hydrangea

firstly apols for the spelling, I haven't a clue how you spell that right! I've been lookin at it so long now its all looking wrong!

anyway a quick question:

do I trim back the hydrangea bushes I have in my front garden and if so when?

last year I did (they were overgrown and horrid, rented house etc) but they looked like they'd stopped growing. This year there are lots of little buds growing on the stems and I'm a bit lost what to do

all the flower heads are way past their best so do I just take those off? (its been weeks since I've got into the garden, I feel I should have done that weeks ago )

thanks for any tips

aqua
x

 

yes just tidy it up id say and remove flower heads, little buds are probable new leaf shoots and potential flowers

 

Hydrangeas flower on wood produced the previous season. So if you cut them back now, you will be removing all next years flowers. All you need to do now is, as advised, remove the dead flower heads. Then after flowering next season do any pruning necessary.

 

excellent thanks very much

sounds like a nice and easy task too :D just removing flower heads :D just what I need!

 

One book I've got recommends leaving the dead flower heads to protect the substance of the shrub against the worst of winter.