On 19/1/08 17:59, in article ,
"Stuart Noble" wrote:

Sacha wrote:
snip


One way of dealing with hydrangeas is to do a bit each year so that you
always have some flowers on each bush. So take out half or a third this
year, depending on the size of your shrub, then ditto next year and so on.
You want to achieve a globe shape, eliminate weak and crossing stems etc.
I was certainly taught not to prune or deadhead until the danger of frost is
passed but OTOH, I used to hack my hydrangeas back when the mood took me and
they always flowered perfectly happily. That was in a very mild climate,
though, which might make the difference. Start cautiously and then see how
they get on this summer, do a bit more next year and so forth.


Thanks, Sacha. Sounds like "suck it and see", which seems to apply to a
lot of things in the end.

Indeed it is. But in general, a little at a time is unlikely to be
destructive. The very worst that can happen is that you have no flowers for
one year!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'