Here's a gardening hack to make your hydrangeas stand tall and proud. No more droopy blooms weighing down your beautiful bushes.
If you've ever felt frustrated by floppy hydrangeas, this simple trick might be the antidote you've been looking for.
The scoop
Gardening enthusiast Michelle (@everydaygardeningtips) took to Instagram to share a "genius" tip for keeping limelight hydrangeas upright.
"Here's the secret to having upright limelight hydrangeas: pruning them twice," Michelle explains. "Pruning an additional time encourages more branching, which means you'll get smaller blooms, but lots of blooms, and they're perfect."
This extra pruning session stimulates the plant to produce more branches, resulting in a bushier shrub. While the individual flowers might be smaller, you'll have more blooms overall.
As Michelle demonstrates, the result is a hydrangea bush that stands tall and proud, showing off its beautiful blossoms instead of drooping under their weight.
How it's helping
By encouraging stronger, more upright growth, you'll create a more visually appealing landscape without expensive supports or replanting. With a little extra pruning, you might transform your floppy hydrangeas into the star attraction of your garden. Plus, healthier plants mean less time and money spent on maintenance and replacements.
Gardening itself helps both personal and planetary well-being. For those growing produce, tending to their own little patches of green significantly cuts down on grocery bills, especially for pricey produce. Plus, nothing beats the taste of homegrown veggies and herbs.
Gardening is also a fantastic way to boost your physical and mental health. It gets you moving, connects you with nature, and provides a sense of accomplishment as you watch your plants thrive. Your garden is also a mini carbon sink, helping combat atmospheric pollution.
What everyone's saying
Gardeners on Instagram are excited about this simple yet effective trick, with many excited to share their results.
"It worked!!!" one commenter enthusiastically wrote.
Another gardener revealed they are already planning ahead, writing, "Will DEFINITELY prune mine twice next year!"
However, some experienced growers offered a word of caution. One user pointed out: "Please be careful where you try this. In colder climates than yours, doing so will delay blooming too long and cause them not to have enough time to set flowers before season's end. Limelight is already a very late bloomer, so delaying them further isn't a good idea."
The user suggested an alternative: "Better yet, plant Limelight Prime which has much stronger stems that don't get floppy!"
As with any gardening advice, it's important to consider your specific climate and growing conditions. But for many, this double-pruning hack could help achieve picture-perfect hydrangea bushes.
"Amending this caption to say: this pruning tip ONLY applies to warm weather gardeners," Michelle added, thanking home and garden website Proven Winners (@provenwinners) for pointing out the potential pitfalls of the hack in the comments section.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
