Garden Detective

Caring for hydrangeas can seem a bit daunting because different species require different maintenance. If you mistake one type for another, you'll end up with a blossom-less season, or worse. It's really not that bad, as long as you keep the plant tag that came with the plant and use the handy guide I've prepared for you:

Hydrangea macrophylla: Prune in late summer, as soon as the flowers fade, but never after September. Remove weaker stems from the base of the plant, being careful to retain several stems of old wood, which will produce buds for next year's flowers. You can prune now, too, but it will cost you flowers this year.

Hydrangea arborescens 'Grandiflora': Cut to the ground in late winter/early spring. If it survived the winter nicely, however, and you'd like it to grow better, do a light selective pruning, cutting branches at varying heights.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora' (Peegee): Simply remove spent flowers and thin or cut back last year's growth in late winter/early spring.

Hydrangea quercifolia (oakleaf hydrangea): Remove dead wood at the base of the plant in early spring.

Hydrangea anomala petiolaris (climbing hydrangea): Unruly vines can be shortened in summer. Otherwise, pruning is seldom necessary.

That wasn't so bad, was it?