ok, i have a hydrangea macraphylla. and i need to know if you cut it back each winter if it will flower the following year. i've heard some types do and some don't. i recently transplanted it so i did trim it all the way back for the move, just will it flower this year or will it flower on old growth.
little clairification on winter pruning please
Do you know the name of the cultivar that you have? If not then you'll have to assume it's one of the majority of macrophyllas that blooms on old wood. They should only be cut back right after bloom or else they won't bloom the following year. If you transplanted it recently and cut it back before doing so then it won't bloom this year.
The exception to this is there are some reblooming cultivars which bloom on old & new wood. The most common ones are in the Endless Summer and Forever and Ever series, so if yours had one of those names on the tag then it could bloom this year (although sometimes plants will take some time off from blooming after transplanting until they can get their roots going again so even if it is a rebloomer it may not bloom this year)
thanks alot. i don't know the exact name. its at my parents house and the plant was an existing plant that needed to be moved. do you have any suggestions on figuring out what kind it is exactly?
Do you have pictures of it in bloom? If you do you could post them--although hydrangea cultivars are tricky to distinguish because many of them look similar, and the soil pH affects bloom color which makes it even harder to tell which one's which so no guarantees that you'll be able to pin down an ID.
If you don't have a picture of it blooming, then you'll have to wait until it blooms. Given when you pruned it, if it does bloom this year then it's a reblooming variety, but as I mentioned earlier even a rebloomer might take the year off from blooming to get established so if it doesn't bloom then you're stuck with the mystery for a bit longer.
If this was a plant that your parents have had for a really long time, then chances are it only blooms on old wood since the rebloomers are a bit newer. Also if it's a lacecap (rather than a mophead) then it's most likely one that blooms on old wood. There is one reblooming lacecap cultivar that I'm aware of, but it's fairly new so that makes it less likely.
great advice! i had to move it as a necessary evil. it was on the northern side of the house in a area that wasn't big enough for it to grow. i moved it to where it will get morning sun but will be in the shade by 1pm. it is next to the front porch so it should add some drama to the front door. is drama the right word? anyway, thanks for the advice. i'll make sure the parental units don't cut them next winter and to be prepared for some mystery.
thanks again