What to Do With Hydrangeas in February for Bigger, Bountiful Blooms This Summer, Plus What Not to Do
It is not one-size-fits-all when it comes to hydrangea care this month
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Hydrangeas come with an element of mystery, and it can be confusing, especially for those new to the shrubs. The truth is that not all hydrangeas are treated the same, and their seasonal care varies type to type. So, if you find yourself lost and need a bit of help, here is what to do with hydrangeas in February to keep them in top shape.
Many of the intricacies of growing hydrangeas stem from whether they flower on old or new wood. In late winter, whether your one blooms on old or new growth dictates if you should or shouldn’t prune, how you would do any trimming, and whether the shrub has flower buds that need protecting.
If you look out and wonder what to do with hydrangeas in February in your garden, we’ve got you covered. To help you care for your shrubs properly and avoid mistakes that may rob you of blooms, here we reveal six important tasks to consider. Some are relevant to all types of hydrangeas, others are more specific, and we’ll reveal the dos and don'ts for each.
Mulch Your Shrubs
If you didn’t mulch your hydrangeas in the fall, February is a good time to apply a layer around the base of your shrubs. Mulching hydrangeas is a great way to regulate soil temperatures and protect the shrub’s shallow roots from any late frosts.
Mulch acts as an insulation against winter frosts and also prevents repeated freezing and thawing, which can cause frost heave. This can be especially a risk with newly-planted hydrangeas.
Mulching also helps the soil retain moisture and smothers weeds that may otherwise appear when temperatures start to rise. As hydrangeas like consistently moist soil throughout the season, mulching now helps guarantee thriving shrubs and better blooms come summer.
The best types of mulch to use for this are organic matter, such as compost, leaf mold, wood chips, or pine bark. Any of these does all the vital jobs outlined above, plus it adds essential nutrients as it breaks down. Don’t worry about pine needles turning the soil more acidic when used as a mulch; this is a myth that has been debunked in recent years.
Apply a layer 2-4 inches thick around the base of the hydrangea, but not touching the stems (this is a mulching mistake that can lead to rot).
Protect Buds From Late Frosts
Different types of hydrangeas bloom on old wood and new wood. Old wood bloomers produce their buds on existing stems in late summer and early fall, which puts them in a perilous position throughout winter. These delicate buds need protecting against the worst of the winter weather.
The old flower heads can often insulate buds, but sometimes they may need further help. If you have deadheaded your hydrangea prior, then you do need to protect the delicate buds or risk losing a year’s worth of flowers.
Bigleaf (including mophead and lacecap), mountain, and oakleaf hydrangeas all bloom on old wood. Often, they can withstand winter unscathed, but in late winter, they can fall victim to a false spring. They can wake up during a spell of warmer days, only to be blasted by a late frost when temperatures drop back to normal.
In February, you may need to protect the hydrangea buds when temperatures are predicted to drop below freezing. A little bit of action can save your blooms.
Wrap the buds in burlap (you can get a burlap roll at Amazon), frost cloth, or even an old sheet to insulate them on cold nights. If you have a hydrangea in a pot, move it indoors or to a protected spot overnight.
In the coldest climates, you may need to remove snow from your hydrangeas in February.
The shrubs are at risk of snapping under the weight of snow, so gently brush the snow off with your arms. Always adopt a gentle approach, rather than shaking branches to remove snow, which risks snapping them.
Prune New Wood Hydrangeas
Knowing when to prune hydrangeas comes down to whether they bloom on old or new wood. If you have a panicle or smooth (sometimes known as arborescens) hydrangea, they flower on new wood.
This makes them plants to prune in February, to encourage growth to carry this year’s blooms.
Some of the most popular hydrangeas fit into those categories. ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas and ‘Bobo’ hydrangeas are panicles, while ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea is a smooth variety.
To prune a panicle or smooth hydrangea, remove the 3 Ds of dead, damaged, and diseased branches, along with any weak or crossing stems. Then, simply cut last year’s stems back to 1-3 buds, cutting to a healthy bud, to encourage strong growth and large flowers.
Always use clean and sharp pruning tools. To sharpen pruning shears ahead of trimming, a handheld blade sharpener, like this one at Amazon, is small enough to keep in your pocket or tool bag and can put a sharp edge on straight-bladed tools in just a few strokes.
A pair of traditional bypass pruning shears for pruning hydrangeas. These can cut stems and small branches up to 5/8 inch thick.
Loppers are suitable for pruning thicker hydrangea stems. These have high-carbon steel blades for cutting branches up to a 1-½ in diameter.
This pruning saw has an eight-inch long steel blade that can cut through branches 4"-5" in diameter.
Deadhead Old Wood Hydrangeas After the Last Frost
Old wood hydrangeas shouldn’t be pruned in the same way as above this month. It would be a major pruning mistake, and you’d simply cut off all the flower buds, ruining this year’s display. Indeed, in some climates, they should remain untouched all month.
You can remove old flower blooms from old wood bloomers only after the last frost in your region. It is only a job for gardeners in warm or milder US hardiness zones in February. Those in colder climates are better off leaving the blooms in place, as they are protecting new flower buds.
If, and only if, you prune mophead hydrangeas and other old wood types this month, simply cut off the old flower heads above the first set of healthy buds.
Remove Dead Stems and Debris From the Base
Anytime you remove larger stems from a hydrangea, you should prune it all the way back to ground level. Often, you see shrubs with stumps of older stems left a few inches above the ground. If yours looks like this, it is a good idea to remove any of these remaining stumps.
The remnants of old stems can retain moisture and create a damp environment around the base of the shrub. This can, in the worst-case scenario, lead to rotting and attract pests and diseases. It can be quick and simple to use a pair of clean, sharp loppers or a pruning saw to remove these stubs.
It is also advisable to remove any debris around the base of the hydrangea. Old leaves and debris can make an ideal hiding place for pests, and they can also harbor bacteria and fungi over winter.
Clearing them away keeps the plant healthy and prevents pests and diseases from attacking the shrub once the temperatures rise.
Check for Waterlogging
Hydrangeas need water, but they dislike sitting in constantly wet soil, especially over winter when the ground is cold and soggy.
Hydrangeas can develop root rot in waterlogged soil, so keep an eye on the soil condition around your plants. Out of all types, panicle hydrangeas are most tolerant of wetter soils, but even those will struggle in waterlogged ground over winter.
If you see persistent standing water in your flower beds, this is an obvious warning sign. Other signs of root rot include hydrangea leaves turning yellow and a rotten smell from the soil.
The best course of action is to lift the hydrangea and move it to a drier area of the garden. To improve the drainage in beds for the long-term, add lots of organic matter or install a French drain to divert water elsewhere in the garden.
FAQs
Do You Fertilize Hydrangeas in February?
February is too early to fertilize hydrangeas. The ideal time to feed is from early spring onwards, when the soil temperatures are rising, and the shrub is starting to grow for the new season.
Do You Water Hydrangeas in February?
If the soil feels unusually dry in late winter, you may need to water, but this is often unlikely. Be careful watering hydrangeas as you don’t want to overwater outdoor plants in winter. Use a soil moisture meter (available at Amazon) to judge when to water plants.
Do You Prune Climbing Hydrangeas in February?
No, if you grow a climbing hydrangea, this is not a month to prune it. You prune climbing hydrangeas in late summer or early fall, after flowering. If you prune in February, you will remove the buds, as climbing hydrangeas flower on old wood.
Now you know what to do with hydrangeas in February, it should all seem clearer. But hydrangeas are a flowering shrub surrounded by myths, such as that you can change the color of blooms and that they always need to be planted in the shade.
How true are all these stories you hear about hydrangeas? Our guide to hydrangea myths debunked reveals the truth and explains what misconceptions to disregard.
