Three tasks to perform on your hydrangea now for an abundant Spring display

Autumn is a pivotal time of the year for hydrangea owners, as the soil is still warm enough to be worked on before the winter frost rolls in.

This presents the perfect opportunity for gardeners to ensure their more vulnerable crops are protected, and experts at Blooming Backyard have listed three tasks to prioritise.

Pruning

The ideal time for pruning is Spring. Pruning can take also place take place in autumn, however, so long as the task is performed on plants that have flowered during that season.

Though most pruning is carried out when the risk of frost has passed, the climbing variety of the plant is pruned once flowering has taken place in summer.

This typically concerns the new wood variety of hydrangea, which can be cut down to the ground.

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Experts at Blooming Backyard state: “These plants are vigorous growers and will emerge again the following season without trouble.”

For old wood hydrangea the rules differ slightly, according to Michael Griffiths, a green-thumbed professional who teaches plant care on TikTok.

Speaking on his TikTok platform, he warned: “First of all I wouldn’t recommend removing the flowerheads when they’re spent.They provide some protection to frost by protecting the buds below.”

Tidy up

Tidying up the areas around your hydrangea should be the next top priority for gardeners, as it will significantly lower the chances of disease and rot.

Because harmful plant pathogens grow over time, autumn is an optimal time to perform such tasks in time for Spring blooms.

Removing any branches lying on the ground will additionally prevent any existing disease from taking hold of the plant, so it’s a win-win situation.

Mulching

Mulching gardens – the task of sprinkling a thick layer of organic matter to the surface – may not be critical for all gardeners in Autumn.

As the harsh conditions of winter approach, however, mulching can help insulate the soil and help it retain its moisture.

In the long run, it will also suppress the development of unwanted weeds while adding nutrients that will also insulate plant roots.

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