Trimming tree hydrangea in the spring for beginners. How to prune the hydrangea in the spring

Paniculised hydrangea is a rather large plant, and some of its varieties reach a height of 10 meters. Without pruning, the plant, of course, will not disappear, but its decorative qualities will decrease significantly: there will be fewer flowers, the buds will grow small, inconspicuous, the shape of the bush will become ugly.

We will learn how to correctly trim a panicle hydrangea on our own, let's get acquainted with the most important nuances of this procedure.

Crown formation

For the plant to look spectacular and well-groomed, formative pruning is necessary. Hortensia grows very quickly, and constantly emerging new shoots greatly violate the compactness of the plant, give it a sloppy look. Pruning helps to cope with this problem, makes paniculate hydrangea beautiful, neat shrub with a lush, but well-groomed crown.

Abundant bloom

If panicle hydrangea is not cut, flowering plants will become rare, and the inflorescences themselves - small and inconspicuous. The fact is that flowers can form in this case only on young shoots (of the current year), but on old, last year's ones - no. With the help of pruning you can get rid of old branches - ballast, which does not allow new shoots to develop and limits flowering.

If we talk about flowering, in this plan the hydrangea paniculata resembles lilac: the stronger it is cut, the more luxuriant it will bloom next year. The fact is that in the place of a single cut branch several young shoots grow at once, which bear inflorescences.

Rejuvenation and health

Pruning helps keep paniculate hydrangea young and healthy, get rid of sick, broken and damaged / frozen branches in a timely manner. All this allows you to maintain the decorative characteristics of the plant and protects its health.

The benefits of spring pruning

Every spring, when pruning paniculate hydrangea is cut, regenerative processes are launched, the growth of new high-quality shoots, the future bearers of flowers, is activated. In addition, spring pruning:

• helps the shrub to rejuvenate;
• makes the crown lush, and the shape of the bush - correct;
• promotes the formation of larger, lush and multiple inflorescences.

Objectives to reduce the overall volume of the plant pruning does not carry With proper planting initially for panicle hydrangea is given enough space for free growth and prosperous development.

When and how to trim correctly

Trimming hydrangea paniculata taken in the spring. Moreover, it is necessary to carry out the procedure as early as possible and to have time until the moment when sap flow begins and the kidneys wake up. The time for pruning is calculated by observing growth buds: as soon as the kidneys are swollen, the time has come for the procedure. As a rule, spring pruning is carried out in early April.

The weather factor is also important. Work can not begin if there was swelling of the kidneys on the background of recurrent cooling. Wait until stable warm weather is established, because after trimming the hydrangea is already vulnerable - you can not expose the plant to frostbite.

Too much tightening is not an option either, since in spring every day the plant comes to life more and more. You can stretch with pruning until the end of April (if the weather permits), but not longer. If you cut the plant too late, it may not turn out flowering this year.

Pruning hydrangea pruning is carried out according to the classical scheme. Spring pruning has many benefits for hydrangea: after a properly performed procedure, the plant always comes to life, rejuvenates, and its decorative characteristics increase.

In the fall, pruning can also be carried out - but usually a sanitary type of procedure is performed at this time. That is, they remove dried, as well as old shoots - still they will not be able to bloom. It is better not to carry out the standard formative pruning in the fall, as the wrong time for the procedure can lead to freezing of the shoots, penetration of the infection into the shrub.

Types of pruning

Consider in detail all types of pruning, which are used in the care of hydrangea paniculata.

Formative

This pruning is carried out in the first years of the bush life. The first three years after planting each spring, the formation of the crown, paying attention to the skeletal branches - the support of the entire plant.

In the year of planting the formation is not carried out, but next spring last year's shoots must be shortened almost to the ground. This will create a strong skeleton support of the bush. In the third year, the shoots are cut again, but already leaving 1-3 buds on the shoot. Those branches that grow inside the crown should be removed in any case, since they thicken the crown, create a shadow inside the plant.

Attention: the plant can be formed not only by a bush, but also in the form of a tree. For this it is necessary to use strong and tall varieties with strong shoots.

Regulatory

This type of pruning is also called stimulating, since the purpose of the procedure is the lush, long flowering of hydrangea. It is correct to combine this pruning with thinning the bush, since paniculate hydrangea tends to thicken with time.

Rejuvenating

This pruning is aimed at removing old branches that will no longer bloom and interfere with the formation of new shoots. Old (3-4-year-old) shoots with rejuvenating pruning shorten to the ground. After the procedure, about ten of the strongest and most promising shoots should remain.

Sanitary

This pruning is usually carried out in the autumn after the flowering of hydrangeas. Sanitary pruning aims to remove sick, old, broken and damaged branches. Usually weakened branches, but which in the long term can become strong, are shortened by the width of the palm from the base.

If the hydrangea is sick or it is attacked by pests, a radical sanitary pruning is carried out - all shoots are removed so that only half-meter-high hemp sticks out of the ground. After such a profound intervention, the next year hydrangea paniculata will not bloom, but her life will be saved. Flowering will begin on the second year after radical pruning, when the plant is fully restored, it will form a new crown.

Spring pruning

Cut the hydrangea in the spring is necessary until such time as the buds begin to bloom. If you tighten with the procedure, the kidneys will begin an active growing season, and pruning will only weaken the plant. The procedure is usually carried out at the beginning of March, primarily by doing the sanitary part: the branches that freeze during the winter are removed, and the broken and dried shoots are removed.

Important: Frozen shoots are trimmed down to healthy wood. In general, paniculate hydrangea is a frost-resistant plant, but in too harsh climates, or without shelter, it may freeze.

Then comes the turn of the regulatory pruning during which the shoots are the same. The measure will help hydrangeas to bloom this year magnificently and for a long time.

And the final touch of the procedure is the trimming forming. In the process, it removes all small shoots and those that are directed inside the bush. On large, strong branches leave 2-3 healthy shoots with the highest number of buds. Such a thought-out approach ensures excellent flowering plants.

Autumn pruning

This procedure is mostly sanitary and is carried out regardless of whether the bush is covered for the winter or not. Skeletal branches in autumn pruning do not touch, and only remove the side, side, small and those that are not useful. If panicle hydrangea is grown not in open ground, but in a container indoors, pruning is carried out in late autumn. This measure will allow the plant to bloom beautifully next year.

In panicle hydrangea grow large and strong branches, on which appear volumetric, lush cone-shaped inflorescences. These inflorescences weigh a lot, so before wintering all the buds must be removed. Otherwise, branches may break under the weight of inflorescences and snow.

If the plant is cultivated in a fairly cool climate, many gardeners are afraid to prune the plant too drastically, considering that too short pruning will not allow the gentle shrub to winter safely. And there is a reason for this: the cardinal pruning of branches in a frosty climate can lead to a strong freezing of the plant. In addition, the wounds that did not have time to prune to heal can easily be infected and lead to the death of the entire plant.

After a gentle pruning in a cool climate, it is recommended to cover the hydrangea bush for the winter. Form a so-called dry shelter - a bush wrapped with a spanbond or lutrasil. Sometimes a simple plastic wrap is wrapped around it, but under this shelter in the spring the plant can suffocate and overmoisten.

At a distance of 25 cm from the plant, a skeleton net is put on the whole growth of hydrangea. The space between the bush and the net is filled with dry leaves or other suitable filler. From snow and water, the filler is protected with roofing paper or a film with waterproof properties, which are thrown over the frame

Care after trimming

In order for hydrangea to come to its senses faster and recover from a traumatic pruning procedure, it should be watered regularly, preventing the topsoil from drying out.

The soil in the garden should be constantly a little wet - this is an important nuance that needs to be taken into account if you want the plant to recover quickly after pruning.

Also necessary procedure of leaving after cutting is top dressing. Adding additional nutrients will help hydrangeas recover faster. In addition, tissue regeneration occurs more efficiently if the shrub is provided with fertilizer: the plant will need a lot of recovery forces.

So, trimming paniculate hydrangea - is not easy, but it is mandatory. Having mastered this science, you will be able to grow a wonderful neat and well-groomed shrub on your plot, protect it from diseases, pests, and ensure a lush and long-lasting flowering.

Flowering hydrangea bushes are a real decoration of our gardens and suburban areas. This blooming southern shrub feels great in our rather severe climate, although it requires appropriate care and mandatory shelter for the winter of some varieties.

Hortensia retains its decorative effect for a long time, delighting us with its bloom for almost the entire summer. High sprawling bush, decorated with large buds, which can be of the most different colors, decorates our gardens from July until the autumn.

I love hydrangeas, which can not be compared with anything with their beauty. However, the first and foremost condition for the abundant flowering of this plant is the obligatory pruning of hydrangea in the fall. Without the correct pruning of good flowering from your beauty you will not achieve. Autumn pruning is a guarantee of health and beauty of your plant, and you can not neglect it.

Immediately, we note that most often in our gardens there are two types of hydrangeas - large-leaved hydrangea and paniculate hydrangea, although in nature there are a lot of species and varieties of this plant.

And these two garden varieties of hydrangeas differ not only in appearance, although both are beautiful, but also by pruning rules - it is fundamentally different. And for beginners, it is important to know what kind of hydrangea grows in your garden, and how it should be cut.

It is impossible to say that hydrangea, which is not cut in spring or autumn, will not bloom or will wither away completely. No, the hydrangea will survive without pruning, and will bloom in its usual time. But only pruning will give the plant a beautiful shape, and will provide not just the appearance of several shoots with inflorescences, but abundant and long flowering.

If the hydrangea is not cut off, forming a crown for it, in a few years it will take an inaccurate, unkempt appearance, as a result of which it will look neglected. This hydrangea will not be a real decoration of the garden. In addition, the hydrangea, which is not cut, the size of the inflorescences and the flowers themselves will always be much smaller than that formed by the correct pruning bush.

Therefore, to the question of whether it is necessary to trim the hydrangea for the winter, the answer is unequivocally affirmative.

Why do you still need pruning hydrangea in the fall? There are several answers to this question:

• to form a beautiful hydrangea bush shape;
• so that your plant blooms continuously and abundantly, delighting you with lush inflorescences;
• to rejuvenate the bush and keep it healthy and beautiful for many years;
• to ensure the growth of new shoots.

Proper pruning hydrangea

The question of how to properly trim a hydrangea is easy to answer. Almost all types of hydrangeas bloom on the shoots of the current year, so you can not be afraid to cut off the shoots too much - the bush will bloom anyway.

Hortensia loves pruning, and the shorter you cut off the old shoots, the newer will be thicker and longer. You can safely shorten your bushes by 2/3, they will feel great!

Be careful with pruning only one variety of hydrangea - large-leaved hydrangea. Sometimes its owners complain that they have planted a bush for a long time, but it does not bloom at all. And take care of her, and pruned every autumn, and the bush does not bloom and does not bloom.

This is just the wrong pruning. The fact is that unlike other varieties, large-leaved hydrangea blooms on the shoots of last year.

Such hydrangea practically doesn’t need pruning, the shoots should be simply shortened slightly and removed dried ones, and it is preferable to do this in spring, after the bush has spent the winter, solely for cosmetic purposes.

For a good flowering of such hydrangeas, it is imperative to preserve the flower buds at the ends of the shoots so that they do not freeze in winter, and in the spring, under cover, will not begin to sweep - it is their buds that will have new inflorescences in July. therefore, it depends on the condition of the buds how abundant and beautiful the flowering of your shrub will be.

And if large-leaved hydrangea is not touched or cut, it will provide a large increase in new shoots, and will be very decorative.

In such a hydrangea, you just need to remove dried inflorescences, and this can be done both in spring and in autumn. It is preferable to remove them all the same in the fall, so that the hydrangea winters without them. However, dry inflorescences look so beautiful in the winter garden, that sometimes it simply does not raise a hand to cut off this luxury.

If you belong to such lovers of flowers in the snow, then just splash your hydrangeas in the fall with a Bordeaux mixture. And then they perezimuyut great with dry flowers. And it will be possible to remove them in the spring, cut off with a sharp shears. You need to do this very carefully so as not to damage the escape.

At the same time, spring pruning of large-leaved hydrangea differs from autumn one. If you decide to cut your bush in the spring, then you need to cut to the base about a quarter of the existing shoots that are more than three years old. On the remaining shoots, you should simply cut off the inflorescences themselves, which remained from last year.

If you decide to cut the bush of large-leaved hydrangea in the fall, then you should limit yourself to cutting off the inflorescences from the shoots, without touching the stems themselves. If some of them dry out or lose their foliage, you can cut them off in spring.

But the hydrangea paniculata, which is also very common in our gardens, requires pruning almost to the root.

  The harder you trim paniculate hydrangea, the better the bush will feel, and the more decorative it will look.

Cut such a hydrangea according to the following scheme - choose 5-7 of the strongest and strongest shoots, and are cut to the third-fifth bud. The rest of the shoots can be removed.

If your bush is quite old, and it needs to be rejuvenated, then in the fall you just need to shorten strongly all shoots, leaving hemp centimeters five to six. The following year, your bush will release a lot of young shoots.

When it is preferable to trim the hydrangea

It is often asked about when to prune, in spring or autumn. In general, there are no prohibitions on this subject, since it is a question of the garden master’s priorities. But, in my opinion, autumn pruning is still preferable. Personally, I prune my plants always in the fall, before shelter.

At this time, the plant is already preparing for hibernation, does not release new shoots, and life in it freezes. Besides. pruning is always a kind of trauma to the bush, and before spring the plant will have time to recover from it.

But in the spring, when juices are already beginning to circulate through any branches in any plant (and this process begins as early as February), hydrangeas will be more difficult to transfer pruning.

Therefore, in the spring it is better to limit the cosmetic cleaning of the bush, simply by removing all the shoots and inflorescences that have dried over the winter if they are left on the branches. It is through spring pruning that the bushes are shaped, and it becomes well-groomed and beautiful.

However, if you prefer spring pruning, nothing is unacceptable in it. Just take a sharper pruner, and cut the branches at an acute angle — in this case, infections are less likely to occur or fungal infections can get infected.

In short, autumn pruning is the health of your bush and its abundant flowering, and light spring - the formation of a beautiful shape of the bush and giving it a well-groomed appearance. Therefore, the most correct thing is to combine autumn and spring pruning.

Climatic features that need to be considered when pruning

It should also be borne in mind that pruning technology depends not only on the variety or season, but also on the climate in which your hydrangea grows and blooms.

If you are a resident of a warm region, with a long summer and autumn, which does not come until November, then your hydrangea can be trimmed fairly short.

But if you are a resident of Siberia or the North, then hydrangea is cut more superficially, by no more than a third, because in conditions of a hot but short summer, it simply does not have time to build up enough green mass and bloom.

These circumstances must be considered before taking up the pruner.

Preparing the plant for winter

Another circumstance that should be taken into account - regardless of when you still intend to prune your hydrangea, in any case, you need to prepare it for winter.

Despite the fact that hydrangea is a frost-resistant plant, the climate of our country is not very suitable for it, therefore it is advisable not only to cover bushes for the winter, but also to prepare for it. This is especially important for poorly tolerant frost varieties of hydrangeas and for those bushes on which you decide to leave the inflorescences for the winter.

This is easy to do - the preparation of the plant for the winter comes down to the fact that all the leaves from the bottom of the inflorescence should be removed, but the upper ones should be left. These leaves will protect the bud at the end of the branch from the cold weather. Hydrangea varieties that are insufficiently resistant to frost prefer such manipulations.

Winter shelter

What to do with hydrangeas for the winter? First, you need to understand that only young bushes up to three years old need a major winter shelter. as well as varieties resistant to frost. The remaining hydrangeas just enough to slightly cover near the roots with a layer of mulch, peat and humus.

Secondly, it should be remembered that it is much more important in the spring to remove the shelter in time. Gentle buds of hydrangeas do not tolerate overheating, and simply begin to nip under the covering material. Therefore, shelter from any sort of hydrangea should begin to remove early enough as soon as the sun begins to warm.

By the end of April, all hydrangea bushes must be fully open.

Hortensia looks unusually impressive at the time of flowering. Today, the plant has regained its former popularity and is actively used in landscape design. Hortense, many are called the queen of the garden. Shrub is used to create single and group compositions, serves as a hedge, adorns the entrance to the house or gazebo. To maintain the magnificent form of hydrangea, pruning is necessary, which should be carried out according to certain rules.

Is it necessary to trim the hydrangea in the fall

Autumn pruning hydrangea is part of the arrangements for preparing the plant for the winter. Representatives of the family of hydrangeas are very diverse, in total there are about 80 species. Each species in its own way carries the winter cold. Plant care also depends on the climate in which it is grown.

In the autumn, treatment is carried out from pests, transplantation as necessary, reproduction of the shrub. Pruning is considered an important technique that affects the nature of the flowering hydrangea. What specific activities related to a haircut should be held on the eve of winter?

First of all, all dry inflorescences are removed. In winter, snow can accumulate on them - this will lead to the fact that thin branches break off under its weight. In addition, the plant will not interfere with thinning and sanitary pruning. It is necessary to take into account the features of a particular type of hydrangea.

On a note! Beginners need to know that pruning hydrangeas begin at 2-3 years of age. Only after the bush grows strong shoots, proceed to its formation.

Puzzled by this procedure should be after the onset of the first frost. Nothing bad will happen if even it has time to snow. The shoots will already lose their leaves at this moment, and it will be clearly seen which branches are better left to keep and which ones to remove.

If the foliage on the shrub is still left, there is a risk that after pruning the plant will release young shoots from the lateral buds. This will weaken the bush before hibernation. So try as long as possible to delay pruning shoots.

Gardeners consider the main advantage of the autumn pruning that it is impossible to be late with it, unlike spring cutting. Summer residents do not always have the opportunity to visit their site in early spring. If the hydrangea is awakened from hibernation, and the movement of juices has begun, pruning can weaken it so that flowering does not occur.

The procedure is often carried out in two stages. Part of the work can be carried out in the fall, and in the spring they make the final pruning. They lay for springtime and the first pruning of young bushes of 2-3 years old. For beginners, it is more convenient to cut the hydrangea in the spring, as at this time of year the kidneys are better visible.

If you do this in the fall, then it is better to leave a margin on the shoots, and in March to make a correction. The right time to shorten the branches also depends on the varietal variety. Trees and paniculate hydrangeas can be cut in the fall and spring, as well as the procedure carried out in stages. For the large-leaf representative of the family, only spring pruning is recommended.

The shoots should be shortened at a time when biological processes in plant tissues slow down and the shrub is preparing for a state of complete rest. In hydrangea, this period begins after leaf fall. The weather has the most direct impact on the life cycle of a bush, so the exact time of pruning in each region will be different.

In the suburbs, the middle lane

Central Russia, including the Moscow region, is in a zone with a temperate continental climate. The summer is warm and the winter is snowy, moderately frosty. A small sub-zero temperature is established, as a rule, in early November, at the same time snow falls on the ground.

In the Urals, in Siberia

Low winter temperatures are typical for the Urals. When choosing a hydrangea for planting in this region, it is better to dwell on varieties adapted to the harsh climate. Treelike and paniculate hydrangeas are considered the most tolerant to frost. Pruning hydrangeas in this region is reduced to the removal of young immature shoots in the fall and sanitary pruning in the spring, when all diseased and dead branches are removed.

Before wintering, branches are cut by 1/3, and too long can be cut in half. On varieties with large buds, it is recommended to cut only the balls, and shorten the branches to produce in the fall. Do this procedure should be around mid-October.

In Siberia  the summer does not last very long, therefore, in the fall, the branches of the hydrangea should be cut no more than 1/3, otherwise the next season the bush simply will not have time to grow enough green mass and bloom. Cardinal pruning is done here only when the bush is old and in need of rejuvenation.

Autumn cut hydrangea is used to preserve the health of the bush and abundant flowering. Spring pruning gives the plant a neat appearance and beautiful shape. By autumn, manipulations with a haircut are carried out in late September, after which the hydrangea is covered for the next wintering.

In the Leningrad region

In the Leningrad region, the summer is relatively short and cool, and autumn and winter come earlier than in the middle belt. Autumn pruning of hydrangea in this area is best done superficially, so that annual shoots can increase the length and bloom.

By shortening the branches start after leaf fall. Approximate dates - the first half of October. A haircut made at the right time will not have a negative effect on the plant, but on the contrary - it will benefit him. Any hydrangea can live and bloom without pruning, but it is unlikely to become a decoration of the garden in this case, as the bush will have an untidy and disheveled appearance.

How to properly prune for beginners (scheme)

Inexperienced gardeners often lack the knowledge to care for their plants. However, it is not necessary to learn from your own mistakes. It is enough to study the information in advance to ensure proper planting care. Since pruning each variety of hydrangea has its own characteristics, they must be taken into account. Consider how to properly trim in the autumn time hydrangea of ​​each species.

Paniculata

In the case of paniculate hydrangea, one should not be too zealous. Skeletal branches, those that grow from one point, do not touch. Cut only need to grow wrong shoots - curves, directed inside the bush. Be sure to remove faded panicle on the shoots of this year. If this is not done, young fragile twigs can break off under the weight of snow.

Pruning inflorescences produce together with part of the shoot, leaving 3-4 lower buds on it. With this formation, the bush in the spring will look lush and neat at the same time. If panicle hydrangea already needs rejuvenation, from the shoots taking growth at one point, leave one healthy strong, outward, and the remaining branches are cut off at the root. In spring, extinct shoots are cut off and the bush is given final shape.

On a note! This type of hydrangea can be formed on a shtambe, then the bush will resemble a small ornamental tree, more like a bouquet.

Young saplings of hydrangea tree do not touch the first 3-4 years. Violating this rule, you can provoke the death of the bush. The young bush removes only faded blossoms. On the shoots must be 3-4 pairs of buds, from which subsequently grow new branches, forming a lush crown.

As such, the shrub is covered and preserved until spring. When the bush gets old, anti-aging pruning is carried out. After it, the plant should remain hemp 10 cm high, which will give impetus to the active growth of new branches.

Important! It is better to carry out the rejuvenating pruning with a gentle method, stretching for 2-3 years, otherwise the roots may not have enough nutrients and the plant will die.

The large-leaved hydrangea blooms on the shoots of the second year, so it is important to keep them during the wintering season. In the autumn, only the bush is cleaned, in which diseased weak or old lower branches are removed. The upper branches overwinter under cover, in the spring they are examined and cut out those that suffered from frost. This type of hydrangea often produces shoots of zero shoots, but there are almost no flower buds on the lower branches.

For this variety, pruning of shoots is recommended immediately after flowering, so that before the onset of winter, the plant has time to grow new twigs.  Thinning bush is carried out by cutting out the shoots directed inward. In order to rejuvenate the large-leaved hydrangea, every 3 years, some of the old shoots are pruned to a height of 30-40 cm.

Before covering the plant, cut out the old and diseased branches. Pruning also depends on the climate in which this hydrangea representative is grown. If the summer is long and warm, deeper pruning can be done.

On a note! Radical cutting of large-headed hydrangea is allowed in central Russia, in the Kuban and in the southern regions. In the Urals, in Siberia and the Leningrad region, only superficial pruning is permissible.

Hydrangea does not require watering in rainy autumn. If the weather is dry, the soil under the plant should be moistened until the night air temperature approaches zero. The last dressing should be made in the middle of September with phosphate-potassium fertilizers. Her task - to feed the roots, exhausted after the summer flowering. Fertilizers are applied in granular form, they are scattered in the circle of hydrangeas and slightly mixed with the ground.

Attention! Nitrogen fertilizers in the late summer and fall is prohibited, as this may provoke the growth of green mass, out of place at this time of year.

After pruning, a hydrangea bush is covered for wintering. This is especially important for non-resistant varieties and hydrangeas, which are grown in the northern regions. The shelter of the upper part of the plant should occur with the onset of the first frost. Soil pre-mulch sawdust or peat.

The standard method involves the use of a wooden box or agrofibre. The branches bend down to the ground, and then they are covered with a box or thrown in agrofiber. On top of this is added the spruce branches. Some summer residents use frame structures built around the bush to protect it. Dry leaves fall asleep inside the frame, and you need to lay a layer of needles on top. The framework method is mainly used to shelter large adult plants whose branches are difficult to bend to the ground.

Pruning of hydrangea in autumn: video

Without proper pruning, it is impossible to get a well-groomed, luxuriantly flowering hydrangea bush. Do not neglect this technique, and the queen of the garden every year will delight you with large, spectacular buds to envy all neighbors.

Timely pruning is one of the main elements of competent care for hydrangeas. The decorative effect of this plant and the abundant flowering of large inflorescences largely depend on how correctly this procedure was performed. When carrying out pruning, it is important to take into account the peculiarities of some species and varieties of hydrangea and recommendations for crown formation. So, cut the large-leaved, paniculate and tree forms of the plant need to be different.

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  Types of pruning

On the territory of our country, three types of hydrangea are more often grown than others:

• paniculate, or garden;
• large leaf;
• tree

Other species are much less common. In terms of pruning rules, all plant varieties are divided into two groups.

• The first group includes hydrangeas, blooming on last year's shoots.  These include large-leaved hydrangea, serrate, oak-leaved, petiolate and Sargent. To this group belong the varieties of Endles Summer, Forever and Ever, Khovariya, U & M and others.
• The second group includes hydrangeas, forming inflorescences on young shoots of the current year.  These include hydrangea treelike and paniculata, varieties Vanilla Fraze, Frezy Melba, Yunik, Grandiflora, Anabel Pink, Anabel Strong and others.

Depending on which group the hydrangea variety belongs to, pruning is carried out in spring or autumn.

  How to prune the plants of the first group

For large-leaved hydrangea belonging to the first group, it is not necessary to carry out formative pruning - it is enough to carry out sanitary and cosmetic, when last spring inflorescences are cut to the first bud. All frost damaged or dried stems are cut to the root. So do with weak branches and those that grow in the wrong direction - inside the bush, which violate its harmony.

Spring pruning is carried out at the time when the buds swell.  This allows you to assess the condition of the bush and accurately determine the damaged branches.



Scheme pruning large-leaved hydrangea. Left - in the autumn, on the right - in the spring

Experienced gardeners believe that it is more correct to carry out a cardinal pruning in the fall when preparing for winter.

Since the inflorescences of large-leaved hydrangea are formed on last year's shoots, it is important to cover them for protection from the winter cold. To do this, in the autumn they spend the main sweep, removing the lower branches. This hydrangea often starts young growth, but flower buds are rarely formed on it. All faded panicles must be cut off in the summer, so that the hydrangea can form young branches before the onset of frost.

With abundant flowering, the bush is thinned out so as to remove the young branches growing inside. To rejuvenate the bush, a quarter of old shoots are cut to a length of 30 to 40 cm every 3 years. For shelter for the winter cut out the old and sick shoots, and the remaining insulate.



Large Leaf Hydrangea

Climate conditions play an important role in pruning.  If the summer is long and warm, and the bush has a good ability to form new shoots, it is cleaned more carefully. So hydrangea pruned in Moscow, in southern Russia - in the Kuban. In regions with a colder climate — in Siberia, the Leningrad Region, or in the Urals — the hydrangea is clipped superficially, since for the most part annual shoots do not have time to form inflorescences.



  Pruning hydrangeas of the second group

Trees and paniculate hydrangeas form inflorescences on young shoots. Therefore, in early spring, after the snow melted, all shoots should be cut to three pairs of buds. If the branch is strong, then only one pair is left on it. From each left bud a new shoot will be formed, on the end of which a lush inflorescence will bloom. At the same time, sick and old branches are cut out at the root, as well as growing inside the bush. Thus, the thinning of the plant is carried out for better flowering.

In the fall, it is imperative to cut off all the flowering inflorescences so that the young branches under the weight of the snow do not break, as they are not strong enough. If the bush needs rejuvenation, then cut a few shoots that come from one point, leaving only one or two.

For a cardinal rejuvenation, all shoots should be cut under the stump - to a length of no more than 10 cm.

If the plant has a highly branched root system, complete rejuvenation is carried out in several stages. To do this, cut out only part of the shoots, leaving the rest to power the root system. In this way, the bush is completely rejuvenated in 3-4 years.



  How to form a hydrangea in the form of a stem tree?

In the spring, you can prune panicle hydrangea to form a beautiful stambovo tree.To do this, you must initially select one strong shoot, growing in a vertical direction, and tie it to a support. In summer, when lateral shoots are formed, they are pinched, but not completely removed: they are needed for nourishing and thickening the trunk. The following year, in the spring, such shoots are cut into a ring.

When the tree reaches a predetermined height of 0.5 to 1.5 m, a formative pruning is done to start branching. Crohn will continue to be formed from last year's shoots.



Formation of paniculate hydrangea in the form of a stem tree in the first year



Formation of paniculate hydrangea on the 2nd - 3rd year



Formation in subsequent years

In subsequent years, to form skeletal branches, the plant is shortened to 2–3 buds, until a crown of the required shape is formed. Emerging young branches emanating from the roots, completely cut. Faded inflorescences and shoots, on which they are formed, are removed until the first pair of buds. This procedure is necessary to ensure abundant bloom in the future.

Be sure to remove damaged branches and zero shoots, as well as continue to thicken shtam. To do this, the lateral processes on the shtambe pinch, and the next year, cut into a ring. Over time, the thickness of the main trunk reaches 8-10 cm.



Panicle hydrangea in the form of a stem with a single stem



Panicle hydrangea with multiple trunks

To make a standard tree more stable, it is possible to form not one trunk, but several. The pruning principle in this case will be the same as for the single-barrel stem.

  How to trim paniculate hydrangea bush form?

If it is planned to grow paniculate hydrangea in the form of a lush bush, during planting it is necessary to deepen the root neck of the seedling by 3–4 cm. This will contribute to the formation of not one but several shoots. Weak zero shoots are further cut out, leaving only strong ones. For the formation of the bush shorten the growth of the previous year, leaving it to three pairs of buds. That inflorescences did not grow smaller, all superfluous shoots are removed.

The bushy form of paniculate hydrangea is convenient for beginners, since for its support, for the most part, only sanitary pruning is required. From paniculate varieties grown in the form of bushes, you can create a beautiful, flourishing magnificently hedge.




You can form a bushy form of paniculate hydrangea with a raised crown.  To do this, a three-year plant should remove the old and give extra density of branches. You must leave no more than 5 branches growing at an angle of 30 degrees from the vertical direction. Under them set at the same angle of support and tied branches.

Annually, new young shoots are cut into the ring, leaving only 2-3 apical buds. Next year, young branches will appear from them, and the central shoot will give new buds over the existing ones. The following year, last year's side shoots cut out on the ring. During the summer, all young shoots are removed, which form on the central one, leaving only 2-3 upper ones.

Under this scheme, pruning is carried out until the crown reaches the desired height. When the length of the shoots reaches 1 m, they are cut to form skeletal branches.



Panicled hydrangea bush-shaped with a raised crown

  Trimming Tree Hydrangea



Diagram of trimming tree hydrangea. Left - in the autumn, on the right - in the spring

After the snow melts, the tree hydrangea bush carefully inspects and removes all the old and damaged branches. One-year shoots are cut to a length of 3-5 buds, which will give rise to new strong processes with buds. In this case, the shoots will grow quickly, and flowering will be abundant. If pruning was done to a height of 2–3 buds, then flowering will be scarce and will begin only in mid-July.

Also make pruning pruning, removing weak shoots growing in the wrong direction or incapable of flowering.

  Further care

Plant care after pruning is timely feeding and watering.During this period, the plants need mineral and organic fertilizers. The base of the bush should be mulled with:

• compost;
• peat;
• humus or manure.

The layer of mulch should be 5 cm thick. Such dressing in the spring encourages the plant to grow, is useful for lush flowering and stimulates the formation of young shoots.

In the summer you need to feed the plants chicken droppings, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.

After the autumn pruning plant necessarily cover for the winter.  In large bushes, all branches are harvested to the center and tied, and then covered with roofing felt, leaving a distance of at least 10 cm inside. This empty space is covered with dry leaves. In small bushes, branches are bent to the ground and covered with spruce branches. Spreading bushes are divided into parts, tied with ropes and tilted to the ground. Top cover with any covering material.