Hydrangea care / pruning

Hello everyone, tis I ..... Geezer!

I have been wondering about hydrangea care, and if I should prune, dead head, or simply leave alone? Also, when?
Do I simply cut off the heads with cutters?

Any advice appreciated as always Mine is in a pot.

 

Hi, mine are showing signs of growth but I usually wait until March/April. then take off last years flower which have protected through the winter, and look at the shape, if it needs any pruning take off to just above an outward facing growth point.

 

Cheers m'duck

 

I have just had a look, and mine is looking good too Lots of growth apparent.
I think I have a climbing one too?? and that is also looking healthy

 

Hydranges. there are THREE major types. And each type prunes different. So you have to know which type you have. And only one of the types are effected by PH soil to change their color. I happen to have 13 varieties, so several within each three types. Some I will never prune, except if I wish to shape it some. Some you can cut down to a foot off the ground, and they love it. Mine are all in ground. So you need to know what yours is.

 

I wait till march april too

i have the mop head kind in the front and i just wait till then to take off the old flower heads down to the first point of growth

then once thats done if there are any dead bits with no growth on i just trim them out

the hydrangeas out the front are very old and were never really pruned or looked after before so there was loads of dead growth that you could snap off.

 

I have a couple of mop-heads and a lace-cap in pots, Just like you guys each spring I snip off the old flowerheads being careful not to damage the buds underneath them (these will become the new flowers) but when we had a big one in the ground I would also have a little rummage around in there and cut out any weak or spindly looking branches near ground level to encourage new shoots near the base