A popular cultivar of the repeat bloomers is 'Endless Summer' but there are many newer repeat blooming cultivars available in the trade. Sometimes
Don't do it or you'll risk cutting off the flower buds. Pruning your hydrangeas to reduce their height isn't effective because they will grow right back to their original size, or even larger because the act of pruning stimulates new growth.
Typically, only a trimming is needed to maintain shape, size, and a healthy plant by cutting out dead, diseased, or broken branches. Otherwise, harsh pruning should be avoided. Trimming should be done immediately after flowering stops in summer, but no later than August 1.
To rejuvenate the hydrangea, remove up to 1/3 of the older living stems down to the ground each summer. This will revitalize the plant. If necessary to control the size of the plant, cut back before late July to allow for buds to develop. Usually the plant will return immediately to its former size.
"When to prune these woody-stemmed hydrangeas is not as critical as [with old wood] varieties, as long as you avoid pruning when the flower buds are opening," says Becker. Trim in early spring, before the flowers begin to bud, or after the plant has finished flowering.
However, stop deadheading hydrangea shrubs in mid to late fall, leaving any spent blooms in place. This not only provides winter interest, but also ensures you don't remove the buds that will become flowers next spring.
Wrap with winter protection.
During the winter, make a DIY A-frame wire cage out of burlap and chicken wire to protect your hydrangea plant. This cage will protect it from winter winds, heavy snowfall, and cold temperatures.
If your hydrangea is too wide for the location, you can dig it up and divide the plant, or move it back away from driveways and walks. If just a few stems are hanging into walkways, follow those to the ground or where they join another stem, and cut them off.
While some plants bloom on new growth, others primarily set flower buds on old wood. Regardless, it is best to wait to prune all hydrangeas until spring. In the fall, hydrangeas (and all trees and shrubs) are in the process of going dormant. They do not produce very much new growth until the following spring.
In late winter or early spring, these shrubs can be cut all the way back to the ground. Smooth hydrangeas will produce much larger blooms if pruned hard like this each year, but many gardeners opt for smaller blooms on sturdier stems.
(3) In addition, if it becomes necessary to prune a plant to reduce its size, it may be cut back in June or July without harming the next year's bloom. But it will return almost immediately to it's former size.
To prepare hydrangeas for winter in colder areas, add a thick layer of mulch around the base of the plants to protect the crown and roots from freezing temperatures.
Most common hydrangeas prefer a partial sun location - ideally receiving sun in the morning hours and shade in the afternoon. The reblooming Endless Summer® Hydrangea series prefers part shade. These include BloomStruck®, Endless Summer®, Blushing Bride®, and Twist-n-Shout®.
With their vibrant, plump blooms, hydrangeas offer a striking display in the warm weather - but what do they look like in the winter? As the delicate petals fade in the colder months, bright hydrangeas can quickly appear dry and brown - requiring targeted care to get them flowering again in April.
Cut back any clearly dead branches, which are brittle and snap off easily. This can be done in the fall or any time you see a dead branch. To reduce the size of a hydrangea that blooms on new wood, cut off about one-third of each stem in late fall or early spring before it begins to leaf out.
Bottom-line: Panicle-type hydrangeas should be pruned in late winter or early spring. While they could be pruned in fall, we highly advise waiting until late winter/early spring to reduce risk of injury.
Know when they're beyond repair.
If you catch and treat your hydrangeas when their blooms first start turning brown, Myers says there's a good chance you'll be able to turn them around (as long as it's not due to weather damage). "However, once they turn fully brown, there's not much you can do," she says.
Here are the four most common types of hydrangea: Panicle hydrangeas, sometimes referred to as Pee Gee Hydrangeas or Hydrangea paniculata, are a variety that blooms on new wood only. This group can be pruned in fall or very early spring, but we highly recommend waiting until the spring to reduce risk of injury.
Without going through the deadheading process, hydrangeas will not produce as many flowers and the few produced may not grow as big to their full potential.
Most of the other hydrangeas should be pruned in summer, once they have finished blooming. Most of these bloom on what's called "old wood" — growth from the year before. If you prune them in early spring, you risk cuting off the dormant flower buds.
Tip: it's best to cut hydrangeas in the early am while the weather is cool. Cut stems at an angle. Immediately drop fresh cuts into a container of fresh water. Choose and follow one of the methods below: Hot Water or Alum.