12 Months of Hydrangea Care for Better Blooms

Hydrangeas may look like easygoing shrubs, but what you do — or don’t do — at different times of the year can make a big difference in their health and flowering. This hydrangea care by month guide will help you know when to prune, fertilize, water, mulch, deadhead, and simply leave your plants alone.

The exact timing can shift a few weeks depending on where you live. Gardeners in warmer Southern climates may see new growth much earlier than gardeners farther north. Instead of following the calendar blindly, use the months below as a guide and pay attention to what your hydrangea is doing.

Before getting started, it also helps to know which type of hydrangea you have. If you need help with that or other hydrangea problems, visit our Hydrangea Care Guide.

First, Know What Kind of Hydrangea You Have

Pruning is where hydrangea care can get confusing.

Panicle hydrangeas such as Limelight, Little Lime, Bobo, and Vanilla Strawberry bloom on new growth produced during the current year. They can normally be pruned in late winter or early spring.

Smooth hydrangeas such as Annabelle and many Invincibelle varieties also bloom on new wood and can be pruned in late winter or early spring.

Bigleaf hydrangeas such as many mophead and lacecap varieties traditionally bloom primarily on old wood produced the previous year. Some newer reblooming varieties flower on both old and new wood, but aggressive spring pruning can still reduce the first flush of flowers.

Oakleaf hydrangeas generally bloom on old wood. If pruning is necessary, it is safest to prune shortly after flowering rather than in winter or early spring.

The University of Georgia Extension has an excellent explanation of when different hydrangea types should be pruned.

January: Leave Your Hydrangeas Alone

January is usually a quiet month for hydrangeas.

In cold climates, the plants are fully dormant. Even here in the South, warm spells can sometimes cause buds to swell before another freeze arrives.

Avoid the temptation to start cutting simply because the shrub looks bare.

For bigleaf and oakleaf hydrangeas especially, those seemingly lifeless stems may contain the flower buds you are hoping to see later in the year.

January chores are simple:

• Check mulch around the root zone.
• Make sure winter winds have not exposed roots.
• Remove broken branches if they pose a problem.
• Avoid fertilizer.
• Avoid major pruning unless you are certain you have a new-wood blooming variety.

A little patience now can save a lot of flowers later.

February: Start Watching the Weather

February is when gardeners in warmer regions may begin noticing swelling buds, while northern hydrangeas may remain completely dormant.

This is a good time to identify your hydrangea before reaching for the pruners.

If you have an established panicle or smooth hydrangea, late winter can be an appropriate time for pruning. However, gardeners in colder climates can wait until late winter or early spring.

Do not automatically prune bigleaf or oakleaf hydrangeas during February.

You can also inspect plants for:

• Broken stems
• Winter damage
• Animal damage
• Heaving around newly planted shrubs
• Missing or excessively thin mulch

Still, there is usually no reason to fertilize yet.

March: Spring Hydrangea Care Begins

March is one of the busiest months for hydrangea care by month, particularly in warmer growing zones.

As plants begin breaking dormancy, inspect them carefully.

This is an excellent time to prune established panicle and smooth hydrangeas if you have not already done so.

You do not have to cut panicle hydrangeas severely every year. Moderate pruning often helps maintain a sturdy framework while encouraging strong flowering stems.

Remove:

• Dead branches
• Crossing branches
• Damaged wood
• Weak growth when necessary

Be much more cautious with bigleaf and oakleaf hydrangeas.

This is also a good time to refresh mulch. Keep organic mulch several inches away from the stems rather than piling it directly against the plant.

Fertilizer may be applied as active growth begins if your soil and plant condition indicate that nutrients are needed. Avoid feeding hydrangeas simply because the calendar says it is March.

Too much nitrogen can produce a beautiful green shrub with disappointing flowering.

April: Protect Tender New Growth

April often brings rapid new growth — and occasionally a late frost.

That combination can be rough on hydrangeas.

Bigleaf hydrangeas are particularly vulnerable because flower buds may already be developing on stems from the previous year.

If a hard freeze is forecast after new growth has emerged, protecting smaller hydrangeas with frost cloth or another breathable covering may help.

Avoid laying plastic directly against the foliage.

April is also a good time to:

• Watch soil moisture.
• Maintain mulch.
• Inspect new leaves for unusual spotting or damage.
• Check plants for aphids or other insects.
• Make sure newly planted hydrangeas do not dry out.

Don’t panic if the very tips of some branches appear dead. Give the plant enough time to fully leaf out before deciding which stems are actually dead.

May: Keep Up With Watering

By May, many hydrangeas are growing rapidly and developing flower buds.

Moisture becomes increasingly important.

Hydrangeas like moisture, but that does not mean they should sit in constantly soggy soil. The goal is moist, well-drained soil with a healthy root system.

Water deeply rather than giving the plant a quick splash every day.

Newly planted hydrangeas require especially close attention because their roots have not yet spread into the surrounding soil.

A layer of organic mulch can help reduce moisture loss and moderate soil temperature.

If your hydrangea is producing enormous leaves but few flowers, resist the urge to give it more fertilizer. Excess nitrogen can encourage foliage at the expense of blooms.

June: Bloom Season Is Here

June is when the show really begins in many gardens.

Bigleaf, smooth, and oakleaf hydrangeas may already be flowering, while many panicle varieties are preparing for their summer display.

Your biggest job now is keeping plants adequately watered during hot, dry weather.

Check the soil rather than judging moisture only by how the leaves look.

Hydrangeas can sometimes wilt temporarily during the hottest part of a summer afternoon even when the soil contains moisture. If the plant perks back up as temperatures cool, immediately flooding it with additional water may not be necessary.

Morning is an excellent time to check.

You can remove spent flowers for appearance if desired, but deadheading is not required to keep most hydrangeas healthy.

July: Heat and Water Become the Priority

July can be one of the toughest months for hydrangeas.

Large leaves lose a considerable amount of moisture during hot weather, particularly when plants receive strong afternoon sun.

Watch for prolonged wilting, crispy leaf edges, scorched foliage, and very dry soil.

Deep watering is more beneficial than repeatedly wetting only the top inch of soil.

Also keep mulch in place, but don’t build a mulch volcano around the stems.

In hot climates, avoid pushing stressed plants with heavy fertilizer applications during periods of extreme heat or drought.

This is also an important pruning month for some hydrangeas.

If you have a traditional bigleaf or oakleaf hydrangea that needs shaping, pruning shortly after it finishes blooming gives the plant more time to produce the old wood that may carry next year’s flowers.

Avoid drastic pruning unless truly necessary.

August: Be Careful With the Pruners

August is when one of the most common hydrangea mistakes happens.

A large bigleaf hydrangea may look messy after flowering, and gardeners decide to give it a major haircut.

That can cost them next year’s flowers.

Traditional bigleaf hydrangeas begin developing flower buds for the following season on older stems. Clemson Extension recommends avoiding late pruning of bigleaf hydrangeas because those future flowers may be removed.

By August, concentrate instead on:

• Watering during dry weather
• Removing obviously dead or broken branches
• Watching for leaf diseases
• Maintaining mulch
• Enjoying changing flower colors

Panicle hydrangeas are often reaching their peak during August. White flowers on varieties such as Limelight may begin developing shades of green, pink, or rose as they mature.

That color change is normal.

September: Let the Plants Slow Down Naturally

By September, many hydrangeas begin shifting toward fall.

Panicle blooms may deepen in color, while bigleaf flowers often take on muted antique shades.

Avoid trying to force additional growth with fertilizer.

Tender late-season growth has less time to harden before cold weather arrives.

Continue watering if conditions are dry, especially for hydrangeas planted earlier in the year.

Don’t assume cooler temperatures mean plants no longer need water.

September can also be an excellent planting month in many regions. Cooler temperatures reduce stress while the soil remains warm enough for roots to establish.

Gardeners in very cold regions may need to plant earlier, while Southern gardeners may have an even longer fall planting window.

October: Prepare Roots for Winter

October is a good month to help hydrangeas head into winter in healthy condition.

Continue watering during extended dry periods.

This is particularly important for shrubs planted during the current year.

Check your mulch layer and replenish it if necessary. Mulch helps moderate changes in soil temperature and protects shallow roots.

Avoid late fertilization.

You want your hydrangea to gradually become dormant rather than producing a flush of tender new growth.

There is also no need to remove every brown flower.

Many dried hydrangea blooms are beautiful through fall and winter and can provide texture in an otherwise quiet landscape.

November: Protect Newly Planted Hydrangeas

By November, most hydrangeas are entering dormancy.

Leaves may yellow, turn reddish or purple, and eventually fall.

That’s normal.

Newly planted hydrangeas deserve a little extra attention during their first winter.

Make sure the root zone has a good protective layer of mulch, but don’t pile mulch against the crown or stems.

Bigleaf hydrangeas in especially cold climates may benefit from additional winter protection if flower buds are routinely damaged by cold temperatures.

Resist the urge to cut bare stems simply to clean up the garden.

A hydrangea doesn’t need to look pretty in November. It needs to survive winter with its buds intact.

December: Give Your Hydrangeas a Rest

December brings the hydrangea care calendar full circle.

For most gardeners, there isn’t much to do.

Skip fertilizer during December.

Established hydrangeas usually need little to no supplemental water while dormant, unless winter conditions become unusually dry.

Leave old-wood blooming hydrangeas unpruned, even if the bare stems look lifeless.

Instead, use December to think about what happened during the previous growing season.

Ask yourself:

• Did the plant bloom well?
• Was it getting too much afternoon sun?
• Did it wilt constantly?
• Was flowering poor despite lots of healthy foliage?
• Is it becoming too large for its location?
• Did late frost damage the buds?

The answers can help you make better decisions when spring arrives.

A Simple Hydrangea Pruning Calendar

If you remember nothing else from this guide, remember this:

Panicle hydrangeas: Prune in late winter or early spring before active growth gets underway.

Smooth hydrangeas: Prune in late winter or early spring.

Bigleaf hydrangeas: Avoid routine winter and spring pruning. If pruning is necessary, generally do it soon after flowering.

Oakleaf hydrangeas: Prune after flowering only when necessary.

And regardless of hydrangea type, dead, broken, or diseased wood can be removed when needed.

Watering Hydrangeas Throughout the Year

There isn’t a single watering schedule that works for every hydrangea.

Weather, soil type, sun exposure, plant size, and how recently the shrub was planted all matter.

Instead of watering according to a rigid schedule, check the soil.

New plants will normally need more frequent attention than established shrubs.

During summer, deep watering encourages a healthier root system than frequent shallow sprinkling.

The University of Georgia recommends deep, thorough irrigation rather than frequent shallow watering and notes that mulch can help conserve soil moisture.

Don’t Overfeed Your Hydrangeas

More fertilizer does not automatically mean more flowers.

In fact, excessive nitrogen can result in vigorous green growth and poor flowering.

Established hydrangeas growing well in reasonably fertile soil may need surprisingly little supplemental fertilizer.

If you are unsure what your soil needs, a soil test is far more useful than guessing.

This is especially important if you are trying to adjust the color of bigleaf hydrangeas. Soil chemistry — particularly pH and aluminum availability — influences whether many bigleaf varieties flower blue, purple, or pink.

One Hydrangea Calendar Doesn’t Fit Every Garden

The biggest mistake with any monthly gardening guide is treating the date as more important than the plant.

March in Georgia isn’t the same as March in Michigan.

Watch your hydrangeas.

Bud swelling, new leaves, flower development, summer heat, fading flowers, leaf drop, and dormancy tell you far more than the date on the calendar.

Once you combine those signals with knowing which hydrangea you grow, caring for these shrubs becomes much easier.

At Bobby & Lynn’s Plant Farm, we’ve learned that many hydrangea problems come back to a handful of basics: choosing the right location, watering correctly, avoiding excessive fertilizer, and most importantly, knowing when not to prune.

Give your hydrangeas what they need at the right time of year, and they’ll reward you with healthier plants and better blooms for years to come.