Why You Should Never Prune Hydrangeas in Fall

Key Takeaways

Hold off on pruning your hydrangeas in the fall—trimming too early can either stunt new wood growers or wipe out next year’s blooms on old-growth varieties.

Save the serious snipping for early spring if you have panicle or smooth hydrangeas, and do minimal pruning—or none at all—for bigleaf, oakleaf, and mountain types.

Instead of hacking a hydrangea down to size, consider transplanting it in the fall to a spot where it can flourish without constant reshaping.

There's a lot on your fall garden to-do list , whether you're planting new bulbs for springtime blooms , adding perennials to grace your garden next year, or even planting some new vegetables that can provide late-season produce. But while many perennials could use a good pruning in the fall to clean up your gar