune. Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood should be pruned in summer before they set buds for the following year. Some people say that you can prune these hydrangeas as late as mid-August without affecting next year’s bloom, but it’s […]
Pruning Versus Trimming: What’s the Difference?
Both pruning and thinning are intended to reduce the size of a shrub but they’re done quite differently and with different tools. Trimming This is what many people do when they’re not sure how to prune their shrubs. They get out the hedge trimmer and shear away the outermost branch tips to form a neat […]
How to Prune Forsythia
Forsythia is one of the most commonly-grown shrubs in the home garden – and one of the most abused. There are two approaches to pruning forsythia, depending on what state it’s in. Here’s how to decide which approach to take and how to do it.