My neighbor has planted several and the deer make great efforts to snack on them - they're a favorite of the deer.
She finally has a couple of stalks on each plants (each stalk has blooms), but they're pretty leggy. She's wondering if she should cut them back or wait until next year until they're better established (she said they were sticks when she planted them; she's had them in for about a year).
Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!1
When to Cut Back Oak Leaf Hydrangeas?
Oakleafs bloom on old wood. That means that they are now developing flower buds for next Spring. The buds then open in the Spring.
She can prune now at the expense of no blooms next year or she can wait after they bloom in Spring and prune a few weeks after blooming.
I would consider adding some form of protection from the hungry deer in the meantime.
^_^. Yes, she sprays with deer repellent regularly. I think we've had so much rain this summer that it's hard to keep it on the plant.
I think she's more worried that the plants don't overall look leggy - she'll wait for blooms. But I'll pass this info on to her. They're still pretty small, so she may elect to wait, though.
Thanks!!
Oh, been there before. I have had the same problem (too much rain) in prior years with rabbits. The repellent had to be reapplied over and again.