The “Pinky Winky” variety is a late-blooming panicle hydrangea that only opens its initially white to lime-colored flower panicles in August. As the flowering period progresses, the flowers turn reddish. Like almost all panicle hydrangeas, “Pinky Winky” also blooms on this year’s shoots and should therefore be cut back heavily in spring.
How do I cut the Pinky Winky hydrangea correctly?
The panicle hydrangea “Pinky Winky” should be cut back heavily in spring. Shorten all side shoots to around 10 centimeters, leave two to three buds or cut the bush down to 15-20 centimeters. Also remove dead or diseased trees.
Prince hydrangea “Pinky Winky” cut back annually
Pranicle hydrangeas should be cut back annually, otherwise they will quickly fall apart and their flowering will diminish. The best time to cut the “Pinky Winky” panicle hydrangea is in spring, before the plant sprouts. Make sure that you use secateurs during a mild weather period so that any late frost that may occur does not put additional strain on the plant that has been weakened by the cut. Since "Pinky Winky", like almost all panicle hydrangeas, blooms on this year's wood, vigorous pruning contributes to increased shoot and thus flower formation.
Step-by-step instructions for cutting “Pinky Winky”
The following procedure has proven successful when cutting back the panicle hydrangea “Pinky Winky”:
- Take a pair of sharp and clean secateurs (€14.00 on Amazon).
- Short all side shoots down to about 10 centimeters.
- Leave around two to three buds, if they are already there at this point.
- Alternatively, cut the entire bush down to a height of approx. 15 to 20 centimeters.
- Dead or diseased trees should be removed immediately all year round.
- If this doesn't happen, the useless shoots will only rob the plant of unnecessary strength.
- or provide a perfect target for fungi and other pathogens.
If the panicle hydrangea “Pinky Winky” is cut regularly, rejuvenation or thinning is not necessary. However, if the shrub remains uncut for several years, it must first be rejuvenated by vigorous pruning.
Bigger flowers or bigger bush?
How much you cut back your panicle hydrangea “Pinky Winky” depends primarily on the desired height and shape. Hydrangeas that are heavily pruned grow more compact and remain smaller, but produce more and larger flower spikes. The less you prune “Pinky Winky,” the larger the shrub will become over the growing season.
Tips & Tricks
" Pinky Winky" is very similar to the Hydrangea paniculata "Pink Diamond", whose flowers also turn a very attractive pink when they fade. The sunnier the location, the more intense the red color is. This panicle hydrangea grows to about 250 centimeters tall and is pruned in the same way as “Pinky Winky”.
