Hydrangea -Pruning Of

[Ric.ror]

I intend to prune my hydrangea RIGHT back this weekend
I am thinking the roots will then have less foliage to nourish through the winter months
Am I right in my thinking?

[murraymints]

I don't do mine till spring...Just lop of old blooms and dead stuff....we get very bad ground fosts ..I'd mulch heavily if I were you...

[Ric.ror]

I don't have any blooms though
I pruned very heavily in spring and it grew back very lush and green but no blooms

[murraymints]

You need to feed it if no blooms ...and I wouldn't be so heavy handed with secateurs this year either....but defo needs feeding.....

[woofgang]

according to the RHS, you are pruning too early for most varieties.
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?PID=516#section3

[pussnboots]

You will never get blooms if you prune every year, after pruning they take a year before flowering again.

[Chipchopper]

I'm assuming your Hydrangea is in the 'mophead' group (H. Macrophylia).
The usual advice with this variety is :- Dead head in march and remove any thin, weak branches at the same time.
Plus the fore-mentioned feeding and mulching.

[Ric.ror]

Oh I am going to take a picture when I get home and post it as my avatar - If I don't prune it soon it will be bigger than the house

[Prudie]

Mopheads etc don't have any leaves to nourish in winter, they drop off. Do you have an evergreen variety? Anyway Spring is the right time to prune but you must leave some current year's growth. I always prune off the dead heads down to the next healthy shoot.

[pussnboots]

Mine is massive too Ric.ror, I prune every other year, so blooms one year and just lush green leaves the next, and so on.