Pruning Your Hydrangea
Sterilize your shears to make sure you don't spread a plant disease. It is always a good idea to sterilize your garden shears before using them in order to prevent the spread of any possible illnesses that could be trapped on the blades from previous pruning. Using a little bit of dish soap should be enough to remove any untoward diseases that have left residue on your shears.
Remove any stems that seem damaged or diseased. A quick removal of stems that are damaged, diseased, frail, or at odd angles is recommended. This will help keep the hydrangea bush healthy and should be the first step before trimming the plant into shape. Heavy pruning generally will not harm these plants, so the occasional slip of the shears probably won't hurt the hydrangeas too much.
Mix old and new growth to get a good shape. The best way to get a good shape overall is to leave a mixture of old and new growth standing, so that there is plenty of support for the floppy new flowers. Without a bit of old growth remaining for support, the new flowers and branches will be floppy and limp. This could cause them to die over time.
Keep top limbs and trunks intact to maintain a tree shape. If you are growing your Tardiva hydrangeas in a tree formation, you should be careful not to remove any of the plant's upper limbs or the main trunks that contribute to the plant's particular shape. By pruning the base, your plant will grow much larger at its top rather than its base, contributing to a tree-like look. This is because the hydrangea will grow several feet taller before it produces blossoms, giving it time to gain height relative to its width. However, if you want to reduce your plant to a shrub, then go ahead and prune these upper branches and the hydrangea will revert to its naturally shrubby state.
Gather together all the old limbs and dispose of them properly. Parts that are not diseased can be broken into small pieces and thrown in the compost pile. If one does not have a compost pile or the parts are diseased, the debris can be placed in paper bags and left out for the local waste removal personnel to cart away.
Following General Guidelines
Maintain a height of 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3.0 m) to achieve ideal growth. The ideal height for this shrub is between 6 and 10 feet, because this height allows it to be full, lush, and compact. Always use sharp hand pruners when pruning this shrub. Even if it is grown as a hedge, hedge shears should not be used. They tend to shred the leaves. Find a growth bud on the stem that is located at a height of 6 feet (1.8 m) or less. If it has not reached its mature height yet, the stem can be cut down to about two-thirds its current height. Make the cut at an angle just above the growth bud.
Refrain from excessively pruning young shrubs to maintain a compact shrub. While Tardiva is a young shrub, it does not need to be cut back drastically to reduce its height. A light pruning is all that is necessary. It will keep the shrub more compact and encourage additional new stem growth which means more beautiful hydrangea flowers. Make the cuts at an angle above a growth bud with sharp pruners, but find a growth bud that is not very far down on the stem.
Prune older hydrangeas to rejuvenate them. Older Tardiva hydrangeas sometimes need serious pruning to help them look their best. This type of pruning is called rejuvenation pruning because it does, in a sense, rejuvenate an old bush. Cut one-third of the oldest stems right off at the base in winter or early spring each year for three consecutive years. The height of the remaining stems can be reduced by one-third each year as well to help reduce the overall size of the shrub. In the fourth year, most of the stems will be new and the shrub will be full-looking.
Remove dead or odd-growing branches to tidy up your shrub. Dead branches should be removed completely and immediately, as soon as the dead branch is noticed. This can be done at any time of year. When doing your annual pruning in the winter or early spring, cut out any branches that are growing at odd angles and crossing other branches. These branches can rub against other branches, causing wounds that open the shrub up to disease and boring insects.
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