Is Now A Good Time To Trim Back A Hydrangea Limelight

Question

I live in Wisconsin and have 2 hydrangea limelight trees around my patio. They have become very overgrown and are growing into some shrubs next to them. Is now a good time of year to trim them back and make them a more round uniform shape? I also want to make sure that they will still have good blooms. I attached a picture of them below and if you zoom in to the one on the right you will be able to see where they are growing into the other shrubs.

Answer 1

This is a good time to remove the spent blooms (deadheading) and to prune a little to control size, although I personally prefer to wait until the plant has gone dormant and the leaves has fallen so I can get a view of the "structure" of the bush. Also consider transplanting to a place whee it can attain its estimated size at maturity if pruning has become a yearly chore. Transplanting is best done when dormant. Yet another possibility is to transplant the other bushes close to Limelights. Just food for thought.

Limelight can get up to 10-12' high and about 10' wide in some areas. However, Limelight does not exactly have a round shape so maintaining such a shape may require pruning a few times each year because Limelight is very vigorous.

Pruning should not affect bloomage in 2022 as new flower buds will not develop until late spring or summer (the actual time varies; later in WI but earlier here in Texas).

Lastly, if possible, avoid pruning "too too much" as paniculata cultivars with large blooms will tend to flop. New green growth (branches/stems) is weaker than older, woodier growth. The older stems/branches will hold the blooms upright better than new growth.