We have two of these and was thinking of trimming them back but not sure when is the best time of year to do that? We live in Southeastern PA. They are not that big yet but wondering is spring or fall a better time to trim them when the time comes to keep them at the height we want them to be.
Hello, jess2132000. Paniculatas bloom on new wood so you can prune then at almost any time except when they are about to bloom (usually late May thru June/July). Pruning at the end of winter or in the Fall is fine. But if you find that you are pruning often, consider transplanting them to a different location; hydrangeas do not need to be pruned often. This is a very nice early blooming shrub with good fall color if the leaves get a bit of orangey-red. Deadheading can be done at any time.
This message was edited Feb 23, 2011 6:04 AM
It is a beautiful specimen. Save some of the mature flower heads for drying. I bought some dried from a vendor on Ebay. I think I paid about $20 for them, but they really last.
