Hydrangeas will be showing signs of stress as autumn gets underway, but one simple but important gardening task will make them stronger
Katherine McPhillips and Ketsuda Phoutinane Spare Time Content Editor
02:19, 27 Sep 2025
Sadly, hydrangea blooms are beginning to wither as summer draws to a close. Looking ahead to winter and spring, gardeners are advised to be carrying out an important task to help the plant thrive.
The hydrangea flowering period typically winds down in late August, meaning they’ll now be displaying signs of fatigue and appearing less vibrant than they were mere weeks ago. As such, specialists at Mill Creek Gardens have explained how remarkably simple it is to maintain their health.
Gardeners simply need to spend a few moments deadheading them, as they explained: “When you deadhead hydrangeas, you aren’t harming the plants at all. Removing the spent blooms triggers flowering shrubs to stop producing seeds and instead put their energy toward root and foliage development. This makes plants stronger and healthier, so by deadheading, you’ll be doing your hydrangeas a favour.”
Why deadhead hydrangeas in autumn?
Hydrangea flowers will grow back stronger in the spring(Image: diane555 via Getty Images)
Deadheading is the straightforward gardening technique of cutting away any wilting petals on a bloom so it can channel its energy into enhancing and developing other areas of the plant.
This helps any lingering flowers on a hydrangea to robust and pretty. Nevertheless, the main reason to snip faded blooms now is to prompt hydrangeas to channel more energy into cultivating larger foliage and more extensive root systems.
This enables hydrangeas to accumulate more energy in preparation for icy conditions. A well-prepared plant stands a better chance of yielding more impressive blooms the following year.
Soggy, wilted flowers can trap a significant amount of moisture, which may foster mould and other fungal diseases. Therefore, taking a few moments to deadhead now can help prevent hydrangeas from becoming infected in the autumn.
How to deadhead hydrangeas
Deadhunting is crucial to prepare hydrangeas for winter(Image: Yuliya Sheynina via Getty Images)
Deadheading is incredibly straightforward and will only take you a few seconds, or at most, a few minutes. Simply look for any spent flowers that appear brown or wilted on the plant and trace the stem back to the first set of leaves.
Use a pair of clean shears to cut the stem just above the healthy leaves. Ensure you are only cutting into the green soft stem and not the thicker, woodier parts of the plant.
At this time of year, it’s also beneficial to have a cloth soaked in alcohol to clean the shear blades. Fungal disease and mould are very common in late summer, and cleaning the shears helps to prevent any infection from spreading.
Simply check your hydrangea plant once a week to see if it needs deadheading, and the plant will be stronger and much better prepared as we head into autumn in September.
(Image: diane555 via Getty Images)
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