Hydrangeas will be 'stronger' after winter if you do this simple task now

Hydrangeas, a British garden favourite, are well-suited to the UK's chilly winters. However, gardeners should undertake a simple task now to ensure a bountiful bloom come spring.

Although spring might feel like a distant dream, with the weather cooling, it's the ideal time to start prepping your garden for a spectacular display of hydrangea flowers next year. A gardening guru from Millcreek Gardens has advised that deadheading hydrangeas as they begin to wilt and brown is key to boosting future blooms.

The expert explained: "When you deadhead hydrangeas, you aren't harming the plants at all. Removing the spent blooms triggers flowering shrubs to stop producing seeds and instead put their energy toward root and foliage development."

They added: "This makes plants stronger and healthier, so by deadheading, you'll be doing your hydrangeas a favour.", reports the Express.

As for the timing of this crucial task, it's recommended to deadhead hydrangeas throughout their growth period and into early autumn, but ceasing before the onset of frosty weather.

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Autumn deadheading can tidy up the plant and help conserve energy, but it's important to stop before the cold sets in to avoid stressing the plant. The gardening pro advised: "Stop deadheading hydrangea shrubs in mid to late [autumn], leaving any spent blooms in place. This not only provides winter interest but also ensures you don't remove the buds that will become flowers next spring."

As autumn advances, it's crucial to anticipate the first frost in your area because you should cease deadheading hydrangeas about four weeks prior. Continuing to deadhead post-frost can expose new shoots to freezing temperatures, potentially damaging the plant and jeopardising next year's blooms.

To properly deadhead hydrangeas, the gardening aficionado advised: "Deadheading is an easy gardening task, one many people enjoy. All you need to deadhead hydrangeas is a pair of garden gloves, pruners and a container to hold the faded flowers."

Start by sanitising your pruning shears with a cloth drenched in rubbing alcohol to prevent spreading plant diseases. Cleaning the shears also ensures clean cuts, reducing the risk of infections.

When you're set to begin, identify the blooms that have wilted or browned these are the ones to remove. Snip the spent blooms just above a set of robust leaves to promote healthy new growth. Keep the alcohol-soaked cloth handy to clean the shears after each cut.

The expert explained: "To deadhead your hydrangeas, simply take each spent bloom and follow its stem down to the next set of large leaves that's where you make the cut."

Ensure to tidy up any fallen leaves off the ground as they can lure pests and also discharge excessive nitrogen into the soil which can over-fertilise plants. Deadheading should take less than 10 minutes but snipping off dying growth will aid in achieving larger, healthier and more plentiful flowers next spring.