A beautiful Hydrangea

Your beautiful Hydrangea shrubs are the backbone of your garden. You want to make sure you don’t over-prune them and lose all the pretty flowers! This means you want to know about Hydrangea pruning!

Pruning Hydrangeas is actually quite easy. The trick, though, is to know which Hydrangea you have!

Different types of Hydrangea produce flowers buds at different times of the season. Some produce their flower buds at the end of the previous season, so they’re already present when spring time rolls around. These are described as flowering on ‘old wood’. Others, however, produce their flower buds in the same season as they flower; these are described as flowering on ‘new wood’.

In this post, we’re going to concentrate on Hydrangea pruning for the most commonly planted Hydrangea in our Southern Ontario gardens.

When to prune?

If you’re pruning at all, the best time to tend to these stalwarts is in early spring.

The one thing ALL these shrubs generally need is to remove any dead, damaged or diseased stems (the 3 d’s!). Any crossing stems will rub against others and may lead to damage, so these should be removed, too.

Hydrangea arborescens – Smooth Hydrangea

How to prune?

Now, let’s start with the easy ones!

Hydrangea paniculata (Panicle Hydrangea):

These guys flower on the new season’s growth (new wood), so they’re actually quite forgiving. Once the 3 d’s have been taken care of, they generally just need shaping. It’s best to cut stems back to just above a set of buds.

NOTE: As a rule, be careful to only remove up to 1/3rd of the plant’s growth.

H. arborescens (Smooth Hydrangea)

Again, the Smooth Hydrangea flower on the new season’s growth (new wood). These shrubs tend to get BIG, so you can cut these plants down uniformly to about 6-8 inches above the ground. Always prune out any of the 3d’s to maintain health & vitality.

H. macrophylla (Bigleaf / Mophead Hydrangea) & H. quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea):

These are the ones you need to be careful with. They produce their flower buds on old wood, at the end of the previous growing season. Therefore, they do not need pruning, as such. Aside from any pruning of the 3 d’s, any dead flower heads left from the previous season can be pruned out just above the next set of buds.

When pruning out dead stems, it’s best to prune these out as low as possible to the crown of the plant, where it meets the soil.

So, there you have it!! Our simple guide on Hydrangea pruning means you can now prune your Hydrangeas with confidence 😊

Looking for information on watering your garden? Check out our Watering Advice for Optimal Plant Health.

Nicola’s Garden Art Inc. provides a full plant list with every design, taking the guess work out or the plant identification.

A great garden begins with a great design. If your garden needs a refresh, please get in touch today!

Spring garden

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Here at Nicola’s Garden art, clients often ask us how they should prepare their water features for fall and winter. So, we decided to put together a little guide.

The method very much depends on the type of water feature you have installed.  In this post we’ve covered the most popular products used in our garden installations.

Ponds

Beautiful pond

When it comes to winterizing your pond, we thought we’d leave it to the experts! This excellent video from the folks over at Aquascape will show you exactly how to prepare your pond for fall and winter.

How to prepare your pond for fall and winter

Bubbling Urn

If you’re looking for information on how to winterize your bubbling urn, this one is easy!

Remove the pump, clean it and place it in a frost-free area to avoid damage from freezing temperatures.

Bubbling Urn Water Feature

The whole of the base unit is designed to withstand freezing temperatures, so there really is no requirement to do anything beyond removing the pump.

However, to protect the longevity of the exterior colour, we recommended investing in a cover.

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Watering is a skill, for sure, but with a little homework you can provide your leafy friends with the right moisture levels, at the right times to help them thrive.

Know Your Plant’s Needs

Plant Type

Evergreens and herbaceous perennials

Different plants have varying water requirements. Make sure to research or specify the type of plant to tailor the advice accordingly. Here are some examples:

• Lavender and other drought tolerant plants need less frequent watering than phlox or cedars
• Even plants with similar characteristics can enjoy wildly different conditions; some Iris love to have wet feet, whilst others prefer well-drained soils
• Deciduous trees and shrubs don’t need as much water in the Fall season as they prepare for dormancy. However, most Evergreens need to be ‘super-charged’ with water to help them make it through the harsh winter months.

Growth Stage

Young or newly planted plants often need more frequent watering to establish their roots. Mature plants might have different needs.

Know Your Soil Type

Get to know your soil type and you will get clued in to how often a soil is likely to need more moisture, because a sandy soil will allow water to drain away much faster than a heavy clay!

A beautiful Hydrangea

Assess Soil Moisture

Check Soil Moisture Regularly

In order to quickly and easily check soil moisture, simply insert your finger about 1-2 inches into the soil. If it feels dry at this depth, it’s time to water. If it feels moist, hold off until it dries out a bit. Remember, a mulched garden bed will retain more water than bare soil.

Use a Moisture Meter

For a more scientific approach, accuracy, especially in larger pots or garden beds, a moisture meter can help gauge soil moisture levels more precisely. Again, be sure to know your plant’s needs! Some plants prefer to have the soil dry out in between watering.

Adapt to Weather Conditions

Hot and Dry Weather

During times of drought and heat, increase watering frequency as plants will lose more moisture through evaporation. However, avoid overwatering; check soil moisture to determine when the plant actually needs water. This helps conserve the precious water resource – and keeps your bills down!

Rainy or Humid Weather

In rainy conditions, your job is already done! Equally, during humid times, reduce watering as the soil will retain more moisture. Always ensure proper drainage to prevent waterlogging.

Watering Technique

Water Deeply & Infrequently

When watering, ensure the water reaches the root zone by watering deeply and slowly – a drip hose works well. This approach promotes deep root systems, resulting in a more robust plant in times of drought. Shallow, frequent watering can lead to weak root systems, less drought tolerance and potentially less access to soil nutrients.

You can experiment by watering a patch of ground with the amount of water you think a plant needs, then dig the same patch until you reach dry soil. You might be surprised at how much water you need to apply!

Drainage

Pretty daisies

Always ensure that pots or garden beds have good drainage. Excess water should be able to escape; standing water can lead to root rot.

Signs of Overwatering or Underwatering

Overwatering

Wilting, yellowing leaves, moldy soil surface, the smell of rotten eggs (or sulphur) or simply seeing standing water are all signs of too much water. Basically, you should reduce watering and ensure good drainage for the plants. After all, leaving plants in waterlogged conditions can kill them quickly – unless, of course, they’re specially adapted for those conditions!

Underwatering

Look for wilting, an overall ‘limp’ appearance, dry leaf edges. Increase watering but do so gradually to avoid sudden changes.

Practical Tips

Water early in the morning to reduce evaporation and give plants time to absorb moisture before the heat of the day.

In addition, the use of a natural mulch not only helps retain soil moisture and reduces the need for frequent watering, it can also feed the soil.

Furthermore, having a ‘living’ soil, with plenty of beneficial soil organisms present can help build good soil structure, helping with moisture and nutrient retention and nutrient cycling! In brief, this means moving from chemical fertilizers to a more natural option such as hen manure pellets, and cut out the use of pesticides or herbicides altogether.

By following these guidelines, you’ll help ensure that your plants receive the right amount of water without risking waterlogging. If in doubt, adjust based on your plant’s specific needs and local conditions.

A simple soil test can tell you a great deal. Give us a call today if you’d like help with analysing your garden soil – we’d love to hear from you!

A great garden begins with a great design. If your garden needs a refresh, please get in touch today!

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Not so for the team at Nicola’s Garden Art. This one was the real deal!!

We’re thrilled to share that Nicola’s Garden Art Inc is a Best of Houzz 2024 winner! We’re so proud of all our team has accomplished and honoured to be recognized for our work.

The award is based on several factors, including our overall ratings and client reviews. It shows our commitment to excellence is recognized by the most important people – our customers.

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