AFter winter sets in, This hydrangia is in a crowded area and has grown leaps and bounds, I've never cut it back each winter like some do, I just want to make sure it won't croak on me if I do this. I need to give the other plants some room next year and thought by cutting this shrub back and my pink pussy willow I'd have some more sunny area for other plants.
is this ok on cutting back the hydrangia this fall after bloom? or early winter.
Can I cut my limelight back to the ground this fall
Since Limelight is a paniculata, yes, it can pruned it back in winter or early spring before the buds set. There are others on this forum who are better versed than I who can probably tell you how far back you can go. I have a Tardiva that will need pruning after this season but I will only be trimming about 8" off. They are fast growers!
Once the shrub has lost its leaves in fall or winter, it is dormant and you can transplant it. If you choose to do it in late fall, you gain the advantage of -probably- still being able to clearly see where something else was growing and you will not step on it. Scoop as big a root ball as you can carry when transplanting.
Regarding exactly when to move, check your last frost date in AR for a point of reference and then add a couple of weeks to that. Then as soon as the plant shows to be dormant after that date (symptom: dried out leaves), transplant it.
Be aware that the shrub will require monitoring (water-wise) for about a year, just as if you had bought a small hydrangea from a local nursery. Apply 3-4" of any type of acidic mulch to conserve soil moisture and make sure the mulch goes past where the old roots were cut. Do not forget to water during winter as well. If your soil does not freeze and the weather is dry, water in the mornings from the rootball outwards until you get past the old roots.
Do not fertilize the plant after August 2008 to make sure it goes dormant "on schedule". Then in Spring 2009 use only weak fertilizers (liquid seaweed, liquid fish, coffee grounds) after the plant leafs out in order to minimize transplant shock. Then normally fertilize in May and June. For more information on fertilizing, go to the bottom of this webpage: http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/planting_fert.html
Do not prune anything this year either. At best, wait until next spring when you can accurately tell which parts survived and which ones died back. Leaf out, at worst, should happen no later than late May for you in AR. But the plant may leaf out later than usual.
For more information on transplanting, check this link: http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/planting_fert.html#trans
Luis
I wasn't wanting to transplant it but just cut it back to the ground every year.
Kathy
I would leave it about 12 inches from the ground. The Annabel hydrangea is cut to the ground.
Gary
Paniculata's actually flower better if purned. By better, I mean much larger although fewer flower clusters. Cut out all but three or four strong stems. On the remaining stems you chose to keep cut the previous season's growth back to the lowest pair of healthy buds. This is all from the American Horticultural Society Pruning & Training Plant Manual. Prune in early spring before new growth begins.