Overview
- Experts say Hydrangea paniculata and H. arborescens, which bloom on new wood, can be pruned in late winter or early spring, cutting back to healthy buds to encourage strong new shoots.
- Most bigleaf mophead and lacecap hydrangeas (H. macrophylla) and some oakleaf types form buds on last year's stems, so avoid spring pruning and wait until after they flower to do any shaping.
- For gentle spring touch-ups on old-wood bloomers, remove only faded heads to the first strong pair of buds and take out dead or weak stems, as hard cuts will reduce summer blooms.
- A quick scratch test helps target only dead wood for removal now, and clean, sharp tools are advised to prevent disease and ragged cuts.
- Seasonal tips include adding a 2–4 inch mulch, watering deeply if conditions are dry, delaying fertilizer until new growth appears, and noting that soil pH shifts flower color only in mophead types, with one guide citing an Aug. 1 no-prune cutoff for those varieties.