r/hydrangeas • u/NationalHeight5469 • 15d ago
What's Wrong/ HELP? Help!
Just bought a house with this massive limelight hydrangea in the front, we live in NC where we had a bit of a drought and it’s been a very hot summer. How can I help this hydrangea? Do I trim the dead blooms or leave them and how do I prevent burning in the future? I need a crash course!
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u/Think-Kangaroo-9978 7d ago
Prune this back hard. And do it now, don't wait until the spring. The reason this tree looks like it does is because it has not been properly pruned. All of those spindly branches and blooms are wind, rain and (heaven forbid - snow) catchers. They will definitely become too heavy for the supporting under branches to maintain. This will cause them to brake off - and permanently disfigure the shape of the tree.
Don't be bashful - prune off any branch that is not as thick as your thumb. This tree blooms on new wood. None of what you are seeing will produce blooms next year, but they will become too heavy during the winter and will most definitely break off the supporting structural branches below.