Luckily, hydrangeas can tolerate some cold and are frost resistant due to their origins in Asia. But beware of severe (night) frost. Hydrangeas can survive the frost, but the buds can be damaged.
Even though it can be a big setback, your Hydrangea can almost always recover from damage caused by cold and frost. To treat damaged Hydrangeas, wait until the temperature has warmed up and prune back the affected growth. Your Hydrangea may still bloom this year and should be back to usual growing habits next spring.
Do hydrangeas need to be covered in a freeze warning?
Whether or not hydrangeas need protection depends on how cold the winter temperatures drop. If the air temperature doesn’t go below 0 degrees (zone 7) there is no need for winter protection. In colder climates, wrap or completely cover marginally hardy hydrangeas.
How do you protect hydrangeas from late freeze?
Oregon State University Extension Service recommends using bed sheets or frost cloth to protect hydrangea buds in winter. You can also use burlap or old blankets. Frost cloth and thicker fabric provide better insulation to keep the heat trapped around the plant.
Can a hydrangea survive a freeze? – Related Questions
How do I winterize my hydrangeas?
The simplest method is to mound shredded leaves or bark mulch around the base of the plant to about 12 inches or so. Put the mulch mound in place in late fall after the ground freezes, and uncover plants in spring when temperatures begin to stay above freezing.
At what temperature should I cover my hydrangeas?
Hydrangeas, unlike some winter flowers, require protection only in areas where temperatures drop below zero degrees Fahrenheit, says Wilkerson Mill Gardens, but late-spring cold snaps can damage hydrangeas in almost any climate.
Do hydrangeas need to be cut back before winter?
Hydrangeas bloom either on old wood or new wood, depending on the hydrangea type. New-wood blooming hydrangeas should be cut back in late winter before new growth begins, while old-wood bloomers require pruning right after flowers fade in late summer.
How do you wrap hydrangeas in burlap?
Should I cut back my hydrangeas in the fall?
When to prune? Prune these hydrangeas only after bloom in the summer and not in the fall. Old wood hydrangeas start developing their bloom buds for next year in August and September. If you don’t prune your hydrangeas real soon, then it is better to wait until next year.
Do hydrangeas need winter protection?
Protecting the hydrangea during winter is not always necessary. But if you just planted the hydrangea, you will have to protect it to get through the first winter! If you follow these steps, the hydrangea will have even more beautiful blooms.
What month do you cut hydrangeas back?
Trimming should be done immediately after flowering stops in summer, but no later than August 1. Do not prune in fall, winter, or spring or you could be cutting off new buds. Tip-pruning the branches as leaves emerge in spring can encourage multiple, smaller flower heads rather than fewer larger flower heads.
How late is too late to prune hydrangeas?
Hydrangea macrophylla, big leaf hydrangea
These plants produce buds in late summer to early fall (August-September) that will form next year’s flowers. So prune these shrubs after they finish blooming before August (again, make a heading cut).
What happens if you cut hydrangeas to the ground?
If your oakleaf hydrangea is very old and woody, take out a few of the oldest, thickest stems all the way to the ground in the early spring to encourage some new growth. Don’t cut the entire plant to the ground, as you’ll both stress the plant and lose a whole season of blooms.
What happens if I prune hydrangeas too late?
But if you do choose to prune one, remember this: Time it based on whether the type of hydrangea you have blooms on old wood or on new wood. If it blooms on old wood (stems from the summer before the current one), its buds are being formed, and if you wait too late you may cut them off, meaning no flowers next spring.
Is it better to prune hydrangeas in fall or spring?
The structure of hydrangea stems means that it’s best to leave cutting back until spring. This is because the stems are cork-like, rather than woody, and hold enough moisture inside them during winter for this to freeze in frosty weather.
Should I cut off old hydrangea heads?
Removing the spent blooms triggers flowering shrubs to stop producing seeds and instead put their energy toward root and foliage development. This makes plants stronger and healthier, so by deadheading, you’ll be doing your hydrangeas a favor.
What happens if you don’t deadhead hydrangeas?
If you do not deadhead your hydrangeas no harm will come to your plant. Whilst there will be no serious upfront effects, skipping the deadheading process could have detrimental effects in the following years, however, as your plant may not produce as many blooms or as big flowers.
