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To yield the perfect crop of hydrangeas for summer, gardening fans must be prepared to prune as needed. The most difficult part of pruning is identifying old growth from new growth because both need trims at different times.<\/p>\n
The cheat sheet is that old growth in the garden should be pruned in late summer, and new growth should be pruned in late winter to early spring.<\/p>\n
Old growth, sometimes called “old wood”, is the long dry stems left behind in the late summer when the hydrangea blooms have died off.<\/p>\n
Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood set their flower buds in late summer on stalks that have been on the plant since the year before. These plants, therefore, need less pruning. They should be pruned after they flower, and not later than July.<\/p>\n
They can also be lightly pruned in later winter or early spring, to trim weak or damaged stems.<\/p>\n
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