Dead Heading Hydrangeas

[NoOption5L]

Should you dead head hydrangeas? Would it promote more flowers as it often does with other plants?

Patrick

[Travis]

Dead heading will improve its appearance but will not promote more flowers.

[Stephen Henning]

... even on Endless Summer??? The directions for Endless Summer state:

"Another unique feature is that this hydrangea will continue to set buds and bloom throughout the season; deadheading the spent flowers will encourage this. Feel free to cut the blooms for drying or fresh cut in vases because you will actually encourage the plant to produce more blossoms." "By cutting back to half the emerging growth, the amount of blooms is significantly increased. Deadheading will promote blooms from April through October in warmer regions, and June through frost in colder areas."

The University of Georgia extension says for Bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) including Endless Summer:

Encourage further new foliage growth by deadheading (removing faded flowers).

Another site states for all hydrangeas: Deadheading is necessary as the spent blooms distract from the appearance of the current seasons flowers. Simply cut the spent blooms along with the flowering stalk, back to the uppermost pair of new buds, taking care not to damage any of the new green shoots.

[Paul Below]

I leave the old blooms on the plant until sometime in the winter. I think they look kind of nice, and they do make nice dried flowers.