When To Prune Endless Summer Hydrangeas

Figuring out when to prune Endless Summer hydrangeas can be a daunting task even for experienced gardeners. On one hand, you want to have the most beautiful outcome the following year and on the other hand you don’t want to prune so severely that all you end up with a bunch of sticks in the middle of the current season.

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endless summer hydrangeas outside a white house — Light Blue Endless Summer Hydrangeas planted in a row.

Endless Summer Hydrangeas Bloom On Both Old And New Wood.

To add to the confusion of when to prune Endless Summer Hydrangeas, they bloom on both old and new wood. There is a definite two phase blooming schedule on my homestead in Zone 7. First, flowers will begin to bloom on last years growth (old wood) in June. Next, there is a second flush on this years growth (new wood) in August.

I have around 40 Endless Summer Hydrangeas on my property, and I use them as a border in the front and back of the house. I have a fair amount of experience figuring out when to prune Endless Summer Hydrangeas after 8 years. What I’ve learned is that they naturally have a large bushy growing habit, and bloom best when only deadheaded (cutting off spent blooms) as needed. In hindsight, I may have chosen not to plant them so close to the house, reducing or eliminating the amount of hard pruning that I do each season. They naturally grow and bloom very well with just deadheading as needed.

What Does Old Wood and New Wood Look Like On Hydrangeas?

Old wood will look old. It will be brown and brittle, and may even look dead. Look toward the top of the stem to see if there is any green. This will let you know if the stem is dead or not. New wood will be green and vibrant.

Timing for When To Prune Endless Summer Hydrangeas

After the First Bloom (Early Summer)
- Deadheading: Once the first flush of blooms has faded, you can deadhead (remove spent flowers). This encourages the plant to produce new blooms on the current season’s growth.
- Light Pruning: If necessary, you can also do light pruning to shape the plant and remove any dead or damaged stems. Avoid heavy pruning at this time as it might remove buds that could produce a second bloom.
- Important: Prune back to just above a leaf node. This will ensure that as leaves and flowers grow back, it will cover the rough cut of the stem and look more natural.
Late Fall (After Dormancy Begins)
- Dead Stems: After the plant has gone dormant, you can remove any dead or diseased stems.
- Minimal Pruning: Since “Endless Summer” hydrangeas bloom on both old and new wood, it’s generally best to avoid heavy pruning in the fall to preserve as many buds as possible for the next growing season.
Early Spring (Before New Growth Starts)
- Clean Up: Remove any remaining dead wood and stems that did not survive the winter.
- Shaping: If necessary, lightly prune to shape the plant and improve its structure. Be careful not to remove too many buds on old wood, as these will be your early season blooms.
- Important: Prune back to just above a leaf node. This will ensure that as leaves and flowers grow back, it will cover the rough cut of the stem and look more natural.

Pruning Tips for Endless Summer Hydrangeas

Sterilize Tools: Always use clean, sharp pruning shears to prevent the spread of disease.
Inspect the Plant: Before pruning, carefully inspect the plant to identify dead or damaged stems and old flower heads.
Selective Pruning: Focus on removing only what is necessary. Over-pruning can reduce the number of blooms.
Encourage Airflow: Prune to open up the center of the plant slightly to improve air circulation and reduce the risk of disease.

What If I Forget To Prune My Hydrangeas?

My experience at my own homestead is that I prune them down to about 24 inches in height after the second bloom in August and no later. I have pruned them before in September and had a very sad next season with no flowers until that second bloom in August (new wood). Again, I wouldn’t have to do this if I planned them away from the house and windows. The lesson here is to consider where you are planting them, when you begin formulating your landscaping plan.

If I don’t have time or forget to prune them after the second bloom in August, I wait until February or March of the following season. The downside is that I end up staring out my windows at bare sticks all winter. The month you do this would vary based on your climate. If it is 5 degrees and a blizzard in February, just wait until the weather is pleasant but there isn’t much growth on the plant.

Choosing when to prune Endless Summer Hydrangeas does matter. With these tips you can ensure that you have abundant blooms all summer.

What Can You Make With All Of Those Hydrangea Stems?

hydrangea stem ready for a cut flower arrangement | When To Prune Endless Summer Hydrangeas

Drying Hydrangeas That You Just Pruned

Drying Hydrangeas can be a beautiful way to preserve them for years to come, allowing you to enjoy them year-round. While bright blue is my favorite color of living hydrangeas, a gorgeous celadon green is my favorite color for dried hydrangeas. They generally dry in shades of celadon green, mauve, a mix of the two, or light pink.

Create a Cut Flower Arrangement From Pruned Hydrangeas

A cut flower arrangement of fresh hydrangeas is so beautiful in any room of the house. Simply find your favorite vase, remove the leaves, and measure the stems so that the flowers about one and half times the height of the vase. Add water and flower food to the vase, then arrange your stems so that flowers sit evenly around the top. Angle the flowers around the bottom sides so that they sit slightly lower than the flowers in the middle. Take an arrangement to a friend!

A Few Ways To Use Your Pruned Hydrangea Stems For Crafting

There are probably an unlimited amount of ideas for how you can use hydrangea flowers and petals for crafts, here are some of my favorites.

Pressed Hydrangea Flowers: No need to dry them out before hand, simply press them between two clean, dry sheets of paper and wait a couple of weeks.
Hydrangea Wreath: Dry your hydrangeas and tuck them into a wreath you can enjoy all year long.
Hydrangea Wall Art: Press the leaves and flowers and create gorgeous Art to hang up in your home.
Pressed Hydrangea Bookmark: Find a set of clear acrylic bookmarks and Mod Podge the flowers on them. Add a pretty pastel tassel to finish it off (Here is a great tutorial).
Hydrangea Christmas Ornament: Use resin and a mold to create a pressed hydrangea Christmas ornament. We have a nature tree every year and this would be the perfect project to remember last seasons hydrangeas!
Resin Hydrangea Earrings: Press the hydrangeas and then set them in a resin mold, add earring hardware to make a beautiful pair of earrings.
Fresh Flower Crown: Use a little yarn to string a wreath together for summer photo shoots.
Make Your Own Pressed Flower Coasters: This would make a great gift for a friend or neighbor. Find a coaster mold and pour in resin, set your pressed hydrangea flowers into the mold.
Digital Hydrangea Art: Make some Clip Art, Digital Hydrangea Flowers, and Images to Sell over and over again.

You can sell any of these Hydrangea crafts on Etsy to make a little money toward funding your homestead or taking the next steps after buying your land or working along with me on a Zero Inputs Project (becoming self-sustaining, living a rich life, without working a 9-5 job).

I hope you found this article on When To Prune Endless Summer Hydrangeas really helpful. Please leave a comment below and tell me about your Hydrangeas.