I live in MN and my Hydrangree tree has very heavy blooms that are hanging in my birdbath. Is it okay to just clip the heavy blooms off in the summer or should I wait until fall?
Hello:
Thanks for your question. Yes it is ok to cut off some heavy blooms in the summer if they are drooping more than you would like.
Regarding pruning in general, Limelight Hydrangea is a paniculata hydrangea and they are some of the easiest hydrangeas to care for. They bloom on new wood and can be pruned in fall, winter or early spring, as they set flower buds in late spring and early summer. First clean off any shoots coming out of the ground around the base of the plant (“suckers”) and then any coming out of the lower part of the trunk. To keep that tree form, you want to keep the trunk bare with no competitors coming out of the ground. To encourage sturdier stems, cut back stems in the branched out area where the plant takes on its umbrella-look to 1/2 to 1/3 their height. This will result in sturdier branches and slightly smaller flowers, leading to less drooping. Sometimes Limelight Hydrangea flowers can be so large that their weight can break the stem. Prune the stems to just above a strong, outward-facing bud. Annual pruning is not necessary for good flowering.