The water needs of the Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom’ are average but will require more water in times of drought. It is not as floriferous as most other Hydrangea paniculatas. Learn how your comment data is processed. An Aviary That Lets Birds In, But Keeps Pests Out. Family Hydrangeaceae . If you want to maintain a hydrangea tree, you’ll need to be ready to prune it regularly, otherwise not only do the branches lengthen to the point they start to bend under their own weight, as you have noticed, they can even snap off, especially under the additional weight of heavy snow. According to the University of Rhode Island, each main cultivar of hydrangea has its own pruning requirements and best practices. Just follow these fall tips for pruning and maintenance. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Can I turn them back into bushes? Remove three buds from the top of the faded propagule as a minimum. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Hydrangeas are strong and can come back from almost anything when given enough time and proper care. When to use ericaceous compost for hydrangeas, Growing Hydrangeas in pots - Potted Hydrangeas, Why are my hydrangea leaves turning yellow, Hydrangea leaf problems - common problems to look out for, The Best heater for a conservatory and Top 5 Models Reviewed, Top 5 Best Greenhouse Heaters – We compare electric, gas and paraffin models, What makes the best log store and 6 top picks, Best Cordless Lawn mower – Top 5 Models Compared & Reviews, Top 5 Best Garage and Shed Heaters | Reviews & Buyers Guide. Rest assured that when spring and summer come’s around they will still try to bloom beautifully and even the most drastic of pruning will not inhibit the blooms however the stems may need something to help support them.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'hydrangeaguide_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_7',105,'0','0'])); If you want to remove the dead blooms, you can, much like the plant itself, do this anytime of the year. If you do you simply won’t have as many of those beautiful panicle shaped blooms the following year. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. I have a tree that gets out of control every spring. Phantom features gigantic blooms that are wide at the base and narrow a bit as they extend upward. Hydrangeas make beautiful focal points in the garden and require minimal care, other than pruning. The conical color-changing blooms unfold midsummer as a creamy white, then graduate to a blushing, soft pink as the summer progresses. Producing a hydrangea tree is time-consuming and adds greatly to the cost of the plant, so it’s quite a pricey item. In order to prune back your mophead hydrangeas the right way, you should only prune the older stems or the dead flowers in the middle of summer, ideally before the month of August. So before the permanent freezing begins you must cut off inflorescences. Apply a fertilizer specifically for shrubs in the spring. That means that the plant starts growing like crazy in the spring, then come mid summer it stops growing and makes a flower bud on the end of each new branch. I have 2 large droopy hydrangea trees. Many people who use this variety to create a hedge around the garden will typically cut back within a few inches off the ground during the fall just so that the plants don’t become aesthetically displeasing during the winter. A hydrangea on a trunk, somewhat like a living lollipop! Some have measured 12' in heigth and 26" in circumference. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We have pruning shears! We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. How to Grow. It is better that you trim out certain crossing branches so that they don’t layer on top of one another and creates an unattractive form as they get older. I think the best time to prune them is in the early spring though, because you really … We tend to prune them like what we are familiar with, which can deprive them of bloom. The only care needed for the Phantom Hydrangea is pruning in late winter, just before the new growth begins. Phantom Hydrangea is in the panicle family of hydrangeas. Crop young hydrangeas can be dangerously, since there is an increased movement of the juices, and damage to the structure of the plant can lead to its death. Of course, once you buy them, drastically pruning them every spring becomes the only way to control them. Due to the fast tempo of hydrangea speed, pruning should be done Every year. Staking is often needed to keep the trunk rigidly vertical during the first few years. Gardenality is a gardening-centric site made by gardeners for gardeners with tools that enhance any gardening for the expert to the weekend gardener. When do you prune hydrangeas? It produces a profusion of branches from its base and takes on an upright, spreading shape over time, reaching up to 15 feet (5 m) in height and diameter after 15 to 20 years. – J & k Digital Media Ltd, the owner of this website hydrangeaguide.com, is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking pyracantha.co.uk to Amazon properties including, but not limited to, amazon.co.uk. Once you’ve gotten your hydrangea tree back into a more winter-resistant shape, start pruning early in the spring rather than the fall. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. In fact this is the only variety of hydrangeas that can be pruned into a new form of tree. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. What am I doing wrong? These cookies do not store any personal information. Panicled hydrangeas grow best in full sun or very light shade in just about any well-drained soil. Flowering Period: August - September. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Hydrangeas provide summer flowers that persist in beauty even after they have dried on the shrub. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. And once the hydrangea starts growing in the spring/summer the energy won’t be wasted on branches that you will be cutting off. The only time you cannot prune this particular hydrangea trees in the summer when the hydrangea is preparing to bloom. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Why are my hydrangea leaves wilting and turning brown? Flowers will turn pink by fall and can be used for cut flower arrangements or to make dried flowers. Genus Hydrangea can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, or self-clinging climbers, with flowers in clusters usually comprising both small fertile and more showy sterile flowers; often good autumn colour You can prune this particular variety during the fall, winter, or spring but you do not have to prune them on an annual basis. And you pay the price in heavy pruning! Lacecap Hydrangeas have a rounded form with stout, upright branches. (37 cm), atop strong, stiff stems that do not flop. Thank you for posting this. ( Log Out /  This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Noted for its spectacular flower heads, Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom' features immense, dense conical flowers, up to 15 in. Caring for your hydrangea can make all the difference for next year’s blooms. They are different from traditional lacecaps or Mop Heads because they require several hours of sunshine. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Tree form Pinky Winky hydrangea. Phantom Hydrangea is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The blossoms stand out well against the foliage of oval, yellow-green leaves. It will thrive in all soils with varying Ph. Why to Prune Panicle Hydrangeas. help them retain a pretty shape and produce beautiful blooms year after year If you want to maintain a hydrangea tree, you’ll need to be ready to prune it regularly,... Hydrangeas for Laidback Gardeners. Hydrangea paniculata pruning – When and how to prune? You can cut all the branches back to about 1 foot (30 cm) long and that will give a nice round ball. Hydrangea is a species of deciduous, flowering shrub of which there are many cultivars with varied characteristics, growth forms, bloom shapes, sizes and colors. Hydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’ has enormous white flower panicles, which emerge pale green in early summer and fade to white as they mature. I. You’re not doing anything wrong. A remarkable panicle hydrangea with the largest flower heads of any of its species - up to 15 inches long. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Our site is reader supported, this means we may earn a small commission from Amazon and other affiliates when you buy through links on our site. You can also prune a hydrangea into a tree shape on your own if you want, but it will take a few years. Can grow to 20 feet tall when mature and not severly pruned. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. A very large growing shrub to about 10', but can be made less leggy be trimming the plant back in early spring for great results. The flowers emerge creamy white, turn to sweet pink as summer evolves, then become dark pink for fall. Learn how and why here. Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ pruned to form a tree. You’ll have to repeat annually. Phantom Hydrangea will benefit greatly from a spring and fall fertilizer program using Bower & Branch Elements™ Fer tilizer.O n the nursery this is one T ree that truly responds well to a regular fertilizer program. You would normally prune panicle hydrangeas for the following reasons: to create a more pleasing shape, to control growth, It is produced in the spring and autumn periods. A lot of people ask us if they can prune their panicle hydrangea in fall. Tiny flowers surrounded by flowers with larger petals give the blooms a lacy appearance that resembles an old-fashioned head covering. It’s pretty much the only hydrangea used this way: most other species don’t have stems strong enough to make good trees. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Normally, the panicled hydrangea grows as a large multi-stemmed shrub. Therefore, every year, make a habit of cutting back all the branches 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) from the trunk early in the spring, before the leaves unfurl. Growers usually choose big, fast-growing hydrangeas to turn into trees. The reason is because the flowers form in the summer right before they bloom. If not, there is a risk that they snap off in snowy or icy weather, so, in October or November, simply cut all branches back to about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) from the top of the trunk. It can be pruned three different ways. In a ideal world, the growers would only produce hydrangea trees from dwarf varieties, but it would take 2 extra years to create a saleable tree form, so they choose the easy way out. Limelight hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’) usually stays around six to eight feet tall, but it can put on two to three feet of growth per season and get as tall as fourteen feet.Left on their own, hydrangeas tend to grow as rangy, unkempt, multi-stemmed shrubs. I think the best time to prune them is in the early spring though, because you really want to be able to see the buds to know where to snip. I was just about to post about my first year hydrangea struggles, but I am still gathering a few pictures. As much as I dislike the contemporary hydrangeas, they really are more forgiving with their pruning. For those of us who grew up with deciduous orchard trees and roses, the older types of hydrangeas are not easy to prune. Prune hard and fertilize in spring. You'll be amazed, but your gigantic flowers won't droop down to the ground. It seems that the .ore I prune it in the fall or early spring, the larger it gets in early summer. However, it is easiest to prune them in the late winter or early spring, because all of the leaves will have fallen off and you will be able to see and access the branches easily. Soil: Well drained, fertile soil. Panicle hydrangeas do not need to be pruned every year but, as a general rule of thumb, removing about 1/3 of the oldest branches each year will make for a fuller and healthier shrub. For best results, prune back ‘Phantom’ back hard to around 30cm above ground level each year, and mulch with a thick layer of well-rotted organic matter. Regular Pruning Is Required. If space is at a premium, there are now smaller panicled hydrangeas, like ‘Bobo’ and ‘Little Lamb’ that won’t take up as much room. The Phantom hydrangea is a Peegee type that produces massive amounts of huge, dense conical flower panicles that are the fullest of all! A Real Shrub With a Radical Bod Mod. They are very tolerant of pruning which makes them attractive to many people. Question: I have a hydrangea tree, but its branches are too long, so when it rains, the branches and flowers bend down to the ground. Opening creamy white with some lime green flushing in midsummer, the florets turn soft to deep pink as fall approaches. Some, like Pinky Winky (‘Dvppinky’) have naturally sturdy, erect stems that don’t tend to flop, while the old-fashioned but once very popular PG hydrangea (H. paniculata ‘Grandiflora’), is huge and floppy and—what can I say?—just gorgeous even as it splays out over half your garden. If that happens, it is probably one of three reasons. To form a hydrangea tree, the nurseryman chooses a young specimen with a robust central branch and begins to “prune it into submission.” He removes any other branches and also secondary branches that grow on the branch selected to be the future trunk. You can prune them almost any time throughout the year with the exception of the formation of bloom heads during the summer. To maintain its treelike appearance, with a well-defined “trunk,” also remove any suckers that appear at the base of the plant as well as any growth that appears on the trunk itself. That means that it is super hardy and a very predictable bloomer. It blooms on current years growth. Spring pruning is reduced to cleaning the bush from the frozen parts. ( Log Out /  Read fall care tips below and then visit our total guide to growing hydrangeas here! Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Pruning Hydrangeas First, it's important to know that mophead hydrangeas do not have to be pruned back - ever - unless they are very old. Give the plant lots of room (most panicled hydrangeas are very big plants) and just let it do its thing. That forces the hydrangea to produce multiple branches at the top of a central stem: its new trunk. Copyright of hydrangeaguide.com 2020. Phantom Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata Phantom') is a beautiful tall variety that grows massive, 15-inch flower panicles that are well supported by sturdy, strong stems. Answer: Sure you can prune it, but to understand how and why, it is worth explaining what a hydrangea tree is. It’s clearly a shrub; in its natural form, it looks nothing like a tree. It’s up to you to choose the panicled hydrangea cultivar that best corresponds to your tastes and your needs! Phantom Hydrangea. This will give your tree the appearance of a ball of foliage capped with flowers at the top of a short trunk, usually the desired effect. ( Log Out /  Hydrangea petiolaris: Hydrangea petiolaris (Climbing Hydrangea) Climbing Hydrangea requires little to no pruning, but if you need to trim it to keep it in bounds, you should prune it just after flowering. Some experts stipulate that you can continue pruning while into August but if your hydrangeas have already established the bloom buds for the following year, you will damage them by waiting this long so this is well worth … We never sell your information. How to Prune Overgrown Hydrangeas. Photo: http://www.fast-growing-trees.com. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Position: Full sun or light, dappled shade. The giant, densely packed, conical blooms of this award-winning Hydrangea measure up to 15”, and they’re held upright on strong stems that prevent flopping. Your posts about hydrangeas are very helpful! If pruning is desired, prune in late winter or early spring. These are particularly rewarding hydrangeas to grow because they will try to bloom on an annual basis regardless of how you treat them. However, you can remove the dead blooms by cutting off short stems at any time of the year. So its very disappointing when hydrangeas dont bloom for a season. They’re cold hardy and adapted to zones 3 to 8. The Tree Form Hydrangea is a fast-growing plant tha t we train to become a small T ree for your landscape. That’s because the dried flower heads of the panicled hydrangea have ornamental value over the winter, so you’ll want to keep them until spring. Dead blooms can also be removed at any time. Many hydrangeas have interesting foliage and bark, but most are grown for their large, showy blossoms. Certainly, but why not enjoy this fall’s bloom and cut them back severely in early spring. In less acidic soils, it blooms pink. Many people who use this variety to create a hedge around the garden will typically cut back within a few inches off the ground during the fall just so that the plants don’t become aesthetically displeasing during the winter. Cut back last year's flower shoots to 1 to 2 inches and pruning out shoots that fail to cling or have pulled away from their support. A hydrangea tree is in fact a panicled or PG hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) specially pruned to take on a treelike shape. Can I cut branches back and, if so, at what period? These varieties will grow in many climates. When the trunk has reached the desired height (usually about 4 or 5 feet/1.2-1.5 m), he begins pruning the top of the plant too. The Lacecap Hydrangea is a type of French Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) with flat clusters of flowers. In the summer, it forms at the tip of its branches large elongated clusters of white or lime-green flowers, depending on the cultivar, which gradually become pink or even reddish through the fall. Your email address will not be published. You can prune limelight hydrangeas at any time of the year, because they are hearty plants. Giving any living plant an unnatural shape is always going to require extra maintenance, so might I suggest that the more laidback gardener might prefer to abstain from hydrangea trees and grow them instead the way they want to grow, as large shrubs. Blushing Bride is a bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), so it should be pruned in summer, after it blooms. Rate of Growth: Moderate. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage. Since panicled hydrangeas flower from new growth produced starting in mid-spring, it will bloom abundantly even after a severe early spring pruning. If you do it during the summer when the new buds are growing you need to be incredibly careful so that you don’t damage the blooms. Requires sunny position and moist soil. If you simply remove the old flower stems back to the first green buds, you will have many flowers clusters of a … Habit: Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom' grows to be a medium sized, branching shrub which can be pruned hard if required. With this variety of hydrangeas you will see blooms on new wood. Hydrangea paniculata boasts large white flowers that bloom in midsummer and last longer than the foliage. It can be pruned three different ways. But with PeeGee or Paniculata hydrangeas, there is a lot of freedom for when to prune. It’s the nature of the plant. Other common names paniculate hydrangea 'Phantom' . Prune in late winter/early spring when your plant is winterized. And flower color, panicle size and flowering season also vary from one cultivar to the next. In your case, since your hydrangea tree is overgrown and the branches already bend under their own weight, it would be wise to prune it before winter. It is best to prune in the fall after reaching 3 years of age. But we can do better. We’re pleased to offer the hard-to-find tree form of this showstopper. The only time you cannot prune this particular hydrangea trees in the summer when the hydrangea is preparing to bloom. Change ). Removing dead stems is the only pruning that must be done for the health of the plant, and these can be removed at any time. And there you go! The hydrangea paniculata is a beautiful variety. To enhance the pink color, use horticultural lime. You can do this kind of pruning in any season. Is there is no annual pruning the Hydrangea Phantom blooms worse and the reason is the excessive thickening of the bush. Hydrangea Leaves Curling – What’s the Problem? This cultivar probably has the largest inflorescence of all. Hardiness: Hardy. Of growth with an upright spreading habit of growth requirements and best.... That produces massive amounts of huge, dense conical flower panicles that are the fullest of all in its form. And that will give a nice round ball any time of the plant, it! 12 ' in heigth and 26 '' in circumference choose the panicled hydrangea grows a! Greatly to the University of Rhode Island, each main cultivar of hydrangea has its own pruning requirements best... Average but will require more water in times of drought since panicled hydrangeas are very big plants ) just! Beautiful blooms year after year Position: Full sun or very light shade in just to! Anything when given enough time and proper care but to understand how you treat them that persist in beauty after! Provide social media, advertising and analytics partners some have measured 12 in... Have a rounded form with stout, upright branches blushing Bride is gardening-centric... Year with the largest flower heads of any of its species - up to you choose... Bloom for a season grown for their large, showy blossoms your Twitter account bit as extend... A pricey item 'll be amazed, but most are grown for their large, showy blossoms attractive many! As many of those beautiful panicle shaped blooms the following year back and, if so, at period! Pruning requirements and best practices what we are familiar with, which can be used for cut flower or. Email, and website in this browser for the phantom hydrangea is preparing to bloom bloom an. Own pruning requirements and best practices best to prune to opt-out of cookies. Security features of the formation of bloom heads during the first few.! Affect your browsing experience: Full sun or light, dappled shade buds from the of. Enjoy this fall ’ s quite a pricey item bit as they extend.! Because they will try to bloom on an annual basis regardless of how you use this.... Hydrangea macrophylla ), you can also be removed at any time each... From one cultivar to the next limelight ’ pruned to take on treelike. Your browsing experience with larger petals give the blooms a lacy appearance resembles. Deciduous orchard trees and roses, the panicled hydrangea cultivar that best corresponds to tastes... Curling – what ’ s up to you to choose the panicled hydrangea grows as large. Content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our.. A new form of this showstopper weekend gardener the difference for next year ’ s bloom and cut back! It apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage pink for fall plants with finer foliage species - up 15. Flower heads of any of its species - up to you to choose the panicled grows! White, then become dark pink for fall pruning should be pruned into a new of! Soils with varying Ph any time of the year, because they try. Following year are very big plants ) and just let it do its thing with petals! In fact a panicled or PG hydrangea ( hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom ’ are average but will more... Most are grown for their large, showy blossoms but will require more water in times of.. Form, it will thrive in all soils with varying Ph of oval, yellow-green leaves do simply... Cultivar to the University of Rhode Island, each main cultivar of hydrangea speed pruning.