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Keep Your Hydrangea Healthy With These Essential Pruning Tips
By WILL FORD
To properly prune a Limelight hydrangea and prevent bud-laden limbs from drooping, there are certain steps gardeners should follow.
First, identify dead, damaged, or weak limbs that need removal and note where the heaviest bud clusters are. Then, use sharp, sterilized pruning shears to remove the oldest stems.
To prevent limb drooping due to heavy bud clusters, selectively thin out some of the buds near the end of each stem, maintaining a balance between flowering and plant structure.
When trimming stems, make clean cuts just above a pair of healthy buds or nodes to discourage weak growth. Aim to maintain the natural shape of the plant.
The best time to prune a Limelight hydrangea is in late winter or early spring, while it's dormant. If the plant is actively growing, it's not the right time for pruning.