These hardy cultivated forms convince with an intensive and rich bloom. To ensure that this appears every year and that its intensity does not diminish, editing measures are necessary. With the right basic knowledge about growth, this maintenance procedure is not difficult.
Ball hydrangeas should be pruned by the end of February at the latest
timing and frequency
Snowball hydrangeas bear their flowers on the fresh shoots that are formed in spring. Therefore, you should not prune these shrubs too late. Pruning is possible up to the end of February, with autumn proving to be the best time. If you want your hydrangea to get bigger, don't prune it every year. You can thin out the ornamental shrub as needed if it has grown too dense.
benefits
A regular pruning ensures that the shrub becomes increasingly dense. Two shoots emerge at each intersection as the buds appear in pairs in an opposite arrangement. Therefore, pruning also promotes a lush bloom. The earlier in the year the branches are cut, the sooner the plants bloom. For this reason, you should prefer the fall cut.
This is how hydrangea flowers work in winter:
- withered flower balls create interesting accents in the wintry garden
- Snow and hoarfrost create an aesthetic mood on the flowers
- light brown shades counteract the monotony
The right cut
You can always remove inward-growing branches or clumps that are too close together. When cutting, make sure to position the blade at a slight angle and an inch above the pair of buds. If you shorten the shoots just a little, the shrubs will develop a stable structure of branches. However, their flowers then remain smaller. This procedure is recommended if you are cutting the large-flowered 'Annabelle' hydrangea or if the plants thrive in wind-exposed locations.
First cut
Prune newly planted snowball hydrangeas lightly in spring. Choose three to five strong shoots, shortening them to 30 to 50 centimeters. The following year, focus on the previous year's shoots, of which ten centimeters remain after the cut.
following cuts
If the hydrangeas are well established, all faded shoots are cut off to half their length. One or two pairs of eyes must remain on the branch. Remove diseased, old and dead branches just above the ground so the plant doesn't waste energy.
tips
Varieties like 'Annabelle', which develop particularly large flower balls, need support after pruning. Your flowers then sit on relatively thin shoots.
cutting group
Snowball hydrangeas come from the original species Hydrangea arborescens. They are sometimes known as forest or shrub hydrangeas. Like panicle hydrangeas, they belong to the second group of cuts, the cut of which proves to be uncomplicated.
Some farmer's hydrangeas of the Hydrangea macrophylla species are also wrongly offered as ball hydrangeas. However, they belong to a group that requires gentle and not radical pruning.