Panicle hydrangeas owe a lavish sea of flowers from summer to autumn to the rigorous pruning in spring. Hydrangea paniculata are subject to a completely different pruning than classic farmer's hydrangeas. You can find out why this is so here. Our practical tutorial explains when and how to properly prune your loveliest summer bloomers.

It is best to prune your panicle hydrangea in the spring, before it sprout

Table of Contents

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  1. Why cut?
  2. types of cuts
  3. Best time
  4. build-up cut
  5. Shape and clearing cut
  6. Standard training cut
  7. Instruction cutting technique
  8. cutting profile
  9. frequently asked Questions

    10. Pruning doubles the number of flowers - that's why you should cut

    In the growth behavior of the 80 types of hydrangea, the panicle hydrangea is unusual in one respect. While pruning hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) usually do not require pruning shears, Hydrangea paniculata blossom all the more luxuriantly after a courageous pruning. In fact, every cut on the respective shoot is rewarded with double the number of flowers compared to the summer of the previous year. The explanation is very simple:

    panicle hydrangeas lay their buds on this year's wood on. Two leaf or shoot buds are located exactly opposite each other. If you follow the pruning instructions in this tutorial, both buds will be encouraged below an intersection, sprouting happily with numerous flower buds.

    Target determines the type of cut - an overview

    With the right pruning, a well-formed, lavishly flowering panicle hydrangea is within reach. No other hydrangea species is similarly dependent on targeted pruning, which begins in the first year. So that your panicle hydrangea shows its most beautiful side every year, the focus is on these 3 types of cut:

    Cut Types aim Period
    construction cut well-formed framework 1st to 4th year
    Shape and clearing cut compact growth, opulent abundance of flowers from the 5th year
    Upbringing to the standard slender, stable trunk with a harmonious crown full of flowers starting with planting

    With the instructions for growth, shape and thinning cut, this tutorial is aimed at home gardeners who want a flowering panicle hydrangea as an ornamental shrub in the bed or tub. For the cultivation of panicle hydrangeas in small gardens, front yards and tubs, the instructions for training pruning are intended as standard stems.

    tips

    Panicle hydrangeas are grown in containers in tree nurseries and garden centers. This has the advantage that you can plant the valuable flowering shrubs at any time of the year in frost-free weather. In contrast to bare-root goods, the young shrubs are preserved no pruning.

    The best time is in late winter

    In order for a panicle hydrangea to be in full bloom from July, the time of pruning must not be too late in spring. The robust frost hardiness of the hydrangea species means that it can be used as early as the end of February/beginning of March. This choice of date also conforms to the provisions of the Federal Nature Conservation Act. This allows heavy pruning of trees and shrubs until March 1st, because that is when the breeding season for native birds begins.

    Instructions for the assembly cut

    A well-proportioned panicle hydrangea does not form itself. A compact habit and abundance of flowers are the result of professional pruning from the start. The aim is to build up 5 to 7 skeletal shoots in order to achieve the desired shrub height over the course of the first 4 years on the basis of this structuring. This is how the build-up cut succeeds with flying colours:

    • In the first year select 5 to 7 of the strongest shoots and shorten them to 20 cm
    • Cut all others close to the ground
    • From the second year, extend the scaffolding shoots in stages to the desired height
    • Cut off ground shoots without scaffolding function at ground level

    Beginning with the second year, stop cutting back all the shoots to the same length. To achieve a natural growth habit, prune the outer branches to 1 to 2 pairs of buds. Lower shoots positioned inside the bush are cut back to 3 to 4 pairs of buds. In this way you give your panicle hydrangea a semi-circular dome shape, which is equally advantageous for large and small varieties.

    Instructions for the shape and thinning cut

    At the beginning of the fifth year of growth, the growth cut leads to an annual form and thinning cut. If your panicle hydrangea presents itself with a stable framework of shoots that branch out near the base and bloom profusely every year on the new wood, you have done everything right. To keep it that way, continue with the care of the cut as follows:

    • From the fifth year, remove 2 to 3 of the oldest shoots without beginning
    • Cut back strong young shoots to 20 to 30 cm as a replacement, cut off the rest close to the ground
    • Shorten outer side shoots to 1 to 2, inner side shoots to 3 to 4 pairs of buds

    There is no reason to worry if your panicle hydrangea then takes its time until April with the new shoots of blossom wood. The deep cut is intended to awaken the sleeping eyes at the base of the shoots to floral life. This process can drag on for a few weeks and then sets in with all vehemence.

    Thin out bare, overaged scaffolding shoots at ground level. The remaining one-year-old branches are radically shortened to a height of 30 to 40 centimeters. At least two pairs of buds per shoot should remain.

    digression

    The cutting tool

    You need sharp, one-hand pruning shears for the annual pruning and trimming of a panicle hydrangea. The tool should fit comfortably in your hand, be smooth-running and have shock absorbers so that you can work safely and without tiring. For left-handers, the specialist trade has just as extensive a range ready as for right-handed gardeners. The choice of bypass or anvil mechanism is a matter of personal preference. If over-aged shoots with a diameter of more than 3 centimeters have to be cut, we recommend keeping a handy folding saw at hand. Before the cutting work should Blades sharpened and disinfected will.

    Upbringing to the standard - this is how you do it right

    A young panicle hydrangea is ideal for training to become a picturesque standard. The good-natured pruning tolerance and the ability to sprout from dormant eyes near the base of the shoot make the flowering hydrangea a prime example for standard-stem training. As a starting point, choose a mature young plant that has a strong central shoot with a height of between 60 and 100 centimeters. Here's a step-by-step guide to parenting:

    Pruning in the year of planting

    In the year of planting in the bed or tub, determine the strongest central shoot for the future trunk. Cut off all competing shoots that are aligned vertically. Tie the main shoot to a support rod, as shown in the figure below.

    Education cut after one year

    After the first year, you determine the trunk height and the position of the future crown. To do this, count 5 pairs of buds above the desired trunk height on the main shoot. There, place the scissors over the top pair of buds as explained in the pruning technique section. In the course of the summer growth phase, new shoots sprout from the buds and form a crown, as shown in the figure below.

    Shape and thinning cut in the following years

    Once you have initiated the crown formation, the annual pruning aims to preserve the shape and promote the abundance of flowers. Each spring, remove shoots that compete with the trunk and side shoots that you don't want to be part of the crown. Shorten the faded crown shoots of the previous year down to one or two pairs of buds. From the fourth year, thin out the crown additionally by completely removing old shoots. The aim of the pruning is a light-flooded crown, the branches of which have leaves and flowers from the base to the tip.

    It depends on the cutting technique - that's how it works

    When cutting, follow the rule of thumb: cut panicle hydrangea at the buds. This premise applies regardless of whether it is a training or thinning cut. Please position the scissors in such a way that the thickened vegetation points are not injured and water can drain easily from the cut. Avoid a longer stub that dies and impedes the speedy healing of the wound. The figure below shows how to do it correctly.

    Cut close to a pair of buds. Make the cut at a slight angle away from the two opposite buds. A distance of 5 to 10 millimeters is ideal.

    If a panicle hydrangea gets old, aging shoots on the inside and outside are completely removed. With so-called thinning, you don't have to look out for leaf or flower buds. Position the shears or saw close to the ground to make room for fresh growth from the rootstock. If a small cone remains from the thinned out ground shoot, it dries up over the course of the summer, while fresh shoots sprout from the rootstock elsewhere.

    Profile with elementary facts about the cut

    The following profile summarizes all the facts that are relevant to your decision about the right incision. If you are familiar with the key functions of growth, you will always know exactly when and how to professionally prune your panicle hydrangeas:

    • Belongs to the genus Hydrangea (Hydrangea)
    • Name of the species: panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata)
    • Growth: Perennial, upright, deciduous flowering shrub
    • Growth height: 200 to 300 cm, dwarf varieties 100 to 150 cm
    • Annual growth: 15 to 30 cm
    • Flowering period: July to November
    • Budding of flowers: on this year's wood
    • Arrangement of buds: paired opposite
    • Hardiness: good hardy
    • Cut compatibility: excellent
    • Toxic content: slightly toxic

    Unlike the vast majority of popular peasant hydrangeas, panicle hydrangeas require a rethink when pruning. At the beginning of the flowering period, farmer's hydrangeas already have the inflorescences for next year's flowering period. Cutting care is limited here to cleaning out faded flowers in autumn or spring. On panicle hydrangeas there is not yet a trace of flower buds in early spring. The aim here is to lure out the fresh wood by means of the shape and thinning out, on which this year's inflorescences will then develop.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I use cut shoots as cuttings?

    In the cutting profile you can read that a panicle hydrangea is blooming on the new wood. The cut shoots of the previous year only have a low vitality. If you want to propagate the summer bloomer with cuttings, wait until June/July. Life pulsates in the fresh shoots of a panicle hydrangea, so that the shoot tips are ideal for use as cuttings.

    Cut off faded flowers in autumn or not?

    Many home gardeners perceive the withered blossoms as a visual disruptive factor in the autumnal appearance of the garden. Pruning a panicle hydrangea in autumn will not affect the flowering period of the following year. Cut off a withered flower above a pair of leaves. In locations with mild winters, you can use this opportunity to carry out the complete shape and thinning cut.

    3 typical cutting mistakes

    Are you struggling with a panicle hydrangea, the shape of which is reminiscent of an old shaving brush, has hardly any leaves inside and is blooming noticeably less? Then please take a look at these 3 typical pruning mistakes that home gardeners often make:

    error consequence correction
    never cleared impenetrable, dense branching, few flowers at the tips of the shoots Thin out old shoots regularly, maintain shrub training with 5 to 7 scaffolding shoots
    too timid pruning increasing bareness from below, decreasing willingness to bloom annual vigorous pruning of all shoots by up to two thirds
    all branches cut back linearly to the same height unnatural growth form that falls apart Cut shoots inside the bush to 4 pairs of buds, shorten outer branches to 2 pairs of buds

    Can you identify one of these common mistakes as the cause of a blighted panicle hydrangea? Then don't be afraid to radically shorten the entire shrub next spring. The good-natured pruning tolerance allows the ornamental wood to shine again with the construction, shape and thinning pruning of this tutorial.

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    tips

    Transplanting a panicle hydrangea is inextricably linked to pruning. The change to another location is accompanied by the loss of root volume. This loss is compensated for by cutting back the shoots proportionally. This premise applies regardless of whether you transplant the flowering shrub in the fall or spring.

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Vegetable garden