Should you dead head hydrangeas? Would it promote more flowers as it
often does with other plants?

Patrick

wrote:
Should you dead head hydrangeas? Would it promote more flowers as
it often does with other plants?

Patrick

Dead heading will improve its appearance but will not promote more
flowers.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

"Travis" wrote:

Dead heading will improve its appearance but will not promote more
flowers.

.... even on Endless Summer??? The directions for Endless Summer state:

"Another unique feature is that this hydrangea will continue to set buds
and bloom throughout the season; deadheading the spent flowers will
encourage this. Feel free to cut the blooms for drying or fresh cut in
vases because you will actually encourage the plant to produce more
blossoms."
"By cutting back to half the emerging growth, the amount of blooms is
significantly increased. Deadheading will promote blooms from April
through October in warmer regions, and June through frost in colder
areas."


The University of Georgia extension says for Bigleaf hydrangeas
(Hydrangea macrophylla) including Endless Summer:

Encourage further new foliage growth by deadheading (removing faded
flowers).


Another site states for all hydrangeas:
Deadheading is necessary as the spent blooms distract from the
appearance of the current seasons flowers. Simply cut the spent blooms
along with the flowering stalk, back to the uppermost pair of new buds,
taking care not to damage any of the new green shoots.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

On Sat, 02 Jul 2005 09:19:39 -0400, Stephen Henning
wrote:

Another site states for all hydrangeas:
Deadheading is necessary as the spent blooms distract from the
appearance of the current seasons flowers. Simply cut the spent blooms
along with the flowering stalk, back to the uppermost pair of new buds,
taking care not to damage any of the new green shoots.

I leave the old blooms on the plant until sometime in the winter. I
think they look kind of nice, and they do make nice dried flowers.