How to Prune Big Blue Hydrangeas

Big blue hydrangea shrubs are easy to prune.

There are more than 20 varieties of hydrangea plants, five of which are popular in the United States. According to the US National Arboretum, the most popular hydrangea variety is known at the Hydrangea macrophylla, which comes in a variety of colors such as white, pink and blue. The blue variety produce big, blue clusters of flowers and is tolerant of most climates across the United States. With proper care and careful pruning, you can control the size of your hydrangea and enjoy its beautiful blue blossoms for years to come.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears

Instructions

The Pruning Process

1. Plan to perform your springtime pruning after you see the hydrangea beginning to grow and the leaf buds beginning to break. Carefully remove any dead stems that were damaged by the cold of winter. Remove the dead stems by pruning just above a node on the stem.

2. Control the height and volume of your hydrangea with summertime pruning. Prune your blue hydrangea during the time frame ranging from the middle of July to the middle of August. This should coincide with the plant's full bloom and is perfect timing to control the size.

3. Stop pruning your hydrangea by mid-August to get ready for winter. This variety of hydrangea establishes its flower buds in fall and stores them over the winter. Pruning after this point can remove the buds and reduce the amount of flowers that you will have next year.

4. After the plant is a minimum of five years old, begin removing approximately 1/3 of the living stems down to ground level each year. This will keep your hydrangea healthy and vibrant for years to come.

Tips & Warnings

• Expect that your blue hydrangea will return to its full size very quickly after your summertime pruning. Size is a very important consideration before your plant your hydrangea, since correct placement will minimize the need to reduce the size of the plant.

• Pruning to control the size of your blue hydrangea or to "deadhead" spent flowers should be completed shortly after the plant has finished flowering.

• Regular pruning will give you a healthy, robust and full hydrangea plant. According to the US National Arboretum, pruning established plants during the winter (when there are no blossoms or leaves) is the easiest time to do so since you have maximum visibility.

• Pruning your hydrangea incorrectly can reduce the number of flowers that will bloom the following year.

References

• US National Arboretum: Hydrangea Questions and Answers
• University of Massachusetts, Amherst Green School: Hydrangea Pruning

Resources

• HydrangeasHydrangeas.com: Pruning Made Easy
• North Carolina State University Extension: Pruning Hydrangeas