The endless supply of hydrangeas in our yard is one of my favorite things about summer – I love being able to walk out our back door one minute and have a beautiful bouquet of hydrangeas prettying up our home the next! Whenever I share pictures of my hydrangeas on Instagram and Facebook, I get lots of questions about things like pruning, changing hydrangea colors, and making cut hydrangea blooms last so I decided to take those commonly asked questions and answer them today! (affiliate links included in post – full disclosure statement available {here})
I’ll kick things off with a question that you should definitely read the answer to if you’re thinking about pruning your hydrangeas this fall…
Pruning Hydrangeas: When’s the Best Time & How Much Can I Prune Off?
The answer to this question isn’t as simple as you might think! How aggressive you can get with your pruning depends upon whether you have a variety of hydrangea that (1) flowers on old “wood” (stems from the previous year), (2) flowers on new wood, or (3) flowers on a combination of new and old wood (Endless Summer hydrangeas). For hydrangeas that flower on old wood like these pink and blue mophead hydrangeas in our backyard,
it’s ok to prune off dead stems or blooms at any time (prune close to the bloom) but if you want to do more significant pruning because your hydrangea bush is getting too large, it must be done in the summer (before August to be safe!). Starting in late summer/early fall, the buds for next year’s blooms start to form so if you prune at that time, you’ll be cutting off those precious buds and will have a big green, leafy but bloomless bush the following summer!
If you have hydrangeas that flower on new wood like Limelight hydrangeas or the Annabelle hydrangeas along the walkway in the front of our house, the entire bush can be cut close to the ground in late fall or early winter and they’ll still grow and bloom just fine the following summer. Can you believe that we cut these down to only about a foot above the ground the winter before this?
One of the negatives of Annabelle hydrangeas compared to some other types is that they have thinner stems and tend to be a lot more floppy. One little tip to pass on that we figured out by trial and error is to actually prune them to only about 2-3 feet from the ground instead of super close to it. While they grow back fine either way, we’ve found that leaving some of the old growth serves as a support for the new growth in the spring and summer so they’re not nearly so floppy. You can see the difference in how much more upright they are this year when we left a few feet of old growth when pruning the year before:
And if you’re looking for a pruning tool recommendation, my gardener (aka my husband) prunes our hydrangeas with {these pruners} that have longer blades to get the job done quickly and telescoping handles that are super helpful for pruning our taller hydrangea trees.
How Do I Get My Hydrangeas to Be Such Pretty Shades of Blue & Pink?
The color of a hydrangea’s blooms depends upon the pH of the soil they’re growing in (unless they’re white, in which case they’ll always be white!). When the pH level in the soil is higher, you’ll get pink blooms and when pH levels are lower, you’ll get blue blooms. And the pH can change from year to year depending upon things like the type of fertilizer or mulch that you’re using. Last year every single hydrangea in our backyard was a pale blue/purple but this year we got some gorgeous pinks:
along with some seriously stunning deep purples:
But did you know that there’s actually a way to tweak Mother Nature’s plan and get the color blooms that you prefer? If you want pink blooms you can raise the pH by sprinkling garden lime such as {this} at the base of the plant or using a product such as “Color Me Pink” available {here}. If you want blue or purple blooms, you can lower the pH by applying a soil acidifier such as {this}, aluminum sulfate (available {here}), or “Color Me Blue” available {here}. I’ve also heard that coffee grounds can do the trick! The key is to apply them early in the growing season and re-apply throughout the growing seasons but water them in well and don’t go overboard because too much can harm your plants.
If you want to monitor your soil’s pH during the growing season you can use a probe like {this one} I have that gives readings on both the pH of the soil and the moisture content:
How Do I Keep Deer from Eating My Hydrangeas?
We have lots of deer that wander through our yard and they LOVE to eat my hydrangeas, especially right after they’ve just started to bloom:
I’ve tried a few different things to keep them away but the one that works best for me is Bobbex in a ready-to-use pump sprayer (available {here}). It is truly the most disgusting smelling stuff ever but it does the job! I spray mine early on in the season before my hydrangeas start blooming and then once a month throughout the growing season. Between our front and backyard we have a ton of hydrangea bushes but it only takes me about 15-20 minutes to spray them all. You can read more about using Bobbex along with other tips for repelling deer in {this post}.
How Do You Make Cut Hydrangea Blooms Last?
It’s so disappointing to have a beautiful bouquet of hydrangeas that starts wilting just a few days after you put it together. Here’s what I do that helps keep my cut hydrangea blooms last (sometimes for two weeks or more!):
- Clip your blooms in the morning and cut the stems on the diagonal. A lot of gardeners recommend using a knife but I’ve always thought that was kind of difficult and awkward. Instead of using typical garden pruners, I like using {these kitchen scissors} – by cutting the stems near at the base of the scissors where there’s a semicircle, it acts like a guillotine and gives a clean cut without crimping the stem. And the two blades pull apart so you can throw them in the dishwasher for easy cleaning.
- Remove any leaves that will be below the water line of your vase – this helps keep away rot and bacteria.
- Use a vase that has been washed in warm, soapy water (not just quickly rinsed out from its last use).
- Add a packet of flower preservative to the water if you have it or, if you want to go all out, dip each stem in boiling water for 30 seconds and then in Alum powder (available in the spice aisle at grocery stores) before putting them in your vase.
- Change the vase water every other day.
How Do I Revive Wilting Hydrangeas?
While most of my hydrangeas do well using the tips I outlined above, I sometimes get an outlier or two that unexpectedly wilts just a few days after being cut. There are several different ways to revive wilted hydrangeas like dipping their tips in boiling water or submerging the whole bloom in cool water overnight but the trick that works just as well for me and is easier is to simply recut the stem (on the diagonal again) and put it in a glass or small vase of very warm water (I use the hottest water that I can get from the tap) for several hours. This will typically perk up your bloom by the end of the day at which time he can rejoin his friends in the bouquet!
And finally, I’m wrapping up this Q & A with one last question – probably the one that I hear most often because it’s the most frustrating…
Why Didn’t My Hydrangeas Bloom this Year?
It is SUCH a bummer when hydrangea season rolls around and your bushes start to grow and get big and leafy but…. there are no blooms. Here are a few of the reasons it can happen:
- Pruning at the wrong time. If you have hydrangeas like mopheads that grow on old wood and you pruned them too late in the season the year before, you probably inadvertently removed the buds that had started to develop for the following year.
- Using too much fertilizer. Some fertilizer is a good thing but too much is not! I tend to err on under-fertilizing vs. over fertilizing and only do it once a year (in spring) even though the instructions of most fertilizers recommend more frequent use. I don’t know of any magic fertilizer for hydrangeas but I’ve been using Jack’s Blossom Booster (available {here}) and my hydrangeas have done well with it!
- Frost damage. A late frost can damage developing buds so that they never bloom. In cold climates, before winter you can try mounding up mulch or straw about a foot high around the base of the bushes to protect and insulate the developing flower buds.
- Too much shade/not enough sun. Hydrangeas need a certain amount of sunlight to bloom so if yours isn’t getting several sunny hours a day, that could be the problem – you might need to try a different spot in your yard.
Do you guys have any other questions that I missed or hydrangea tips or tricks of your own to share? Let me know in the comments! And if you want to save the link to this post so it’s easy to find when spring rolls around, I created a Pinnable image at the end of this post!
Now go forth and enjoy your Labor Day weekend!
Thank you Kris for the article on Hydrangeas, so much good information. I am going to give it a try for sure. I saw a house a few days ago in a close neighborhood nearby, full of limelight Hydrangeas on a north side flowerbed. Beautiful to say the least. Do you happen to know anything about the Limelights? I’m going to read up on those. Thank you for the great article.
Hi Shelly! The Limelights are just like the Annabelles and grow on new wood so they’re a lot less finicky! They tend to be pretty easy to grow so are a good variety to try!
Thank you for sharing all of these helpful tips about hydrangeas. I love them and want to help the three bushes I have to better. I pinned your article to help me out.
Thanks Jolene! So glad you found it helpful!
This is a great article! I had a Annabelle shrub planted in front of my home this summer (I’m a newbie to this variety hydrangea) so the pruning tip is appreciated. I’ve been lucky that the deer we get in our yard have been kind to my hydrangeas but not so much to my Arborvitae. I’m going to try the Bobbex spray this fall/winter. Thank you for all the tips and tricks!
The Bobbex works really well for me! Hopefully the deer will continue to stay away from your Annabelles – the first two years I lived here the deer didn’t touch mine (and I didn’t spray) but the next summer they totally mowed them down – I was so sad! Now I spray religiously!
Can a hydrangea be transplanted after being in the ground for about 5 years?
Hi Patty,
Unfortunately I’m not sure – I would guess it can because I’ve split some of mine after several years and transplanted half of them but I’m no expert in this department and would hate to give you the wrong advice! 🙂
These are fabulously. I love them all. Wish I can grow these, but never been able to keep them alive no matter what I do. Thank you for all your wonderful tips, suggestions, and ideas to grow beautiful hydrangeas
Thanks Ivory! I’m lucky that we live in a climate where they really thrive – in other areas it’s not so easy!
Kris,
I had read some of these tips but the one that helps me the most is the reviving wilted blooms. I was using a method that was too much trouble (submersing the bloom for a time and then placing the cut stem in hot water). Your method sounds much easier. Truly, I stopped buying hydrangea at the market because of the wilt issue.
In our new house I have only hydrangea in large planters. I plan to plant 3 more (in the ground) next spring.
Thanks for the great info.
Karen
I tried that method of submersing blooms too and it was just too much of a pain – I don’t have a laundry room sink so didn’t have an easy place to do it. Let me know how the hot water method works for you! Enjoy your weekend Karen!
I have used Bobbex for years. It is the only thing that I have found that works. I have found spraying every 7-10 days has been best for me. Rain does not wash it off as long as it isn’t going to rain within 8 hours.
I’m glad that you’ve had luck with it too! It is so disgusting smelling isn’t it?! I can’t blame those deer I sure wouldn’t eat blooms sprayed with it either – ha!
I loved your post today!
We live in east TN and have 37 hydrangeas in our yard as well as an abundance of hosta and day lilies – all of which are literal desserts for deer. The only way we’ve been able to deter deer is to put hair clippings my hairdresser collects for as she sweeps her floor. I get a trim every 5 weeks and this has worked ever since we began doing it about 4 years ago. We’ve been told that the human scent remains on hair for approximately 2 months. We just tuck it here and there – under the leaves,between the stems, in the mulch and on the ground and we’ll never have to go back to buying a deterrent since the hair clippings are free. The color of the hair determines where it’s placed.
My Mom taught me to be certain to remove all the fallen leaves from between the stems near the ground because they tend to collect more rain, snow or ice and will cause more stems to freeze during the winter. Knowing this has made a huge difference with blooming.
I’ve heard that about hair clippings but never tried it – good to know it works! And that’s really interesting about the leaves near the stem because I know some people who actually pile up mulch and leaves around the base to insulate them during the winter. But sounds like removing all of them has done the trick for you!
Did not see anything on my Oak Leaf hydrangea. I am in coastal South Carolina, my huge plant is 3 yrs old. Can you give me instructions on pruning this type as well please? And in zone 8B. Thanks very much.
Oak leaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood so you’ll want to follow the same pruning instructions as I talked about for my mophead hydrangeas!
Awesome awesome awesome post Kris!! I already saved it so I can come back and re-read. One variety of our hydrangeas didn’t bloom at all this year, and I’m all over tending to them for next year. Thanks so much for all these great tips and details! Yours are absolutely amazing!!
I’m so glad that you found it helpful Lisa! I hope you have better luck with your finicky hydrangeas next year!
What a great post! We get tons of deer so I am definitely trying the Bobbex. I will be spraying everything! As soon as I get my fall mums for the porch, I think I will try it out on them first. In previous years, the deer get so daring that I find them on my front porch munching away! I’ll let you know how it works. Thanks Kris!
Shelley
I would definitely recommend it Shelley – just be prepared to shower immediately after using it. It is seriously the stinkiest stuff ever!
Thanks for the tips. My hydrangeas got huge this year but never bloomed this summer (I live in MA) and I was forced to trim them back this weekend because they got too big so I hope I didn’t mess them up for next year. I have Nikko blues. They usually bloom like crazy, but this year nothing bloomed (not my wisteria, my rhodendrons, my variegated weigelas). I think the weather has something to do with it–cool and wet summer for us.
I love, love your gardens (and your house). You have a beautiful home and great taste.
It’s so frustrating when you have all sorts of beautiful plants and they don’t bloom – we had a very late frost last summer so that happened to me with a bunch of our hydrangeas. Hopefully everything will grow well for you next year!
I don’t know what state you live in, but in the San Joaquin Valley in California hydrangeas grow only in complete shade, other wise the leaves and blooms burn. Unfortunately they only bloom in early spring for a couple of weeks. This year we only got a few blooms as we had a heat wave of 100+ just at the time they were ready to bloom. It sounds like central Calif is not the only place that didn’t have blooms this year. Fortunately, my wisteria bloomed almost all summer and that is rare!
That’s interesting – I’m currently living in CT but have also grown them in Ohio and NC and in all cases they got some sun during the day. It sounds like you get some serious heat there – glad your wisteria thrived in it!
My Aunt Bell had aushiemers and she cut back the hydrangea with a butcher knive several year s back ,it grows to about 3 ft. Every year but has never bloomed again what do I do. All O k ow is the flower waa purple.
Hi Teresa, If it was a purple flowering one, cutting it all of the way back would have definitely caused it to not bloom the next year but I’m not sure why it wouldn’t bloom the year after that. Just be sure you aren’t even trimming it up late in the season. Totally leave it alone and you should eventually start seeing blooms again. It could just be that the blooms got killed off this past year or two by a late frost, too much fertilizer, or one of the other reasons I mentioned in my post.
My hydrangea blooms begin with a light green color; changing to blue. Now that it is fall they are pink, changing to a beautiful rust.
One stem is much taller from the rest
How do I get them ready for the winter. I live East Central Minnesota.
Thanks.
Joanne
Joanne, unfortunately I’m no expert about winter prep in a climate as cold as yours. It gets pretty cold here and even in the coldest of winters mine have done fine! The one problem I have had is a late frost after it has warmed up in the spring and my hydrangea buds are growing – I now throw sheets over them when that happens to protect them so they’ll still bloom!
That is probably one of the best, most thorough articles I have ever read on hydrangeas!! I’m going to print this out and save it! I can’t wait to get to my hydrangeas this year…. now if it will only stop snowing….😭🌨
You are so sweet – thank you! And I can’t believe you’re still getting snow!!!!
What a great article ~ well-written, comprehensive, easy to read, and your enthusiasm is infectious ~ Thank You!!! I had been mis-informed for many years, and all that great advice cleared up my confusion. I’m ready for anything now, and feel confident in teaching others, too.
I’m so glad you found it helpful!!
This is SO helpful. Thank you for the tips and the links! Your blossoms are absolutely gorgeous!
I’m so glad that you found it helpful!!
Do you’ve have yet rucks on drying hydrangeas?
Hi Savannah I dry Hydrangeas every Summer. This is what I do. Flowers that have been on the bush a little
while work better. Cut them as you normally would and place in vase of water but DO NOT change water,
Do Not top it up, leave it alone and it will dry by itself. Sometimes there will be the odd one that hasn’t
dried just take it out and leave the others. Hope this helps.
I do the exact same thing! I’ve also found that they dry best at the end of the season!
Hi Kris Love your article on hydrangeas! I live in NZ and I prune my mopheads late winter making sure I cut above
the 2 bud mark which is usually a New flower stem. This has never failed for me.
Great tip – thank you!
Hi Kris Love your article on hydrangeas! I live in NZ and I prune my mopheads late winter making sure I cut above
the 2 bud mark which is usually a New flower stem. This has never failed for me.
Wonderful tips and beautiful photo’s! I have one more tip to add to preventing wilting Hydrangeas. I deeply water the bush the night before so that the flowers are completely hydrated (hence ‘Hydrangea’), then first thing in the morning I go out and cut the blooms. They can last for almost 2 weeks….sometimes longer! I also cut the blooms extra long so that I prune the bush while cutting the blooms. This saves pruning at the end of the season. I get beautiful blooms every year. Love these amazing flowers!
I’ll have to try that! Thanks!
I puchased Bloomstruck hydrangea from Home Depot that had been underwatered. It was a discounted plant. The branches are floppy. I planted into a container and would like help to make it survive…lol
Hope you were able to nurse it back to health! 🙂
Is Labor Day weekend to late to fertilize? Here in NW Olakhoma I try not to fertilize my roses after the end of August, so today will be my last time to fertilize for this year and just wondering whether to hit my new Hygrdranges with my fertilizer while doing my roses. Thank you.
Unfortunately I’m not sure about the answer to that since I live in a totally different part of the country.