Tree form Hydrangea 'Grandiflora'

Do any of you plant this tree? I have good luck with getting it to grow and bloom. But the blooms are so large that the branches flop horrible, making the tree look ugly. The trees are only 3 years old and are about 4 foot tall. Will the branches ever get strong enough to take the weight and look more like a natural weeping?

I have the trees in a lot of shade. I cut them back at the end of winter to encourage shorter stronger branches but this doesn't seem to help.

Any suggestions?
Donna

Donna......were you going to post a picture of the tree????

Deann

I'll give it a try sometime this weekend. I am not good with the digital camera and have never tried to post pictures before. I'll wait until the hubby is around to give me a hand.
Donna

I planted a Hydrangea PG in tree form early this spring and it is about 4 1/2 feet tall. It is loaded right now with buds. Haven't counted, but there must be at least 30-40. It will be at least a few weeks, I think, before the flowers bloom. When it does, I am eager to see if we find the same problems. I hadn't even worried about too many blooms (I was just so excited to see them, with all this heat) and am wondering if I should be pruning some off. Albion College has had two in front of the union for at least 6 years. I will call the grounds department and ask how they take care of it. Theirs blooms beautifully and weeps away for several weeks. I am not sure of when their pruning schedule is, or what else they do to it. They maintain it at about 6 feet.
Judy

Thanks, I would appreciate it. I have never seen one that really looked nice. I bought it because the tag said it would take shade. Mine has a lot of blooms, but the tree ends up looking ugly ( which I don't have a picture of). For the last 2 years I have cut the limbs all the way in the fall, mostly because I can't stand looking at it anymore.

The tree looks like the buds might be starting. I'm not sure of what approach to take! Someone at the nursery suggested cutting off most of the blooms to lighten up the tree. I'll wait and see what you are told.

Donna