When to Cut Back Hydrangeas: An Easy-to-Follow Guide

Figuring out when to cut back hydrangeas is so confusing for new gardeners and homeowners! Heck, it’s even confusing for long-time gardeners. Most articles offer information about hydrangea pruning solely based on the plant’s species or by whether it blooms on “old wood” or “new wood”. But what does all of that mean? Isn’t there an easier way to determine when to cut back different hydrangeas? Yes! In this article, I share a very simple way to determine the best pruning time based on the shape and color of the blooms, even if you don’t know what species your hydrangea is.

As a professional horticulturist who hosted a live call-in radio show for 15 years, “When do I prune my hydrangea?” is among the most commonly asked gardening questions. This is because if you prune hydrangeas at the wrong time, you might accidentally cut off all the dormant flower buds. This could mean fewer blooms or even no blooms at all. Because the flowering potential of these shrubs is influenced by pruning, learning when to cut back hydrangeas is a popular concern.

All hydrangeas bloom in the summer, but not all hydrangea types produce their flower buds at the same time. This is why pruning time matters so much. Let me explain.

• Some hydrangea species make new flower buds in the spring, just a few weeks before those buds open into gorgeous flowers. (Flowering on the current season’s growth like this is called blooming on “new wood.”)
• Other types of hydrangeas make their new flower buds in the late summer or fall, a full 9+ months before they open into blooms. Those buds stay dormant in the brown stems all winter long and then open the following summer