I have three old-growth hydrangeas that need significant pruning.
I want to cut them to approximately half their current height - about three to four feet.
Please advise the best time and method to do the pruning as I'm always quite confused about the proper technique (conflicting advice from neighbors does not help).
Should I wait until the leaves drop in autumn?
Or should I cut them after the blooms fade in mid-July or early August?
Should I cut just the stems that have flowers or should I also cut the stems with leaves (which this year actually grew taller than the flowers and therefore obscured many of the large blooms)?
Thank you so much.
I can send photos if necessary. They are absolutely grand plants but are in danger of swallowing the entirety of our small front lot.