Gardener's warning over one pruning mistake to 'never' make in autumn

Gardening experts have warned that there is one 'pruning' mistake to 'never' make in the autumn as it can have a big impact on hydrangea bushes and their blooms for the following year

How you tend to your hydrangea bushes in autumn can significantly affect their health and how they perform the following year – this includes their potential to either bloom impressively or not at all.

As the days grow shorter, it's essential to start prepping hydrangea bushes for the colder months. Hydrangeas are amongst the most stunning perennial shrubs out there, yet they are also frequently misunderstood regarding early autumn care, particularly about pruning.

Gardening expert Jessica Walliser, a horticulturist with seven award-winning gardening books to her name, has disclosed crucial advice with Savvy Gardening on one autumn task gardeners should "never" do if they hope to see hydrangea blooms next season.

She emphasized that regardless of the type of hydrangea, "no need to do any pruning" should be the rule when it comes to caring for these blooms during autumn. Walliser advised: "Whether you are growing the splendid panicle hydrangeas like these or traditional mophead hydrangeas, pruning should never be done in autumn.", reports the Express.

It's important to know that hydrangeas fall into two categories: those that bloom on old wood and others that flower on new wood. The former should only be pruned in summer, while the latter requires pruning solely in spring. The expert cautioned that "pruning in the autumn could remove flower buds for next year", which varies depending on the specific hydrangea variety being cultivated.

Also, pruning at the wrong time can lead to "reduced blooms or even no blooms at all" next year. It's a common mistake for gardeners to cut back what they believe are dead stems in autumn, but this could make the plant "more prone to winter injury and produces fewer blooms".

Jessica warned: "You could even be pruning off next year's dormant flower buds. In short, do not prune hydrangeas in autumn." While it's not essential, something gardeners can do to their hydrangeas in autumn is deadhead them. Deadheading is the process of removing fading or dead flowers from plants to maintain an attractive appearance and promote further blooming.

However, at this time of year, taking off dead hydrangea blooms "will not impact the quality or size of the flowers" for the next season, the expert stated. Ultimately, whether gardeners decide to deadhead their hydrangea flowers is down to personal choice. For those keen on keeping their gardens neat, then deadheading might be the way to go.