I wasn't too sure when to prune.
Hydrangeas can still be pruned after August but more carefully than in July. The first job is to shorten by half all of the stems that bear faded flowers.
These stems are least likely to have flowers next year. You may find that by removing them your shrub is reduced enough to get by. By pruning right after the blooms have faded, you allow the plant time to set buds for the next year. Oakleaf (H. quercifolia) and bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla), including Nikko Blue and tree falling pollen, Wylie TX the other pink- and blue-flowering cultivars, bloom from buds set the previous year.
Comments I have a very healthy plant that has spread.
Sep 24, Hydrangeas that bloom on old growth should only be pruned after flowering. Others bloom on new growth and should be pruned before they wake up in spring or as they are going dormant in winter Mophead and lacecap hydrangeas can be pruned in late winter or early spring The climbing hydrangea should be pruned in summer after floweringEstimated Reading Time: 5 mins.
May 10, Prune the hydrangea to reduce its size. If your hydrangea has grown quite large, you can prune it in June or July (just after the blooming season) to contain it a bit. Trim back the branches by 1/3 to the nearest joint. In most cases hydrangeas will grow back quite quickly, so you may not be able to maintain the smaller size for long%. Jun 25, You can prune them anytime except during the summer. If you want to reshape the shrub, trim stems back while the plant is dormant (late winter once the risk of frost has passed), about a foot or so from its base.
For more details on pruning hydrangeas, consult our full guide on how to care for hydrangeas. How to Prune Hydrangeas. 'Annabelle' hydrangea -- This is the showiest and most popular selection of the native smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens). It produces immense clusters (up to a foot across) of pure white flowers in summer on a shrub that grows about 4 feet tall and wide.
It blooms on current season's growth, so prune it in late winter.