Pruning paniculate hydrangea in the fall: why is it needed, when to do it, diagram, video for beginners

Content

1 Should paniculate hydrangea be pruned in the fall?
2 Why do you need autumn pruning of paniculate hydrangea?
3 When can you prune paniculate hydrangea for the winter?
4 How to prune paniculate hydrangea for the winter
5 Methods for autumn pruning hydrangeas
6 Caring for paniculata hydrangea after autumn pruning
7 Advice from experienced gardeners
8 Conclusion

Pruning hydrangea paniculata in autumn involves removing all old peduncles, as well as rejuvenating pruning of shoots. It is better to do this about 3-4 weeks before the onset of the first frost. In order for the plant to recover well from stress, it should be fed with potassium and superphosphates. In regions with frosty winters, additional shelter will be needed.

Should paniculate hydrangea be pruned in the fall?

Paniculata hydrangea needs both spring and autumn pruning. Haircuts are performed for different purposes:

forming - remove all shoots that clearly spoil the appearance, and also thin out the crown so that it is moderately dense;
rejuvenating - removing old branches to stimulate the growth of new shoots in the spring;
sanitary – removal of broken, dried shoots, as well as branches affected by diseases and pests.

In practice, pruning paniculate hydrangea is carried out at once to solve all these problems. Moreover, old and broken, dried branches are removed both in autumn and in spring. Otherwise, the tasks of spring and autumn haircuts are different. Often, at the end of the season, only faded panicles are pruned, and in the spring the rest of the work is done.

Unscheduled pruning may be necessary if the plant is damaged by strong winds or rain.

Important! After radical anti-aging pruning (under a stump), the hydrangea will not bloom next year, which is normal. However, the plant will recover, and after 1 season it will produce many lush inflorescences.

Why do you need autumn pruning of paniculate hydrangea?

The main purpose of pruning is to remove old flower stalks. Also, trimming paniculate hydrangea in the fall is needed for other purposes:

preparation for winter;
cleaning of damaged and diseased branches;
stimulating active flowering next year.

The main purpose of pruning paniculate hydrangea in the fall is to remove panicles and dry branches.

When can you prune paniculate hydrangea for the winter?

Pruning paniculate hydrangea in the fall in the first year is not necessary. First, the bush is allowed to take root, after which they begin cutting (usually starting from 3-4 years). When choosing a specific period, you should first of all take into account the climatic characteristics of a particular region. The optimal time is the beginning of active leaf fall. Moreover, it is better to do it before the first frost. Therefore, the timing of pruning in the fall can be determined as follows:

In the middle zone and Moscow region this is the second half of September.
In the North-West and Leningrad region this is the first half of September.
In Southern Siberia and the Urals, haircuts begin in early September.And if the month is predicted to be cold, then at the end of August.
In the south of Russia, autumn pruning is carried out in the first half of October.

Also, when choosing the timing of pruning, you can be guided by the lunar calendar. It is advisable to work on a clear day with relatively warm weather (not lower than +7 degrees).

Important! Finding the optimal pruning time is very important.

On the one hand, it is better to finish everything 3 weeks before the onset of frost. On the other hand, you shouldn’t start work too early. In this case, new shoots may form, which will confidently grow and then freeze.

How to prune paniculate hydrangea for the winter

Pruning paniculate hydrangea in the fall is carried out according to the traditional scheme: it is necessary to remove the flower stalks, that is, the panicles. At the next stage (spring) pruning, all other actions are performed:

removal of damaged shoots - both broken and dried;
anti-aging pruning - removal of all old shoots;
pruning for lush flowering: shortening the apical shoots;
thinning the bush to give it a beautiful shape.

Scheme for pruning hydrangea paniculata in autumn and spring

However, anti-aging pruning can be done not only in spring, but also in autumn. For this:

significantly shorten all powerful lateral branches, leaving only 2 buds;
Only 2-3 strong branches are left on the bush (all shoots older than 4 years are pruned).

Thus, the main pruning occurs not in the fall, but in the spring. At the end of the season, simply remove the dried panicles. If necessary, you can also remove broken branches (for example, shoots damaged by strong winds).

Important! If after cutting there are still sections on the branches, they should be sprinkled with ash or soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate 1-2%.

As a result of pruning paniculata hydrangea in autumn, only cut stumps remain on the bush: all flower stalks are removed

Methods for autumn pruning hydrangeas

Formative pruning of the plant can be carried out both in spring and autumn. Most often, to obtain a beautiful bush, 3 options are used:

Hydrangea on a trunk.
A tall bush with a spreading crown.
Low bush with a compact crown.

On the standard

In the first case, it is enough to cut off all the lower shoots at a height of 50-60 cm - as soon as the bush reaches a height of at least 1-1.5 m. Most often, formation begins from the 3rd year of the plant’s life, when the hydrangea has grown sufficiently and become stronger. Standard pruning is done to a spherical or oval shape, which looks especially beautiful on the central shoot.

Another option is a haircut to look like a “weeping” hydrangea. Then the branches are preliminarily inclined to the ground and fixed for 1 season (from spring to autumn of the same year). A year later, the crown of the weeping bush is thinned out and weak shoots are removed.

The varieties most suitable for pruning on a trunk are Pink Diamond and Phantom

Bush with a spreading crown

This is the easiest way to do autumn pruning. Even with minimal care (watering and fertilizing), paniculate hydrangea grows quite well, so the crown quickly thickens due to the appearance of new shoots. On the one hand, the bush looks very beautiful, but on the other hand, the more branches, the weaker the flower stalks, the smaller the flowers themselves.

Therefore, gardeners need to choose a middle ground so that the tree attracts both greenery and inflorescences. To do this, it is recommended to annually shorten last year's shoots by at least 3 buds. It is optimal if the (upper) bud remaining after pruning is directed outward and not inward of the crown.

Compact bush

In this case, during pruning, the shoots are significantly shortened. As a result, 3-5 pairs of buds should remain. This type of haircut is carried out in the fall only in regions with a relatively warm climate (including the middle zone). For example, in the Urals and Siberia it is better to do it in early spring, before the sap begins to flow.

It is practical to carry out such pruning in small areas where there is little space.

The most convenient way to trim a bush is to use pruning shears.

Caring for paniculata hydrangea after autumn pruning

Almost immediately after pruning, paniculate hydrangea must be well prepared for the winter. First of all, it is fed with superphosphate (70 g per 1 m²) and potassium sulfate (40 g per 1 m²). These fertilizers help increase the plant's resistance to frost and temperature changes.

In addition, you can scatter 1.5 cups (300 g) of wood ash around the tree trunk. After this, the soil is loosened so that the fertilizer penetrates deep into the soil. Thanks to this feeding, paniculate hydrangea will recover much faster from the stress associated with pruning in the fall. In addition, nutritional supplements help strengthen the root system and ripen wood fibers.

Beginner gardeners can use ready-made mineral fertilizers according to the instructions, for example:

"Fertika" (solution);
“Pokon” (granules that are scattered over the surface);
potassium magnesia (1 tbsp per 10 liters of moderately warm water) – water at the root of the plant.

Important! It is strictly forbidden to give nitrogen fertilizers in the fall and in the second half of summer. Otherwise, the hydrangea will quickly grow, and all young shoots may die due to hypothermia.

Thanks to proper care, even after radical pruning, hydrangea will be able to recover next spring.

Advice from experienced gardeners

Experienced gardeners regularly prune paniculate hydrangeas both in spring and autumn. At the same time, they recommend paying attention to some features of this procedure. Thanks to their advice, many beginners will be able to avoid mistakes when cutting hair:

It is important to maintain sterility during pruning. The blade of a pruning shear or garden shears is treated with any disinfectant (for example, iron sulfate or alcohol-containing). Cuts of paniculate hydrangeas must be sprinkled with crushed coal or wood ash. They can also be dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate.
When pruning paniculate hydrangea in the fall, you must carefully remove the flower stalks, leaving the top 2-3 buds. It is on them that young shoots will appear. Moreover, the higher they are, the greater the chance that flowers will grow on them.
Experienced gardeners do not recommend disturbing young paniculate hydrangeas with pruning (both in autumn and spring). However, in case of emergency, you can remove broken branches, damaged and diseased shoots.
Despite the fact that many varieties of paniculate hydrangeas have good winter hardiness, the roots must be mulched with spruce needles and peat. It is recommended to add humus and fallen leaves. The result should be a layer 15-20 cm high. It will not only protect the roots from the cold, but also nourish the plant. Additionally, you can cover it with earth.
Despite the fact that tall hydrangea looks quite beautiful, it is better not to leave branches higher than 150 cm. They begin to bend under the weight of the inflorescences, and a strong wind can break them.Therefore, short pruning is preferred.
In regions with a harsh, unpredictable climate (Ural, Siberia), you can additionally cover hydrangeas with burlap or spunbond. This is especially important for young seedlings under the age of 4-5 years.

After pruning in the fall, it is recommended not only to mulch the soil, but also to cover the paniculate hydrangea for the winter

Advice! As the inflorescences wither, it is better to remove them immediately. Thanks to this, the hydrangea will produce even more flowers. Therefore, small pruning is carried out not only in spring and autumn, but also in summer.

Conclusion

Pruning hydrangea paniculata in the fall is a mandatory procedure that is carried out starting from the 3-4th year of the plant’s life. Typically, the main activities are carried out in the spring, and in the fall it is important to remove old flower stalks. But in such bushes it is possible to significantly shorten the shoots (anti-aging pruning) so that the hydrangea is completely renewed in the new season.

This video will help beginners visually learn how to prune paniculate hydrangea in the fall: