Of the approximately 70 types of hydrangea that exist worldwide, only a few are important in our climate zone. However, the breeders were all the busier, because there is an almost unmanageable number of varieties and breeds. With hydrangeas, it is very important to know the exact type and variety, because the specific cutting measures depend on this.
Don't prune your garden hydrangea too much; otherwise it will bear fewer flowers next year
Do not prune garden hydrangeas too much
Experts usually divide hydrangeas into two pruning groups: The first group blooms on the previous year's wood and must not be severely pruned in spring. The second group flowers on this year's wood and can easily be cut back radically in spring. Garden hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) belong to the first group, which is why only the old inflorescences have to be removed in spring. However, there are new Marcophylla breeds that bloom on both old and new wood. These can also be cut back a little more if you are aiming for a more compact growth.
New perennial garden hydrangea varieties
So far, garden hydrangeas have only bloomed on old, last year's wood. With the varieties "Endless Summer" and the "Forever & Ever" series, there are now hydrangeas that also form flowers on the fresh, annual shoots. About every six weeks, new buds form, which open in the same summer. The advantage of this new variety lies in its willingness to flower: even if flower buds freeze in spring, new buds are immediately reproduced on the young shoots.
| variety | flower color | heyday | growth height | growth width | hardiness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endless Summer | blue to pink (depending on pH) | July to October | 150 cm | 180 cm | Well |
| Forever & Ever "Pink" | blue to pink (depending on pH) | July to October | 90 cm | 120 cm | Well |
| Forever & Ever "Blue" | blue to pink (depending on pH) | July to October | 90 cm | 120 cm | Well |
| Forever & Ever "Red" | intense pink | July to October | 90 cm | 120 cm | Well |
| Forever & Ever "Peppermint" | white-pink | July to October | 90 cm | 120 cm | Well |
| Endless Summer "Twist & Shout" | pink | July to October | 150 cm | 180 cm | Well |
taper or thinning cut
In the first few years, garden hydrangeas do not require any pruning at all. It is best to leave them completely alone at first to allow them to build up into even bushes. Later they can be thinned out regularly. In the spring, cut off a third of the oldest shoots just above the ground. In this way, the growth of new shoots is stimulated from below. This will prevent the bushes from aging.
Pruning measures for perpetually flowering garden hydrangeas
With the new, continuously flowering Marcophylla varieties, you should regularly cut out everything that has faded to stimulate further flowering. Only the flowers that appear later are left on the plant as autumn and winter decorations and only cut off in the following late winter / spring.
tips and tricks
If your garden hydrangea does not want to bloom properly or does not form any buds, the cause is usually incorrect pruning, for example because faded flower stalks were cut too low in the previous autumn or because the plant was pruned in spring. Do not cut back garden hydrangeas, just cut off the old inflorescences.