My strawberry vanilla hydrangeas droop so bad they are almost laying on the ground. What can I do to prevent this next year. Not sure on how to prune them for stronger stems.

I don't think pruning will necessarily help. I don't have that particular hydrangea but a related one and it seems to droop more if hard pruned as opposed to lightly because hard pruning seems to result in longer branches weighed down by heavier flower heads. It may have more to do with its natural habit, described as "cascading" in the link below from Missouri Botanical Garden, combined with growing conditions. If it is in shade, watered a lot and fertilized it may be more likely to flop. Would you be able to post a picture of it? Hopefully someome else here has that hydrangea and can comment.

http://www.missouribotanicalga...

Thanks for your quick reply and link.Here is a picture of them. I am just not sure how to prune it this fall to get some stronger stems. .

I went to a hydrangea class at my local garden center. He said they will droop for a few years but as they age the stems will grow stronger.

I'm not sure that pruning will get the result you want. I had a shrub that drooped down and my husband shoved bricks under the worst part under some branches. The bricks helped hold it up and a year later when he removed them the shrub looked much better.

Thanks for the picture. I think it is just doing what comes naturally, although being close to the fence/wall may be exaggerating it somewhat because plants usually lean away from structures also. I would not prune it other than dead wood because in my experience it makes it worse. I would just deadhead it and leave it at that. If it bothers you that it flops then maybe make it some kind of support along the lines of a peony cage for next year.

Thanks all for the replies. I have staked all of them and will see what happens next year.

Just staked them.



Sept 25

This is how mine looks at 3 years old but as soon as we get a hard rain it droops unless I shake the water off. Same with my Little Lime

Mine did not even bloom this year, my lime light did, but not the Strawberry Vanilla. Can some one give me an idea why?

Wondering if you had any real cold spells when the buds were forming?

But if both are of the same family. wouldn't it have done the same to the Lime Light?

How do they add up with these requirements?
They Bloom: Summer into early fall. The flowers of most turn from white to pink or rose as they age.
How Much Light: Full sun preferred.
How Much Water: Likes moist soil, but tolerates drought.
Soil: Well-drained.
Where Not to Plant: Shade (it won’t bloom)
When to Prune: Blooms on new growth. Prune in winter or early spring

It actually gets more sun the the lime light. I did not prune it last year. It is about 4 years old now and I have been pruning it up till last year to get its shape, considering it was a twig when I got it.
I was told to only prune the old blooms off rather than a hard prune, because it was getting long limp branches rather then being bushy.

I just cut the dead flowers off in the fall. No pruning here. Otherwise the flowers will be all over the yard when they fall off during the winter.

Hydrangea paniculata Vanilla Strawberry starting up.

Yours is looking great RJ. Mine is coming along.