hydranga,pruning

[mags1]

I have a hydranga which is low growing and trailing on the ground because of the number of heads on the bush and also the thinness of the stems. I think it needs pruning, but how?

[molly]

You're not supposed to cut the heads off until Spring as they protect the young shoots from frost. I would suggest you use a good Autumn fertiliser with a high phosphte content. This will promote a good root system for next year and hopefully a stronger plant.

[Drewhound]

When they get to this state it's generally best to cut everything off very low and let it have a fresh start. Then next year take some of the new growth off to force it to have fewer but stronger stems. Lightly prune the rest to good buds You could leave some of the stronger stems somewhat longer but generally they will flop over and it isn't worth the bother. You will lose next years flowers but it can't be helped I'm afraid When you do it is optional. If you do live in an area with very hard weather wait till spring, mostly in Britain the autumn is fine

[Newt]

Hi Mags, You've gotten some interesting suggestions here. Adding phosphate to the soil can't hurt. Some hydrangeas have flower heads that cause the limbs to lean over. Take a look here to see if you can id your hydrangea (which I suspect is an 'Annabelle') for id and pruning info. http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/index.html Newt