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Post by merlin on May 15, 2011 17:58:28 GMT
I was looking at Floydies pics when I noticed her Hydrangea was looking very much like mine. The new growth seems not as vigorous as one or two at the base. Is it worth cutting it back to encourage all new growth?
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Post by sweetpea on May 15, 2011 18:08:05 GMT
I've never cut mine back Ron but a lot of plants respond to pruning by chucking out new growth. I will be taking some hydrangea cuttings from mine later (I hope) and just like fuchsias when you pinch out, two more shoots appear from the leaf axils. So I suppose that careful pruning will make it more bushy but I would wait for some other advice better than mine.  |
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Post by peony on May 15, 2011 18:16:48 GMT
Its a bit late to cut back now Merlin, you probably won't get many flowers, but if you just want to make it a better shape you could cut out the old stems and the lower growth will flower next year. I've done this on a couple of mine and they flowered really well the following year |
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Post by merlin on May 15, 2011 18:40:27 GMT
Thanks folks, I've got five mature plants one of which is not looking good so I'll cut out the old wood from that one and look forward to it performing better next year.
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Post by Lou78W on May 15, 2011 21:01:21 GMT
cutting out a third of the stems of each plant, each year, should keep them under control |
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Post by floydie on May 15, 2011 21:10:07 GMT
I have lots of flowers forming on mine but as you say not much growth around the bottom in fact some of the old stems are dead (So i am going to hack them back). I have noticed in other peoples gardens (Local) that they have chopped them down to the ground.
Molly knocked some stems off the biggest one so i dipped them in rooting powder (about a month ago) and place them in compost they have rooted ;D.
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Post by merlin on May 16, 2011 6:21:18 GMT
I think you're right Floydie as they look so good when in their prime. Lou's method is right and I'll follow it but I have a soil problem too. They used to look like in this old pic but over the years they've got smaller. I'm going to did 'em up and replace the clay sub-soil during winter.
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Post by wildlifefriendly on Nov 4, 2011 8:14:59 GMT
Last year I moved a hydrangea, it is looking very leggy this year, can I cut it back? If so, when should I do it and by how much?
I have one more which has got very large and had very few flowers on it this year so something probably needs doing to that one too. They are both the flat headed type, not the ball shaped flowers.
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Post by wildlifefriendly on Nov 4, 2011 8:15:54 GMT
I'll take a couple of photos today.
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Post by merlin on Nov 4, 2011 18:21:46 GMT
I think I know what you mean by "leggy", that's what mine was like so I cut out all but a few new healthy shoots in Spring. I didn think it would flower this year but it has and though there are fewer flowers, they are as big as footballs.
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Post by wildlifefriendly on Nov 4, 2011 18:44:30 GMT
I'm sure I posted these photos, I'm loosing the plot  This is the large one, it had four flowers this year  and this is the one I moved which needs some drastic work.  |
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Post by Lou78W on Nov 4, 2011 21:11:47 GMT
Hmmmm....I would "bite the bullet" and cut them back...particularly the second pic.....but I would wait until the spring.....just in case......losing a few seasons blooms will be worth it in the long run |
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Post by wildlifefriendly on Nov 4, 2011 21:32:35 GMT
I don't mind loosing flowers as long as I can get them into some sort of order. The internet said prune in winter which is why I am asking now (the internet also said penguins live in trees and eat pencils  ) so I always feel the need to check before I do anything major. |
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Post by Lou78W on Nov 4, 2011 21:34:07 GMT
I don't mind loosing flowers as long as I can get them into some sort of order. The internet said prune in winter which is why I am asking now (the internet also said penguins live in trees and eat pencils ) so I always feel the need to check before I do anything major. Oh!.....I would have thought a spring pruning would protect the shoots over winter....(.assuming its going to be a bad one again). I love the thought of tree dwelling penguins, chomping on pencils..!!!...lol....lol.....what you been drinking our Sue    |
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Post by wildlifefriendly on Nov 4, 2011 22:17:56 GMT
I don't mind loosing flowers as long as I can get them into some sort of order. The internet said prune in winter which is why I am asking now (the internet also said penguins live in trees and eat pencils ) so I always feel the need to check before I do anything major. Oh!.....I would have thought a spring pruning would protect the shoots over winter....(.assuming its going to be a bad one again). I love the thought of tree dwelling penguins, chomping on pencils..!!!...lol....lol.....what you been drinking our Sue Believe it or not, I haven't touched a drop tonight  The penguin thing was an entry in Wikipedia when it first started. |
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) so I always feel the need to check before I do anything major.
