Q.I May Have Pruned My Hydrangea Bushes Too Late In The Season. I Live In Boise, ID
I inherited Hydrangea bushes at my new home here in Boise. I have never owned Hydrangea bushes. Last year 3 out of 5 were amazing, big bushes with large blooms. I don’t know if/what the previous owners did to/for them. This winter I pruned them but not much at all. They are greening up now, a lot of greenery in the middle and some greenery growing out of some of the branches from last year. Some branches are obviously dead/old, so today I pruned them out. I accidently cut some that are still very green. Now I’m afraid bugs will get in the newly cut branches that are green. What, if anything should I/could I do to prevent any harm to the newly cut branches?
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
They should be fine. However, if your hydrangeas bloom on last year's growth, you may have cut some blooms off. This year, take note when they bloom and also compare the height, bloom color and shape, and leaves with photos below of the different kinds of hydrangeas. Once you know what you have, you can prune easily, if needed. When in doubt, it's best not to prune at all, except for dead wood like you were doing.
