The variety and timing matters when deadheading hydrangeas so you don’t accidentally cut off future flowers.
Once those flowers fade, is deadheading hydrangeas a good idea?
Heres what you need toknow about deadheadinghydrangeas the right way, according to a hydrangea expert.
Credit:Liudmila Chernetska / Getty Images
Ryan McEnaneyis a garden designer and spokesperson for Endless Summer hydrangeas and First Editions plant brands.
Why Deadhead Hydrangeas?
Deadheading encourages hydrangeas to use their energy to make new flower heads instead of seeds.
It stimulates new foliage and stem growth, setting up the plant for more blooms.
It can also make your shrub look tidier if you dont like the look ofdried flowers on your hydrangeas.
Dont confuse deadheading with pruning.Pruning hydrangeasinvolves removing big sections of the plant’s wood and stems.
Deadheading involves just clipping off the spent flowers and as little of the stem as possible.
When to Deadhead Hydrangeas
The best time to deadhead hydrangeas depends on thetype you grow.
There are three general categories of hydrangeas based on how they bloom.
New Wood Hydrangeas
New wood hydrangea varieties bloom on the current years growth.
New wood hydrangeas includesmooth hydrangeas, panicle hydrangeas, and some bigleaf and mountain hydrangeas.
Its more of an aesthetic choice.
And for some hydrangeas, the spent flowers can actually be quite attractive themselves.
Old Wood Hydrangeas
Old wood hydrangeas are varieties that bloom on last years stems.
They create their flower buds for next year when they finish blooming this year.
The flower buds sit on the plants all year, waiting until summer to bloom.
Old wood hydrangeas includeoakleaf hydrangeas,climbing hydrangeas, and older bigleaf and mountain hydrangeas varieties.
Theres no need to deadhead old wood hydrangeas unless you want to tidy up the plant, McEnaney says.
Deadheading will not make old wood hydrangeas bloom again this season.
They bloom once, and theyre done until next year.
For this reason, you gotta be careful when you deadhead.
Trim too late this year, and you may cut off next years buds and have a bloomless summer.
Reblooming hydrangeas should be deadheaded right after they finish their spring or summer blooming cycle.
Youll get a second round of flowers if you promptly clip off the old blooms.
That leaf axil is where the new bud will develop.
If you cut too far down, youre messing with next years blooms.
you might be more aggressive with hydrangeas that bloom on new wood.
