How to prune hydrangeas in April for better flowers and ‘vigorous growth’

Pruning two types of hydrangeas in April encourages a greater display of flowers

Pruning can help hydrangeas bloom better(Image: Getty)

Pruning is a vital gardening job, carried out year-round to keep plants, shrubs and flowers in check. Not only does it boost flowering, but it can also help manage their growth. When it comes to hydrangeas, pruning is frequently neglected.

While different varieties require pruning at various points in the year, April presents an excellent opportunity to prune mophead and lacecap types. Climbing hydrangeas get pruned following their summer flowering, so be sure to leave those alone for now if you’ve got them.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) explained: “Hydrangea flowers form mid-to-late summer on the previous year’s growth.

“Mophead and lacecap hydrangeas will bloom satisfactorily with little attention, but annual pruning encourages new, vigorous growth and a better flowering display.”

Gardeners blessed with full, rounded heads of large petals have mophead varieties, while those with small central flowers surrounded by an outer ring of larger petals have lacecaps, reports the Express.

For pruning mophead hydrangeas, remove spent flowerheads and trim back the stems to the first robust, healthy pair of buds beneath the faded bloom.

The RHS added: “Lacecaps are hardier, and the faded flowerheads can be cut back after flowering to the second pair of leaves below the head to prevent seeds developing, which saps energy from the plant.”

Hydrangeas will provide a ‘better flowering display’ if you do 1 job-time is running out(Image: Getty)

For those with mature hydrangeas, Britons ought to remove one or two of the oldest stems at the base to stimulate fresh growth. The gardening specialists continued: “Overgrown or poorly shaped plants can be entirely renovated by cutting off all the stems at the base.

“However, this will remove all the flowers for that summer. The new stems won’t bloom until the following year.”

When it comes to climbing hydrangeas, it’s essential to trim back any excessively long shoots immediately after flowering finishes. Most blooms appear towards the plant’s upper section, so aim to leave as much of this area untouched.

The experts went on: “Established plants will tolerate hard pruning in spring, but extensive cutting back in one go is likely to reduce flowering for the next couple of summers.

“To avoid flower loss, stagger drastic pruning over three or four years, reducing the size of the plant gradually.”