2019 Winter Impact on Hydrangeas

Weather chart showing extremely low winter temperatures

Time to report on 2019 winter impact on hydrangeas. In early May, I went out to my Zone 5 garden to see what the past winter had done to my hydrangeas that bloom on old wood: big leaf (macrophylla) and mountain hydrangea (serrata). I also checked on the oak leaf (quercifolia) and climbing (petiolaris) hydrangeas I grow. 

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Pruning Your Old Wood Hydrangeas

Is it time to prune this big leaf hydrangea or time to wait?

Pruning your old wood hydrangeas may be possible now. But not all of them which is a source of much confusion.Which ones should you examine for this task? Your old wood plants include big leaf hydrangeas (macrophylla), mountain hydrangeas (serrata), oak leaf hydrangeas (quercifolia),  and climbing hydrangeas (petiolaris). Even if your plant is a rebloomer…

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Hydrangea Pruning: ‘Annabelle’ and ‘Limelight’

Annabelle hydrangea before spring pruning

Hydrangea pruning of  ‘Annabelle’ and ‘Limelight’ is the order of the day in my April Connecticut garden. They both flower on the growth they will put on this year, better known as “new wood.” In hydrangea-land, those new wood plants are woodland/smooth hydrangea arborescens like ‘Annabelle’, or for example any plant that has Incrediball® or…

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Get Ready For Hydrangea Pruning

Hydrangea being pruned

It’s just about time to engage in a gardener’s spring ritual and get ready for hydrangea pruning. We have had a few teaser days of 50 degrees but where I live in Connecticut the footing hasn’t been safe enough to go out and do much. But it has been a good time to get things…

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Time To Prune New Wood Hydrangeas

New wood hydrangea Pinky Winky needs to be pruned.

It’s time to prune new wood hydrangeas, especially if your plants live in warm parts of the U.S. (zone 7 and up) and elsewhere. It’s hard to conceive of that when you live where I do (zone 5) as we stare down yet another frigid blast of cold air over the next few days. But…

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Preparing Your Hydrangeas For Winter

Winter view of ornamental grass

It’s time to start preparing your hydrangeas for winter. With autumn’s official start right around the corner on September 22, it’ a good time to start to get your plants ready for winter while the weather is still pleasant and mild.

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Pinch Prune Your Hydrangeas

Big Leaf hydrangea in mid-season

Just when you thought you were finished w/pruning your hydrangeas, now I tell you it’s time to “pinch prune” them. But wait – someone said I’m not supposed to cut them at all! Yes and no.

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Fertilizing Hydrangeas

Bag of Rose-tone fertilizer

Did your hydrangeas whisper “Feed Me” as you admired them today? If not, they should have because it’s high time for fertilizing hydrangeas. Although their needs are similar, you fertilize each variety a bit differently, so let’s take them a little at a time.

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Winter’s Impact On Hydrangeas Part Two

Local Winter Temperature Chart 2017-2018

This is the second of two reports on winter’s impact on hydrangeas. A brief recap here. In my last post, I detailed how I went out in May to assess winter’s damage, fearing the worst. We had had a 2 week stretch of exceptionally cold winter weather which typically freezes the flowers buds that sleep…

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