Pruning Oakleaf Hydrangea In Winter

Deadwood can be removed at any time of year.

Pruning oakleaf hydrangea in winter. How to prune an oakleaf hydrangea pruning for shape and size. In my zone 5 gardens when my bigleaf hydrangeas have suffered winterkill my oakleaf and climbing hydrangeas have flowered profusely with no protection. Locate dead or diseased branches on your hydrangea which need to be removed each year for the overall health of the hydrangea. Prune your hydrangea for winter in the early fall when blooms have passed for the season.

When you prepare to prune your oakleaf hydrangea you want to remove older growth. Choose your pruning method based on your type of hydrangea. Pruning to ground level should be done in the spring or fall. Always avoid cutting off the blossoms for next year.

Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on the previous season s growth so prune right after flowering in the fall or in early winter. For the most part climbing and oakleaf hydrangea flower buds are more winter hardy than those of bigleaf hydrangeas. Cold winters sometimes damage oakleaf hydrangea branches and stems and damaged areas. Since they develop flowers on new growth they can be pruned either in late winter or early spring while the plants are dormant and before new growth begins.

You should take approximately one third of the total growth or less but never more. The best time for pruning deadheading oakleaf hydrangeas as soon as the clusters of flowers start to fade. If you want to reduce the size of hydrangea or get the desired shape you need to prune it in the spring. Prune the older growth from oakleaf hydrangeas after the shrub flowers.

Pruning oakleaf hydrangea for size and shape takes place after it finishes flowering. Hydrangea pruning time for oak leaf hydrangeas is right after flowering and the beginning of fall or the early winter.