Bob Hobden wrote:
"MikeCT" wrote
"Stuart Noble" wrote:
There seems to be a lot of conflicting advice about winter pruning of
mophead hydrangeas. Am I right in thinking that cutting all the stems
back by half in Feb will mean no blooms this year? Do the flowers only
form at the ends of last year's stems?
Confused. Thanks for any advice
Last years flower heads should be removed during late March and early
April, after any spring frost.
Dead-head by cutting away last years blooms together with the
flowering stalk down to the uppermost pair of new buds.
If your dead-headed hydrangeas are frost damaged after pruning,
just remove any blackened growth down to the next pair
of healthy buds and don't worry, your plants will recover.

I agree, don't prune until the hard frosts are over as the dead flower heads
protect the buds. Then you can prune back to any buds showing signs of
growth. I want mine to be restricted so prune hard.


Thanks for the replies
But do they flower the same year when you hard prune?
Mike says prune to the "uppermost pair of new buds". I would like to
prune to a lower pair, but not at the risk of losing this year's flowers.