Hydrangea pruning.

Hi folks

I need to reduce the size of a large hydrangea in my garden and I would like to know when, how hard to cut and still get a decent display next year.

Thanks in advance :thumb:

 

I'm assuming Hydrangea macrophylla including hortensis the mop-head type.
In spring remove all the stems you need to ground level to reduce the overall size to that required while maintaining a pleasing shape. Cut back the remaining by half or to 2-3 good buds from the base on each stem; these will produce the current years flowers. Naturally having reduced the overall size and number of stems you are likely to get fewer flowers.
If you are in a mild locality you can do this work anytime after flowering although fat new growth buds will not yet be visible so just cut back remaining stems by half and leave at that, or further cut back in spring.

 

Yep ... Plantsman's right, you need to be taking out some of the older gnarled stems, but leaving some of the newer straighter ones.

If you chop it all down to the ground, not only will you cut off all next year's flowers, you'll also stimulate lots of really vigerous new growth, which wll eventually make the shrub even bigger!

 

Thanks folks :thmb:

 

What ever you do - wait until spring!I ignored my father's advice and now don't have a Hydrangea

 

Spring is the best time.

Think of it as a two/ three year prune rather than one hit, gradually completely cut out a few old stems each year. Leave the younger stems, aside from lightly tipping off the old flowers pruneing a few inches bellow the flower to a bud.