Hydrangea massacre

[unname]

Posting for sympathy and any tips.

Our kind neighbor recommended someone to help with leaf removal. We have trees that are still full of leaves and coming down across weeks and weeks. The copper beech trees still look full!

It is a very sweet arrangement: a retired woman, Callie, who helps her tenant make pocket money by arranging odd jobs. She works alongside him and he keeps all the pay. We have had them over 3 times now, about 2-3 hours at a time. We’ve been very happy with the work and it’s cut our own work in half.

They were here Saturday and Callie asked DH if she could cut down our hydrangeas. They are on a border we share with our neighbor, and some belong to us, some to him.

DH said “let me check with the neighbor and I’ll let you know.” He then walked out to tell her no, please don’t cut any of them, at all. She had already completely whacked down 17!!

She told DH that our neighbor had given the OK. I can’t imagine she would lie, but it’s not even possible. He’s got a horticulture degree. She only cut our side, too. His are all still intact.

I know it’s not the worst problem, but I’m bummed as I don’t believe we will see blooms next year now.

Nothing we can do but wait, right? Should we fertilize?

Huh? You dead head hydrangeas and cut them back. They could wait until early Spring, but it won't do them any harm.

I cut mine every year and they flower every year. Does that help?

They're dormant at this time of year, don't waste your fertiliser. You could mulch them.

Depending on the variety, they bloom on last year's wood. If you cut out all the wood, no flowers next year.

You have to cut out the last year's wood, but not this year's, if you want flowers next year.

That's why OP is sad.

However, it's a plant, it will grow, it's one year.

Thanks everyone. @picklemewalnuts explained it.

We haven’t cut them in the past - only the dead wood. But we haven’t been here long and they are a mix of varieties so who knows. They did already have next year’s buds.

I guess at worst it’s a year of no hydrangeas and could be good for them, overall?

You have to cut out the last year's wood, but not this year's, if you want flowers next year. Did you mean that the other way round? You say they flower on last year’s wood.

She cut 17 hydrangeas to the ground in winter?! Did she mention why she thought she should in the first place?

This year's wood will be next year's last year. Iyswim 🤣

No, but it was obviously just easier for them to take the leaves if they were gone.

I thought maybe she was confused by her conversation with our neighbor. Nope, spoke to him last night and he said they never even talked! So she just plain lied.

He is quite upset that she lied and involved him. He had told her never to cut anything on his property because of past issues.

I suppose the other thing that was puzzling me was that this year’s wood tends to grow on the end of last year’s …

I think, if you are in a good routine, then 'this year's wood' shoots from the base, then it flowers, then you cut it off. Meanwhile a new year's wood has shot from the base ready to flower next year.
If you don't get in a nice routine, then you get new wood growing from old wood, middle aged wood, senile wood and everything in between. Flowering is hit and miss.

My raspberries do similar. They are autumn fruiting ones. If I cut them to the ground, they shoot grow and then fruit in autumn. If I forget, they shoot from the existing canes and I get summer raspberries. I do half and half, so get some summer and some autumn.

The way I was taught to prune hydrangeas was to leave till spring (allowing the seedheads to provide winter protection against frosts), then shorten each stem to a fat pair of buds.

Cutting older wood out completely- doesn’t this make it more vulnerable to being complete Cut back in a bad frost?

Yes that’s what my mother taught me @MereDintofPandiculation, though we don’t have to worry about frosts where I live! It sounds like others are pruning them much harder?

It does depend on the variety. And of course they are tough as old boots, so at least you know they will shake off their drastic haircut and grow right back again next year.

I'm sure you are right- I rely on my (poor) memory of gardeners' question time.

Whichever, they won't be flowering next year!

They’ll be fine, might actually do them good if you don’t usually take much off.