Large-leaved hydrangea: pruning for the winter, spring and autumn

Pruning in the fall of large-leaved hydrangea is carried out for rejuvenation, maintaining an attractive appearance and for sanitary purposes. Many gardeners recommend dividing pruning into 2 stages – autumn and spring. In the middle of autumn, 2-year-old flower stalks are removed, and in the spring all other types of haircuts are carried out. Pruning is done with sharp garden shears or secateurs, it is better to immediately sprinkle damaged areas with wood ash.

Do I need to prune large-leaved hydrangea

Large-leaved hydrangea, like other varieties of this perennial flowering shrub, can live well without pruning. However, if you do not do a regular haircut, this will noticeably worsen the appearance of the plant. Depending on the purpose, there are several types of pruning:

1. Sanitary – removal of shoots affected by diseases.
2. Rejuvenating – stimulating the growth of new shoots.
3. Cardinally rejuvenating – a complete update of the bush by removing a significant part of the old branches.
4. Formative – pruning for aesthetic purposes.

Such a division is largely conditional. When gardeners prune large-leaved hydrangeas, they have several goals at once. Moreover, the procedure is carried out regularly – otherwise the neglected bush will cease to decorate the garden.

Pruning large-leaved hydrangea is required for both decorative and sanitary purposes.

Why do you need pruning large-leaf hydrangea

Hydrangea pruning is required, and it is carried out for different purposes:

• maintaining a beautiful bush silhouette by creating the desired shape;
• maintaining active flowering (if you remove individual shoots, flower stalks will receive more water and nutrients);
• removal of all damaged, broken, old shoots;
• removal of all branches affected by diseases.

The main advantage of pruning is that due to the removal of old shoots, new branches start to grow at a faster pace. This has a good effect on both the appearance and health of the large-leaved hydrangea.

When can you prune a large-leaved hydrangea?

There are 2 terms for pruning shrubs – in spring and autumn, and among gardeners there is no consensus yet on when it is better to cut:

1. In the autumn (3-4 weeks before the first frost) it is often recommended to prune only paniculate and tree hydrangeas.
2. In the spring (in March, before the juices begin to move), you can cut a large-leaved variety. Also in the spring it is recommended to prune any kind of young hydrangeas.

It is also possible to combine both options – for example, remove all faded inflorescences in the fall (late September or mid-October), and then form a bush at your discretion in the spring (late March or early April). At the same time, you can remove all old and damaged shoots.

In the summer, a haircut is not needed. For example, there is no need to prune a large-leaved hydrangea after flowering – it is better to wait until mid-autumn. But if an urgent case arose (a strong wind broke or broke the branches), it is better to carefully remove them by cutting them with a pruner or garden shears. Sprinkle the cut with ash or other disinfectant.

It is in the spring that the main pruning of the large-leaved hydrangea is done.

How to prune a large-leaved hydrangea

Pruning large-leaved hydrangea has significant features. After buying and planting a bush in a permanent place, pruning is not carried out during the first 2-3 years, since this is not necessary. However, old, wind-damaged shoots can also be removed from a young shrub.

The main haircut begins to be done in older hydrangeas. To carry out the correct pruning, you should consider a few rules:

1. The bush blooms on the shoots of last year, so they can not be removed either in autumn or in spring.
2. If the shoots bloom for the second year in a row, they should be removed in the fall, as they will no longer produce any flowers.
3. All other types of pruning (in order to form hydrangeas, rejuvenate and remove old, damaged shoots) must be carried out in the spring, immediately after the growth buds swell.

General scheme for pruning large-leaved hydrangeas in autumn and spring

How to prune large-leaved hydrangea in autumn

At this time, it is necessary to remove only obviously damaged branches and 2-year-old faded shoots. The instructions for pruning large-leaved hydrangeas in the fall are quite simple for both beginners and experienced gardeners:

1. Take scissors or secateurs, disinfect in a special agent – for example, a 2% solution of potassium permanganate.
2. Completely remove all 2-year-old flower stalks – next year they will no longer bloom. Cuts can be made at right angles.
3. Sprinkle all sections with wood ash or crushed coal.

How to prune large-leaved hydrangea in spring

Pruning a large-leaved hydrangea for the winter is a preparatory stage before the main haircut, which is most often carried out in early spring.

1. Inspect the bush and, first of all, cut off all old, diseased, damaged branches at a right angle.
2. On healthy shoots, remove frost-damaged tips – this is especially true for regions with extreme winters.
3. Leave 6-10 skeletal branches (strong, supporting shoots) completely and 3-5 last year’s branches.
4. Thin out the crown – prune all shoots that clearly spoil the shape, as well as branches growing deep into the crown, overlapping each other.
5. Carry out anti-aging pruning: remove all old shoots, leaving 3-4 healthy buds below. It is they who will give new flowering branches, which will be noticeably stronger than the previous ones.

Thanks to stimulating pruning, the bush will completely rejuvenate, which will have a good effect on its health and flowering.

Hydrangea is cut with secateurs or garden shears

Caring for large-leaved hydrangea after pruning

At the time of pruning itself, the bush is under stress, so it is better to leave it alone: ​​watering is given if necessary (complete absence of rain), and top dressing is not applied at this time. Further care depends on the season.

After spring pruning (after 2-3 weeks), the flower is given potassium and nitrogen fertilizers that stimulate the growth of shoots, which is especially important at the beginning of the season. You can use, for example, urea and potassium sulfate. They are taken in equal amounts (15-20 g each) and dissolved in 10 liters of water – this amount is enough for 2 bushes. Instead, fertilizer can be given with slurry dissolved in water in a ratio of 1:10.

After autumn pruning (also after 2-3 weeks), the hydrangea must not only be well fed, but also prepared for winter. The basic rules for care are:

1. The plant must be fed with superphosphate and potassium sulfate – a tablespoon per 10 liters of water. You can also give some organic matter, but if it is used for mulching, additional fertilizer should not be applied.
2. The trunk circle is mulched with a layer of 5-6 cm. Humus or peat is used as mulch. From above, you can additionally insulate with sawdust or needles. Organics not only retains heat well, but also provides the soil with nutrients, which will come in handy with the onset of the new season.
3. After pruning, it is better to wrap young bushes of large-leaved hydrangeas for the winter. This can be done using agrofiber, burlap and other improvised materials. Despite the high winter hardiness of individual varieties (up to -35 degrees), in the regions of the Urals, Siberia and the Far East, it is recommended to cover even adult bushes.

Based on this, it can be calculated that the haircut is carried out in mid-September, and top dressing is given in mid-October. In the southern regions, the timing can be slightly shifted.

Proper care after pruning guarantees lush flowering of hydrangeas throughout the season.

Tips from experienced gardeners

Experienced gardeners regularly prune large-leaved hydrangeas, and judging by reviews and reports, they prefer to do this in early spring. Some of them even cut their hair in July. For example, open sources describe the method of Tim Bebel, an American florist who sells hydrangeas in a specialty store.

The essence of his method is as follows:

1. In July, all non-flowering shoots are shortened by 1/3.
2. At the same time, only 1 lateral kidney is left, which is located closest to the ground.
3. For the winter, all damaged and diseased branches are removed, and the remaining buds are carefully covered.
4. In the spring, young powerful shoots will appear from them, which in the summer will be equal to the previous ones.

Conclusion

Pruning large-leaved hydrangeas in the fall is a fairly simple procedure: at this time, it is enough to remove only 2-year-old flowering shoots. The main types of haircuts are carried out as early as next year, from mid-March to early April (depending on the climatic conditions of the region).

You can visually study the method of pruning large-leaved hydrangea in the fall in the video: