Your GARDENING FORTNIGHT
Prune and feed now for bountiful flowers, says Ruth
One of the most frequent pruningrelated questions we are asked is ‘when should I cut back my hydrangea?’ And the answer is ‘now, in spring, when the temperature is rising and the weather is improving.’ This is because the stems left standing from the previous year, often with attractive papery seedcases, help to protect the crown of the plant from the worst of winter’s cold. Now that risk is reduced you can remove them - though it may pay to wait a couple of weeks longer in north-facing, exposed gardens, or if a cold spell is forecast.
Our mophead hydrangeas are in pots, but the method of pruning is the same for those in the soil. They were left standing all winter and can be cut back to the first pair of healthy buds emerging below the old flowerhead.
Hardier lacecap varieties can be cut back to the second pair of leaflets in autumn, to remove the flowers and avoid seed production, which uses up the energy of the plants. Climbing varieties are deadheaded after they have flowered in summer. Established bush hydrangeas can be kept productive by removing two or three older stems in spring to make more room for new growth. If very congested, cut all the stems back to the base and thin the new growth as it emerges. Do bear in mind though that this will stop your plant from flo
