Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Leggy Hydrangea & Hebe

GardenSpursGardenSpurs Posts: 70
in Problem solving
Hello

i am looking for some advice on how and when to prune 2 shrubs.

Firstly, this hydrangea.  It has been somewhat overshadowed by a large shrub, and on cutting the shrub back i found the hydrangea that has faded blooms on long woody stems.  Should i just leave it now until next spring or cut back to the base now. 

The Hebe is just outgrown its position and has become very heavy and is starting to develop a hole in its middle.  Again any advice on how to deal with this would be great.



Many Thanks

Posts

  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053
    I would cut the hydrangea right back now - you will probably lose next years flowers but it will be the better of it. It does still seem a bit over shadowed. Perhaps think about moving it somewhere more open come the autumn? 
    The hebe could be cut back in the spring - I find they are a bit of a hit or a miss whether they recover or not but as it is not a thing of beauty now, you can take the chance. 
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    edited August 2019
    I wouldn’t cut the hydrangea back until end of March. 
    Then it needs to come out from under those shrubs or it will do the same thing again, struggling to reach the light. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    I am fortunate to have two periods of flowering for the Hebe - I always cut it back a few inches after the flowers have finished. I follow Lyn with the pruning of Hydrangeas, early Spring after the majority of the cold weather has passed is when we prune our Hydrangeas.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    I don't think that Hydrangea will do well where it is, it is too enveloped by the shrubs around it, that is why it is so leggy.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Sign In or Register to comment.