As already mentioned in another article, the hydrangea is cut back in February. What is very important, however, is to distinguish between the different types and varieties. Because the same thing doesn't apply to everyone. What about the snowball hydrangea? Can you prune the viburnum hydrangea and if so, how hard?
The pruning of ball hydrangeas or bush hydrangeas, as they are also called, takes place once a year. And what about the popular variety 'Annabelle', which is so often seen in private gardens? Does it make an exception, like some varieties of farmer's hydrangeas? I would like to summarize which methods have proven successful for my example. They can also be used in pots for snowball hydrangeas.
When to cut the snowball hydrangea
Important NOTE:Farm hydrangeas are also often found under the name “ball hydrangea”, which causes confusion among laypeople. I point out that in this articlenotIt's about the farmer's hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), because it belongs to a different cutting group
The snowball hydrangea (Hydrangea aborescens) is one of those hydrangea species that only produces its flowers in spring and on new wood. In contrast to this isthe other cutting group, in which this process already takes place in the previous year. So in the new season they bloom on the old wood. If you were to remove this by pruning it in February, the flowers would also fail.
Our shrub hydrangeas not only tolerate the radical pruning in late winter, they actually need it. They will thank you with lush growth and, above all, lush flowering.
Which cutting dates are possible?
- In the fall you canRemove spent flowersand cut back the bush. But that would make for a pretty bare look in the garden.
- Instead you canPruning in autumnFall out and leave the dry, but very decorative flowers on the plant and use the scissors in late winter. The plant can be cut back by the end of February, but at the latest by the beginning of March. Otherwise you would push the flowering phase further back.
Whether a cut is necessary depends on a few factors
Grab the scissors and just start cutting? That doesn't have to be the case. But it’s not complicated either, I promise!
- First considerhow the location behaves, because this depends on how much of the viburnum hydrangea you should cut:
After cutting, the plant sprouts diligently, but the new shoots are quite long and hardly stable. Is it right on you?windy place, you shouldn't cut quite so radically, because if it rains, the already heavy flowers will break or at least hang.
Other reasons for drooping leaves and flowersthese can be.
What needs to be taken into account with the snowball hydrangea 'Annabelle':It also produces very large flowers, which is the main reason for its popularity. Those through thePrune in FebruaryThe resulting thin shoots can then become quite difficult to hold, so support may be necessary during the flowering period. Alternatively, you can also carry out the cut in late autumn or winter and cut more sparingly. Garden expert James explains the whole thing in more detail in the following video:
At onenormal locationa bolder cut is no problem.
- Think about it,how you imagine your shrub:
As already mentioned, pruning in February greatly stimulates growth. The plant sprouts two new shoots on each shortened shoot. This is also the reason why the number of flowers increases.Your goal is lots of large flowers, cut the shrub back every year. However, they come with a less stable branch structure.
Does your hydrangea bush come to you regarding itssteadfastness is too weakBefore, you can strengthen it by simply pruning it every two years. This means that the flower heads are smaller and fewer, but in some cases it can be the better option (for example in the case of an unfavorable, windy location).
How to properly prune Hydrangea aborescens
How you prune correctly depends not only on the factors mentioned above, but also on whether the plant has just been moved into the garden or has been established for a long time.
- The newly planted hydrangea
...you can prune a little more boldly. Take a look at the plant and pick out the three strongest branches. Leave these, you can remove the rest. You should then shorten the hydrangea shoots that you left over by around 30 cm. Longer main shoots can also be up to 50 cm.
Now let the plant grow in peace and do what it has to do. There will also be no radical pruning in the coming late winter. Give it another year to grow and establish itself. In the second year after planting, only trim the freshly grown shoots that emerged after the first cut by approx. 10 cm.
- The habituated shrub
... can be halved, so to speak, and shaped as desired. First pinch off the old flowers and then shorten the wood. However, the cut parts should under no circumstances contain more than two pairs of eyes. With such a moderate cut, you also avoid excessively strong shoots and branches that are too weak, which will later no longer be able to hold the flowers.
If your shrub contains branches that are very old or even dead, these can of course be removed completely. To do this, simply cut them off directly at the bottom.
It is important that every cut is made at an angle, basically like with cut flowers, so to speak. This has the advantage that moisture can drain away better and the risk of illness is prevented. Always cut the snowball hydrangea directly above a pair of eyes.
- If you do the pruning every year
... you must ensure that you promote a stable branch structure. For this purpose, you should also completely remove weak shoots when cutting back every few years. At the same time, thinning is necessary from time to time, as well as removing hydrangea shoots that grow inwards.
- Is a rejuvenation cut possible?
I mentioned above that you should never cut off more than two pairs of eyes. However, if your hydrangea bush has become quite old, you can make an exception to rejuvenate it. In this case, a radical cut is permitted, which stimulates the plant to develop many new shoots. For this purpose, cut the snowball hydrangea back to a full 15 cm or a maximum of 10 cm.
Take a look at a summary of the cutting instructions in this video:
Each cutting technique produces a different result. What seems best to me may not apply to you. So I just recommend you to test it. You will notice the difference in the same season and then you can decide for yourself whether you want to change something. Luckily, ball hydrangeas are really easy to care for and tolerate pruning, so you don't have to worry about doing anything wrong. In the new year you always have another chance.
Also interesting:Pruning panicle hydrangeas: 3 mistakes to avoid
