Comments on: Bloomless Hydrangeas – My Bad

By: Sylvana

Sylvana — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 04:51:53 +0000

I don’t have any hydrangeas. After reading this post, I don’t think that I will get any. They seem way too fussy for my liking.
Good luck with them!

By: Kasmira

Kasmira — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 16:12:06 +0000

I mistakenly pruned mine to the ground last October, after a hard frost blackened the leaves. I thought all was lost, but my Nikko Blue came back and bloomed anyway.
Still, no more pruning for me. It is in a spot where I can let it grow as large as possible. I just have to resist my “tidying” urges.

By: Judith

Judith — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 16:44:37 +0000

My weakest part of gardening is my pruning skills. I also am one who lets something grow and grow and then cautiously deadheads, eventually working up to a more severe cut which seems to suit the plant. I ought to know better by now to follow pruning “rules” but don’t always do so because I am either too late or too early, never on time.

By: firefly

firefly — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 22:01:02 +0000

I highly recommend the Hydrangeas! Hydrangeas! site, which can help you identify what type of hydrangea it is and when to prune it.

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/index.html

It’s a great site — without it, I wouldn’t know that mine is a PeeGee and should be pruned in late winter/early spring.

This year I just cut back the dead canes — I plan to approach shaping the bush very, very cautiously …

By: Kathy Jentz

Kathy Jentz — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 18:33:04 +0000

July is the last chance to prune without losing next year’s buds – but my advice is to not prune at all – ever. Let the plant come to its full size and just deadhead.

By: Takoma Gardener

Takoma Gardener — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 11:15:38 +0000

Oh, I didn’t just cut off the dead blossoms. I cut back all the stems by half. And is it too late to do that now without removing the buds for next year? Not sure.