Wind-Damaged & Broken Hydrangeas

Immediate Response

• It's disheartening to see a prized hydrangea bush sustain damage in the wake of a storm or accident that causes broken branches. Evaluate the plant in the aftermath. Nothing can be done once tissues dry out or damaged leaves and branches are fully severed from the plant. If the snapped flower heads are in decent condition, they may be used in a flower bouquet or dried for use later in fall or winter decorations. Although tattered leaves may persist on the hydrangea shrub, they continue to photosynthesize sunlight to make food for the plant, so don't remove them. Let them naturally yellow and drop away later in the fall.

Broken Branches

• Immediately prune dead or broken branches from the hydrangea. Sometimes a partially snapped branch supplies sap to leaves and flowers, but ultimately the integrity of that branch is compromised, and it will not regain its strength or upward orientation, or regrow the bark and vascular tissue in the snap wound. Prune broken branches back with hand or bypass pruners to a location below the spot where they snapped. Make the cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch above a lower branch junction or pair of leaves. Torn bark leads to stem drying. Cut back the torn stems to a part of the stem that is healthy and entire. Do not use any pruning paint or wound sealants. Dormant buds will sprout to replace the removed branch by the plant; its natural biorhythms and metabolism will dictate when and if new growth occurs.

Pruning Insight

• Gardeners often ask about which species of hydrangeas need to be pruned at certain times of year. Some species bloom on year-old wood, while others on stems that sprouted that spring. Once a shrub sustains broken branches, focus on pruning away the damaged tissues, regardless of season or hydrangea plant species. The concern is the health of the plant and getting new growth to sprout in replacement. The risk of damage from storms is always present. When such bad luck happens, realize the hydrangea plant is best pruned now to promote healthy new replacement growth so it will bloom correctly and most attractively next year.

Maintenance

• After removing broken and dead branches from the damaged hydrangea, monitor its health and growth the rest of the year until the winter dormancy. The best maintenance for the recuperating hydrangea is to make sure it is not stressed by drought, soggy soil or any insect pests or diseases. If it is past midsummer, do not fertilize the hydrangea, as this will encourage faster and more widespread growth that may not mature sufficiently in time to survive the onset of fall frosts and freezes. The plant will regrow naturally from the healthiest buds and survive with minimal care.