The panicle hydrangea "Limelight" is a relatively new variety that attracts attention with its initially green-white, later lemon-yellow flowers. The bud sites are very dense and appear very compact, with only the sterile buds showing. For lush blooms, "Limelight" should be cut back every year, as this hydrangea variety only blooms on new wood.
A vigorous pruning in spring promotes flowering of the Limelight panicle hydrangea
Remove inflorescences or not?
Experienced gardeners remove the dried inflorescences in late autumn or at the beginning of winter. Of course you can also leave them and simply cut them away with the spring cut, but experience has shown that this significantly increases the risk of gray mold infestation, especially in very wet winters. In fact, the spores of this harmful fungus find an ideal shelter for the winter in the dry inflorescences, only to become active again with the returning heat as soon as the budding has started.
Cut back "Limelight".
Above all, the annual rejuvenation or thinning cut should not only be carried out on the panicle hydrangea "Limelight", but on all hydrangeas. The cut prevents senescence and keeps the plant flowering.
Clean-up pruning in the fall
You should inspect your Limelight panicle hydrangea closely every fall. Any damaged, atrophied, or malformed parts must be removed. In particular, if two branches are rubbing against each other, cut off the inward-facing or less attractive of the two, as rubbing will damage the bark and open the door to disease.
Provide light and air by clearing cuts
Panicle hydrangeas whose interior has grown too dense must be thinned out. Finally, removing branches and twigs at the base inside allows air and light to circulate in the heart of the shrub.
Cut back in spring
Panicle hydrangeas such as the "Limelight" variety bloom on this year's wood and can therefore easily be cut back in early spring. You can assume that the flowers will be more numerous and larger the harder the pruning is done. "Limelight" can be cut back radically to 15 to 30 centimeters without further ado, and the shrub will then sprout all the more vigorously in the growth phase. However, if you don't want to be quite so radical, then just cut out the three to four oldest shoots from the middle and shorten all side shoots to a length of about 10 centimeters.
tips and tricks
If you want to take cuttings, choose top cuttings from non-flowering side shoots. The best time to propagate cuttings is during the growing season between June and August.