Should Hydrangea Blooms Be Trimmed After Losing Color

How and When to Deadhead Hydrangeas to Proceed Them Blooming All Summertime Long

A gardening expert shares her advice for removing spent flowers like a pro.

Deadheading your hydrangeas correctly—and at the advisable time—only improves these plants down the route. Similar to pruning, deadheading is the practice of removing spent flowers from a found to encourage meliorate blooms afterwards on. "Deadheading allows the energy produced past the plant to get into the leaves, stems, and roots (rather than forming seeds) for future growth," explains professional gardener Melinda Myers.

blue and purple hydrangea bushes

Credit: Getty / Photograph by Kangheewan.

In addition to bolstering the futurity blooms, Myers says deadheading your hydrangeas has artful benefits, as well. "Removing faded flowers creates a neat and tidy advent, which many gardeners prefer over the await of leaving dried flowers on the plant," she explains. Withal, Myers says knowing when and how to deadhead your hydrangeas volition depend on what species it is. Nosotros asked her for advice about the best time and ways to remove finished flowers from different types of hydrangeas, and here's what she had to share.

Accept the right tools gear up.

Before you lot tin deadhead your hydrangeas correctly, Myers says you'll need to have the appropriate shears handy. "Use pruners, which have two sharp blades that cutting like scissors. They handle stems up to half an inch in diameter, and so they're all-time for deadheading," she explains. "They as well permit you lot to extend your reach, which may be helpful when pruning larger panicle hydrangeas."

Go to know your variety.

Meyers says that the best time to clip your hydrangeas depends on the species. "Bigleaf hydrangeas, such as Endless Summer, should be deadheaded when the first set up of flowers sprouts from final year'southward growth in the spring, as it eliminates the faded flowers before the next flush appears," she explains. "If you want a longer stem, yous can make a deeper cutting as long equally it is washed earlier July or August when the plant begins forming buds for next year'due south flowers." For smooth hydrangeas, she suggests removing the faded flowers as before long every bit they fade to green to ensure a 2nd flush of smaller flowers in the fall.

Acquire how to deadhead hydrangeas.

According to Myers, how you deadhead your hydrangeas is every bit every bit important equally when yous do information technology. "Locate the first set of total-sized leaves below the flower, and brand your cut correct above it," she says. "Substantially, you're removing the faded flowers to reveal a set of salubrious leaves. This can exist done correct after flowering, or in tardily winter or early spring."

And when not to deadhead hydrangeas.

If you're looking for an effortless mode to add interest to your wintertime garden, Myers suggests leaving the dried flowers on your hydrangeas. "Cease deadheading in the fall, when bigleaf hydrangeas produce their last flush of flowers, to enjoy the dried blooms throughout the winter," she says. "These can exist removed to assist produce salubrious buds in the spring."

Accept care before you snip.

Myers recommends waiting for the buds to begin to swell in spring, right before they leaf out, to make it easy to identify healthy buds to snip above. "Be careful not to remove large portions of the stems of bigleaf types," she adds. "By early August, they've usually gear up their buds for side by side year."