In autumn, many gardening enthusiasts ask themselves: Should the spent umbels of the hydrangea be cut out or will this pruning affect the growth in the new year? Even during the gardening season, the beautiful umbels wither after a while and have to be removed.
How do you deal with faded hydrangeas?
As soon as the umbels of a hydrangea have faded, they should be carefully broken out to encourage the formation of new buds and a lush abundance of flowers. However, leave spent umbels standing in winter as they provide additional frost protection.
Break out dead flowers during the summer
By regularly breaking out the flowers, you promote the formation of new buds and thus the abundance of flowers in the hydrangea. Many hydrangeas, stimulated by this care measure, produce new flowers every six weeks and then bloom profusely until autumn.
Of course, you can cut off the spent umbels of the hydrangea with sharp rose scissors (€21.00 at Amazon). However, it is gentler on the hydrangea if you carefully remove the dead flowers. This means the hydrangea regenerates much more quickly.
Do the following:
- Grab the hydrangea below the spent umbel and above the next leaf base
- Carefully break the flower aside or clip it off with your fingernails.
When you break out the spent umbels in August, thin out the hydrangea a little. This means that a lot of light reaches the inside of the plant and bud formation is additionally stimulated.
In harsh areas, leave flowers in autumn
The faded umbels with their smoky colors enchant the winter garden with their morbid charm. That's why the umbels can remain on the hydrangea during the cold season, especially since they also protect the next year's blossoms from frost.
Do not break out the dead flowers directly above the new shoot until early spring. You can use this opportunity to remove dead or frozen wood over the winter.
Tips & Tricks
Withered hydrangea flowers are an attractive decoration for the room that goes perfectly with the trendy vintage style. Arrange the flowers in pretty bowls; Painting is not necessary because hydrangea flowers retain their shape even when dried.
