How often should I cut the flower part off of my hydrengeas?
Question:I don´t know if I spelled this the right way. I cut one flower off (it was originally blue) and the one that formed is pink:)
I cut the other ones as well-is this the right thing to do? They were old and had holes from where the slugs had gotten to them.
Answers:
I agree that anytime the flower is old, past prime, or damaged is fine... but if you have an Endless Summer type of hydrangea, you should remove blooms more often, so that the plant will keep producing new ones. this is a very good site to learn a lot about your plant.
www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com
very nice folks there and great info in FAQ's, too!...
Yes, it's fine to cut back any spent flowers or flowers you want for arrangements. July and August is the right time to cut back your Hydrangeas, if you want to make the bush smaller. But next year's flowers come from this year's new growth, so you don't want to do any pruning after July or August.
Hydrengeas are amazing plants. You can actually change the color of the flower from pink to blue by adding fertilizer for acid-loving plants (Miracle Grow in the Blue package)
In the fall, when all the flowering is done, you should cut off the dried flowerheads. By the way, the dried flowers are very pretty in arrangements, even sprayed with sliver or gold paint.
You can ensure blue flowers every year by feeding the plant all year long.
By the way, there are all kinds of different fertilizer for acid-loving plants. I like Miracle Gro a lot.
You can also dig in used coffee grounds around the plant. That is very acidic and makes a good soil conditioner.
Good luck!
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