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Spring Care

Jamie Smith Dawes

10 years ago

Should I cut back the brown stems? Most of them are brittle and not sprouting any green leaves. Not sure if its too late to do anything. The base of the plant seems happy and healthy. Im just not sure if it too late to clean things up

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Comments (3)

LucyStar1
10 years ago
I have the same thing. I'm in New England. I think mine got blasted by the cold weather we had late in the winter. I don't remember this happening before. Mine is Endless Summer. Cut them off?
luis_pr
10 years ago
If you do not see leaf out by mid-to-late May, I would cut them off. The chances of getting leaf out by them are "slim to none".

If you want to check one of the stems, you can cut in 1" increments and stop either when you get to the bottom or when you see green.

But one thing I have noticed, when it is mid/late May and I cut every 1" until I see green and I do see green, I still do not get leaf out... even when I wait past the end of May.
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October_Gardens
10 years ago
This is one of THE major drawbacks to hydrangea macrophylla. One cold night in April can be just as bad as a week of -15F in the Winter.

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