Hydrangeas can flower brilliantly throughout summer, but as we move into autumn, the flower heads will naturally start to fade and turn brown. At this stage, you can begin tidying the plant up, but how much you prune depends on the type of hydrangea you have.
Tidying Hydrangeas in Autumn
If a flower head has completely gone over and is starting to look unsightly, you can remove it by following the stem down to the first healthy set of leaves and snipping just above them.
There’s no need to cut the whole plant back hard at this point. You can simply remove faded flowers gradually as they deteriorate.
Pruning Smooth Hydrangeas
Our hydrangea in the video is an ‘Annabelle’, which is a smooth hydrangea.
These are best pruned more heavily in late winter or early spring, around February or March. At this point, the plant can be cut back to roughly 12–24 inches tall, encouraging plenty of fresh new growth from lower down the plant.
If your hydrangea is growing somewhere particularly exposed or windy, you may want to reduce its height a little earlier once flowering has completely finished. This can help prevent the plant rocking excessively in strong winds and potentially damaging the stems or roots.
Pruning Macrophylla Hydrangeas
Macrophylla hydrangeas need a gentler approach.
It’s usually best to leave the old flower heads in place throughout winter, as they can offer some protection to the developing buds below from frost.
In late winter or early spring, follow the stem down until you find a healthy pair of buds and prune just above them. These buds will then produce fresh shoots which will carry the next flowers.
Pruning Paniculata Hydrangeas
Paniculata hydrangeas can be pruned more firmly.
Again, aim to prune in late winter or early spring, but this time you can reduce the plant by roughly a third to encourage strong new growth.
As with other hydrangeas, plants in particularly windy or exposed positions may benefit from having some height removed earlier to reduce the risk of winter damage.
The Main Thing to Remember
Not every hydrangea should be pruned in exactly the same way.
Smooth and paniculata varieties can generally tolerate harder pruning, while macrophylla hydrangeas need a lighter touch and benefit from keeping their old flower heads through winter.
Once you know which type you have, pruning at the right time will help keep your hydrangea healthy, tidy and ready for another display of flowers next year.
