#Quickfire hydrangea pruning download#

You can also download the free iHeart app to listen to any of Ron’s shows anytime from anywhere.Second show from 10 to 12 noon is based out of Columbus at 610 WTVN, which serves most of Ohio.is based out of Cincinnati: 55KRC, WKRC 550AM If you are in the Ohio listening area and want to listen the old-fashioned radio way, here’s what you need to know: and again at about 11 a.m. To listen live or later, go to. He’s also the past president of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association. The first discussion will be at about 7.30 a.m. March 14: I will be talking hydrangeas on Ron Wilson’s radio show from Ohio twice on Saturday, March 14. Ron is a highly regarded plantsman and manages one of Ohio’s premiere nursery/landscape companies.Mar 7, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County Spring Garden Day, 2 p.m.There are several hydrangea talks, including pruning. Maybe there’s a location convenient for you to come and hear me cover a subject of interest to you. Why not plan to attend one of my upcoming talks? My March public speaking schedule might be of interest to you as I delve into a variety of topics. I cover pruning in detail with loads of photos in my book Success With Hydrangeas, A Gardener’s Guide. Just be sure you prune them before they are too far along for this season or you’ll miss your window. You’ll find them forgiving even if you make a mistake or two. Pruning new wood hydrangeas is something you can master with a little time and attention. The HDZ™ is when those buds are most susceptible to all kinds of mayhem, but that shouldn’t include your pruning cuts. Their time will come soon enough, and you will be glad you let your plants get the last of their beauty sleep. For them, you are in the HYDRANGEA DANGER ZONE™ (HDZ™), that time between August 1 and when you see buds. Oak leaf hydrangeas, big leaf hydrangeas, climbing hydrangeas and mountain hydrangeas all bloom on old wood even if they are rebloomers. Clean, sharpen and oil them so they’re ready for the hard work ahead.ĭon’t even think about cutting any of your other hydrangeas, no matter how ratty they may appear. If your fingers are itchy to be out in the garden, take the time to get those cutting tools in shape. Plus, your footing needs to be safe and with sharp cutting tools, you want to be super careful. You want to let Mother Nature take her best shot and allow for winter kill before you take the pruners to your plants. We still have to deal with March, which can be harsh on your plants. Don’t forget to wipe down your gloves/hands.įor cold weather gardens, I would hold off a little while more. Your other choice is to make a spray of a 10% solution of rubbing/isopropyl alcohol from your home medicine cabinet using a spray bottle from the dollar store. Studies prove it kills most germs in an average home garden. You can use Lysol® spray on your tools to get into the crevices which can harbor the invisible germs.

You don’t want to unintentionally move pathogens around your garden. Make sure as you move from plant to plant that you disinfect your cutting tools. ‘Limelight’ hydrangea before and after pruning. Before and after shots of ‘Limelight’ from my garden looked like this one spring. There is some research that shows cutting by about a third is the right amount for these plants. Those magnificent flowers hold water, which will weigh them down unless they have strong “old” stems to keep them erect.Ī before and after shot of your plant might look like this:Īll Hydrangea paniculatas like ‘Fire and Ice’, Fire Light®, ‘Limelight’, Pinky Winky®, and Little Quick Fire® are new wood bloomers. If you cut it to the ground or to its crown, as I have seen on various websites, you will wind up with weak stems.

You want to give the plant the ability to have strong stems to hold the deliciously large flowers, especially after rainfall. How much do you cut back on new wood flowering plants? Good question! I wouldn’t go further down than about 2 feet tall. You might need to invest in some diamond hones and other small items, but that investment will pay you great dividends.īack to your pruning job. That translates into jagged cuts, a potentially less healthy plant, and more work for you.

The key is to DO IT! Not just this once but throughout the season as sap, dirt, and debris will always clog your pruners and dull the cutting surface. If you have some time to cruise the internet, you can find lots of videos on caring for your cutting tools. There’s nothing worse than working with a pruner that doesn’t fit your hand. A large hand needs an 8 inch pruner or more.