How to Prune Hydrangeas

Dave gets some tips on pruning hydrangea from horticulturist Wayne Mezitt.

(Music Playing) David Epstein: We are going to talk about how to prune this Hydrangeas Just in I got the expert here Wayne Mezitt and we are going talk about exactly what is the correct way to prune this Hydrangeas. Wayne Mezitt: This is the big leaf Hydrangeas it is called Macrophylla. This is the blue Hydrangeas that, you know Rhododendron keep cut and all that fabulous summer of flowers. This blooms on last years wood, so what we looking at on this buds is where the new bloom maybe coming from. In this climate in New England, sometimes the winter has a tendency to kill that the stems back so that all this buds are not good. You can tell by scratching the stem with your fingernail or with the knife. You can see it is a little green there, you scratch it down here, it is a little green. It is getting greener down here. This is definitely alive wood here. The safest things to do for any of this big leaf or the blue Hydrangeas is to leave it until the new growth starts because if you cut this bud off and if cut this here and this bud is gone. You have lost some flower or some potential flowering but if you leave it on and do not sprout from here or from here you can cut that off later. David Epstein: Are there Hydrangeas that blooms on new wood? Wayne Mezitt: Yes, the panicle types of Hydrangeas like the old PG, which are in the cemeteries the old fashion one and the Arboressence type. David Epstein: Can I have some? Wayne Mezitt: Yes, sure, you want to take a look? David Epstein: And show me how to prune? Wayne Mezitt: Sure, all right, let us go. The new growth coming from the base is what produces the flowers on the Arboressence type. David Epstein: Different in the moment we just look at? This is going to flower on brand new branches that come up from the ground. Wayne Mezitt: This can be cut quite low. This is dwarf form of panicle Hydrangeas. As you can see by, cutting this back this far will have quite a few inches more that they can grow out here. David Epstein: What happen if it like cut it back too far accidentally and can I make a mistake will that really hurt the plant? Wayne Mezitt: It will just make the plants smaller but it will bloom for you. David Epstein: All right, there you have it, three different types of hydrangeas, different ways to prune and again if you follow the instructions you have great blossoms all summer long. [Music Playing]