I have a large (5 feet tall, 5 around) hydrangea that got beaten down by heavy rain. The shrub is too big and heavy to tie up (I've tried!), so I wonder if something like rabbit fencing would help; would the bush recover? The blooms are 6 inches or bigger. Or should I give up for this season, cut it back in the fall, and hope for better results next year?
meanolmaw
Favorite Answer
pruning on a mophead hydrangea is done before the end of JULY.... not fall.... as of Aug, the plant is setting new buds for next season's flowers and if you prune too late, you'll be removing next year's flowers......
heavy rain on big blooms is a for sure that it's going to be kissing the ground... best you can do is find something to prop them up.... I use that little wire arched fence that is sold cheap at Lowe's.... just to keep the flowers out of the dirt... sometimes they lift as they dry out....
here's a great site to help you with them...
http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/
be sure to read the section on pruning....
poodle
My mother always told me to never cut back a hydrangea until late spring. If you cut back some of the blooms strategically the branches may lift up a bit. Those flowers can get pretty heavy.