What do I need to do with my Hydrangea to see large flowerheads in late summer?
Hydrangea paniculata varieties are a wonderful addition to any garden providing spectacular late summer and autumn colour and interest. If you leave the skeletonised flowerheads on your plant it will look interesting right through until pruning time in spring. We have a number of different varieties with flowers of white, green or pink. Have you seen the new variety Hydrangea paniculata 'Vanilla Fraise', aptly named as the flowers look almost good enough to eat or 'Limelight' with its attractive green flowers.
Now is the time to start to think about pruning your Hydrangea paniculata, just when it is starting to show new buds/leaf growth. First of all cut away away all spindly stems right back to the main stem. This means that all the plant's energy will be directed to the remaining stems ensuring that the flowers are as large as possible. For all the stronger stems you have two options.
1) If you want your plant to stay reasonably compact then cut off the stems just above the first or second bud/leaf on the stem - do not cut into the very old wood
OR
2) If you want your plant to grow a little taller then do not cut off the branches quite so far down. Leave 4 or 5 buds/leaves on the stem below your cut.
If you follow this routine each year your plant will build up a strong branching framework and provide large flowers. Make sure that your plant also has enough moisture if the weather happens to be dry over the next few months when the flowers will start to form. If you follow the pruning regime but your plant produces small flowerheads then it has not had enough water.