Proper hydrangea winter care will determine the success and amount of next summer’s blooms.
The key to hydrangea winter protection is to protect the plant, whether in a pot or the ground, before the first frost of winter through the last frost the following spring.
Unsure of whether the state of their hydrangea was normal, one woman took to the Gardening UK Facebook page to ask for some advice.
April Sharpley posted two pictures of her hydrangeas – the first had big vibrant blooms, while the other had completely turned brown.
She captioned the post: “Is this dead? Difference of three weeks! Is there anything I can do to help it?”
Group members were quick to assure April that this is normal for this time of year and that the plant is certainly not dead, it’s just “gone to sleep”.
Instead of carrying on with usual hydrangea tasks like pruning, watering and fertilising, gardeners recommend the task of not touching the plant at all.
Leela Wright said: “It’s just gone to sleep until spring, don’t worry it will wake up bigger and stronger, just let it rest now and do absolutely nothing.”
Sue Edmonds wrote: “It’s hibernating till the spring, just leave it be. Don’t touch it after the last frost, then next year cut off all the deadheads. It will be beautiful again by summer.”
Ann Davis assured: “It’s winter pet! Cut the flowers off when the frosts have gone and it will flourish.”
Elaine Marie commented: “Definitely not dead, mine looks a lot worse. The best task to do now is to leave it be and deadhead blooms in spring.”
Marian Tash urged: “Never cut off flower heads till the spring and it will get bigger each year. The flowerheads protect new buds from frost.”
Therese Heap said: “It’s winter and it’ll wilt, leave the plant as it is to help it protect itself from the winter, and prune in spring when you see new buds forming.
“Cut too early and too hard and you may miss next year’s flower, better to let it look sad over winter to give it the best outlook for next year.”
Nikki Rowe agreed: “Very normal, mine are the same. Don’t need to do anything until spring.”
To give hydrangeas added protection during winter, gardeners can add a fine bark mulch to the base of them.
According to the experts at Soto Gardens, this “not only helps to insulate around plants”, but it will “protect the soil, and its nutrients, from the inevitable heavy rain”.
