Limelight hydrangeas will provide new flowers on new wood only, so the best time to prune Limelight hydrangeas needs to be done at the end of winter or the beginning of Spring, before any new growth starts to show itself. If you prune your limelight hydrangea at any other time of the year it can interrupt your flower growth and you might not get any new blooms.

Limelight hydrangeas are a type of hydrangea paniculata they stand out from other varieties because, as their name suggests, they have a lime colour to them. At the end of the summer, you will see greenish-white flowers.

Limelight hydrangeas do benefit from some heavy pruning if done every few years. When properly administered, pruning heavily every so often will help your hydrangea to better control its size and improve the flowers that you receive for all subsequent seasons.

Pruning

What you will need:

• Sharp pruners
• Bleach
• Measuring tape
• Suitable Fertilizer

When you are ready to prune your hydrangea, take the following steps:

1. Sanitize your pruners with a bleach solution that contains 9 parts water to 1 part bleach. Soak your tools in the solution for approximately five minutes and then rinse them before you use them.
2. Start at the base of your shrub and with a measuring tape, measure approximately 18in up. Cut off a single stem at that mark and use it as your guideline for cutting back the remainder of your plant. When you make your cuts be sure to do it at a 45-degree angle so that you can promote better water runoff which helps avoid diseases.
3. Be sure to cut your stems to a uniform height so that all of your new growth can bloom across the framework. Those angled cuts will be instrumental in preventing water from collecting on the open wound.
4. Remove approximately one-half of your existing stems in order to promote more flowers the following season. Cut them off as close to ground level as possible. When you do so it’s important to have very sharp pruning shears so that you don’t accidentally nick the plant repeatedly, leaving multiple open wounds.
5. Discard any debris that you have pruned so that it doesn’t end up spreading any type of pathogens to the rest of your plant.
6. When you are done water around the hydrangea and give it some fertilizer in spring to kick things off and give it the best start.