Hydrangea up close

[elleng]

8. Sounds GREAT!

THESE 'directions' for pruning seem much more doable for my 'little' one than for your HUGE and FABULOUS hydrangea!

Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood
These include bigleaf, oakleaf, and climbing hydrangeas. They produce flower buds in late summer, so you should prune them right after the flowers fade to encourage new growth and next year's blooms. Pruning in fall, winter, or spring can remove the buds before they bloom.

Other hydrangeas
You can prune these in fall, late winter, or spring by cutting stems back to just above a large, healthy bud or leaf node. This is called a heading cut. You can also remove dead or broken branches. When pruning, avoid removing more than 30% of the plant, as this can remove too much of the framework that supports the plant and reduces its ability to produce food for the roots. You can also try cutting stems that cross over each other to improve airflow and encourage new growth