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Hydrangea 'Claudie' forms its flowers buds in later summer and then flowers in late June. The best time to prune is after it blooms, from mid-July to mid-August. Cease pruning in mid-August to allow time for the flower buds to form prior to winter. As a young plant it is best to prune or pinch your plant in order to build a full bodied, well branched plant. If the plant is leggy when you purchased it, shear the plant back hard by 1/3 to 1/2 its original size. Once it puts on an inch or two of growth, pinch the branch tips to remove just the growing tip. This tip controls branching. Once it is removed the buds below it will turn into stems. Once these new branches grow an inch or two, pinch the tip out again. You can repeat this throughout the first growing season as you are tending your garden. Although you will sacrifice one year of bloom, this technique results in a well branched, full plant.

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