Hydrangeas tend to be durable garden plants that don’t require an excessive amount of special attention to flourish.
While they can survive the frost, they may not if gardeners decide to give them a trim.
Taking to the Gardening UK Facebook page anonymously, one group member asked when to cut back their hydrangeas.
They said: “Hello, I’ve left my hydrangea all winter and was planning on cutting it back February/March time before spring.
“However I’ve just noticed it has new shoots on already with buds. So shall I just completely leave it or cut it back now?
“Only been in my house a year, so first time looking after one. It was very neglected and out of shape as was in a really overgrown spot in our garden.
“We dug it out and replanted it somewhere else to try and give it a chance.”
Group members agreed that it is “always best” to cut back the plant after the last frost. This includes deadheading as well as pruning.
Jane Wilson insisted: “Always best after the last frost, so worth remembering that we sometimes get bad frost and even snow in March.
“Keep an eye on the weather forecast and wait until you’re sure that warmer times are on their way.”
Kate Dobson commented: “I have seen gardeners say leave the flowers as the flowers protect the buds from frost.
“I wait until late April, as I got caught out with very late frost one year.
“My hydrangea recovered, but it was severely damaged and grew no blooms that year. Good luck with whatever option you choose.”
Janet Myers urged: “Leave the dead flower heads on it until this really cold weather has passed to avoid the cold killing off the freshly cut wood.”
Diane Richards said: “Don’t cut it, if you do you will remove this summer’s flowers.
“Just remove deadheads after the last frosts, April/May time, otherwise leave alone.”
Sandra Grant Wrote: “I leave the dead heads on till the end of April. Depending on how and when you prune the plants, it can affect the blooms for the following year.”
