Many thanks to Judy V. for sharing this article from Simple Garden Life

Two Reasons Not to Leave Old Hydrangea Blooms on in Late Fall & Winter

“Although deer, squirrels and other animals don’t typically bother most varieties of hydrangeas, that always isn’t the case in areas that have more severe winters. When heavy snows and inclement weather persist, it can make it hard for non-hibernating animals to find food sources. Not only have most of their fresh food sources dried up during the dormant months, heavy snows can cover other sources of ground food as well. And when they do – the upright blooms of hydrangeas can quickly become a target!

Unfortunately, a large majority of hydrangeas bloom on old wood. Old wood is the growth that occurs the prior year. And when hungry deer or squirrels begin to dine on the blooms, they often chew down and eat the branches as well. When they do, they also remove future blooms. By deadheading only the blooms in the fall – you can eliminate this risk.

Avoiding Fall Pruning

When removing blooms before winter, it’s vital to not prune any additional wood from your hydrangeas. Not even for small shaping. Not only can it remove next year’s blooms from summer blooming varieties that bloom on old wood, it can also cause issues for late summer and fall hydrangeas that bloom on new wood.

This is because any type of pruning beyond the removing of blooms can spur late, new growth. New growth late in the season is bad for two reasons. First, it causes the plant to use energy to grow. Energy that should be being saved and stored for next year’s foliage and blooms. But that new growth is also very tender. And with winter right around the corner, that tender new growth is highly susceptible to freezing out over the winter.

Deadheading

When deadheading old blooms in late fall, be careful to only remove the bloom just below its stem – and nothing more. As you will see below, you can take a few of your blooms completely down for drying and decorating – but keep those to a minimum.

By only taking the blooms off, it keeps the plant continuing on its path to dormancy. That, of course, allows it to handle winter with ease.

Saving Old Hydrangea Blooms for Arrangements

So, what about saving some of those beautiful old hydrangea bloom stems in the fall for flower arrangements and decorating inside?

There are actually several ways to save and dry hydrangea blooms. The easiest method by far is to cut the bloom and finish drying them off in a vase or container filled with a bit of water. To do this, you will need to cut a bit more of each stem you save than if just deadheading.

The good news is if you only take a few from each plant – it will affect blooming slightly for those that bloom on old hydrangea flowers are great for all kinds of flower arrangements.

How To Dry Blooms

It’s best to allow the bloom heads to mostly dry out on the bush first. Then, using a sharp pair of pruners, cut the stem off the bloom. Try to cut a length somewhere between 12 and 14 inches long. Next, remove the leaves and place in water. Place down in the container so that about 1/4th to 1/2 of the stems are in water.

Place in a cool area of your home out of direct sunlight. It may sound strange to put in water, but the water will allow the bloom heads to dry slowly. This, in turn, helps to preserve more of the blooms muted colors. It usually will take about two to three weeks for the flower to completely dry and be ready for use.”

Judy V.  added “They can also be spray painted with red or burgundy for winter, spray paint can be bought much cheaper at Surplus Herby’s.”  

You will find more great gardening information at:  Simple Garden Life