The act of cutting spent or faded hydrangea blooms, often called deadheading, is a straightforward maintenance task that improves the plant’s appearance and health. The challenge lies in determining the precise location for the cut, as this decision is highly dependent on the specific type of hydrangea you are tending. Making a cut in the wrong place can inadvertently remove the dormant flower buds that are already set for the following year, resulting in a season without the characteristic billowy blooms. Correctly locating the cut ensures the plant’s energy is redirected efficiently, supporting both the current season’s growth and the development of next year’s flowers.
Identifying Your Hydrangea Type
The most important factor in determining where to cut is whether your hydrangea blooms on “old wood” or “new wood.” Old wood is the growth produced during the previous season, while new wood is the fresh growth emerging in the current spring. This distinction determines the timing of flower bud formation and, consequently, the proper cutting technique.
Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood set their flower buds in late summer or fall on the stems that have been on the plant since the prior year. Common examples include Bigleaf Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla), Mountain Hydrangeas (H. serrata), and Oakleaf Hydrangeas (H. quercifolia). If you prune these varieties in late fall, winter, or early spring, you will be removing the flower buds and sacrificing the upcoming season’s blooms.
Hydrangeas that bloom on new wood form their flower buds on the growth that emerges in the current spring, leading to blooms later in the summer. Panicle Hydrangeas (H. paniculata), such as ‘Limelight,’ and Smooth Hydrangeas (H. arborescens), such as ‘Annabelle,’ fall into this category. Because the buds form on fresh stems, the location and timing of cuts on these types are much more flexible.
Pruning Instructions for Old Wood Bloomers
When deadheading or harvesting blooms from old wood varieties, the precise location of the cut is critical to ensure future flowering. The goal is to remove the spent flower head while leaving the dormant flower bud intact just below the cut. These plants are best pruned immediately after their flowering period has finished in mid-summer.
To make the cut, follow the spent flower stem down to the first set of large, healthy leaves you encounter. Beneath the point where the leaves attach to the stem, there is typically a visible, plump, outward-facing bud. Make your cut at a slight angle, approximately one-quarter inch above this bud or leaf node.
Any cut made further down the stem risks removing the hidden flower bud that would have produced next year’s bloom. If you are shaping the plant, avoid removing more than one-third of the total stems in a given season. Focus on thinning out the oldest, weakest stems at the base.
Pruning Instructions for New Wood Bloomers
Cutting blooms from new wood varieties is a much more forgiving process because the plant will produce new stems and new flower buds within the same growing season. These hydrangeas tolerate much harder pruning, and the cutting location is less constrained by the need to preserve next year’s flower buds.
For simple deadheading, you can follow the same method as old wood types, cutting just above the first set of strong leaves below the spent flower. However, you have the option to make a more aggressive cut further down the stem to a stronger, more visible bud if you wish to reduce the plant’s overall size. This flexibility allows for significant shaping and size control.
For major pruning cuts to control size or encourage stronger, less floppy stems, the cut can be made much lower down on the plant in late winter or early spring. Panicle and Smooth Hydrangeas can be cut back by one-third of their height or even down to between 12 and 24 inches from the ground. This encourages vigorous new growth, which will be the source of the current season’s abundant blooms.
When and How to Make the Cut
The timing of your cuts is determined by the hydrangea type, but the physical action of cutting requires the right tools and technique. Deadheading—the removal of spent flowers—should generally be done soon after the blooms fade to redirect the plant’s energy. Old wood varieties must have any major shaping done immediately after flowering in mid-summer, while new wood types should be pruned hard in late winter or early spring before new growth begins.
Always use clean, sharp bypass pruners when cutting hydrangea stems. Bypass pruners have blades that overlap like scissors, ensuring a clean slice that minimizes damage to the plant tissue. A clean cut heals more quickly, which reduces the plant’s stress and limits the opportunity for disease entry. Making the cut at a slight angle helps water run off the wound site.