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| ©Linda Nelson 2014 |
Do your Hydrangea paniculata shrubs look like this, or will they within the next few weeks? If not, it’s about time that you get your pruners out, or you have a little talk with your so-called ‘landscaper'(shame on them). I’ve seen many hydrangea pruning ‘masterpieces’, and just as many left altogether untouched. It’s too bad, as those shrubs aren’t given the chance to perform to their greatest potential.
Yes, correctly pruning these shrubs takes time, and yes, it must be done by hand; no hedge trimmers allowed. But the reward is a healthy, well shaped shrub with large, beautiful, cone shaped flowers.
Here’s a closer look at where the pruning cuts should happen; notice that each cut stub has no more than three sets of nodes forming below the cut. Creating a good framework requires the removal of crossing and congestion forming branches, and aiming for a balanced and open structure.
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| ©Linda Nelson 2014 |
A severely disfigured and unhealthy shrub may be better off removed and discarded; you can also cut the entire shrub within one foot of the ground, and just let it regrow again. You won’t have any flowers for that season, and possibly, not even for the next; but, the shrub will redevelop a framework that you can be in control of for future seasons to come. Happy pruning!