Limelight Hydrangea Tree Drooping After Rain (Part 2): What To Do

[@PlainJane144]

Thank you again for your tips! Your main point which is to preserve the tree (or in my case plants) is something novice gardeners like myself have to come to terms with. After filling an entire garbage bin of blooms the bandaid has been ripped off. Your tree is so beautiful! I haven't seen one before on KZbin or in person. You would never know it was storm damaged last year! Looks perfect. The hummingbird was really trying to steal the spotlight! I have never noticed just how many rabbits are in this region until I began gardening. Lost ALOT of plants due to them. My aziatic lily's were chopped clean off. So when you say "Get of here", I totally understand. haha.

[@GardenSanity]

You're welcome Jillian! Yes, it can be SO hard to remove the pretty flowers -- watch my "top heavy hydrangea" video for images of just how much we lost last year from that tropical storm. I had vases of flowers all over the place. LOL I didn't know that hummingbird was there until I was editing the video! Yes, the rabbits are insane, and I would love to grow the pretty lilies you mentioned...but for the darn rabbits. (And yet that little one is so cute, and I fear it's mother abandoned it, so we need to coax it out of our back yard and into the front where it can find some other yards to visit.)

[@uolyma4]

Thank you so much for this! I planted 2 of these babies last year and the Garden I got them from said not to prune them the first year so I've just been letting them do their thing. However, we've had a ton of heavy rain and wind in Michigan this year. Needless to say they are not looking great. I had to replant one of them because we came home from a trip and a storm had darn near blew it down. So that one is looking pretty sad but, still alive. The other one just inverted into a waterfall almost. Everything is hanging. I have been so nervous to prune them but your videos make me feel so much better about now. Thank you and excuse me while I go prune without crying. Please continue to post videos like this!

[@GardenSanity]

You are very welcome! I hope my videos have shown you that even though I had to do an emergency pruning last August, and then a pretty severe pruning this Spring, the tree grew back to almost the same size! These trees will rebound nicely. We just have to struggle with how the tree looks when we’re forced to cut off some of the flowers. The struggle is real, as the saying goes! 🙂 Let me know how it goes!

[@jessicajustice5625]

Just bought a house with these trees( no green thumb here) But Your channel is everything! And has taught me what I needed to know on keeping my babies lookin fabulous!! Thank you!

[@GardenSanity]

Congratulations on your new home Jessica! 🎉 These trees can seem intimidating, but once you get the hang of them -- and once you've gone through a few Summer seasons with them to get used to how they grow and handle your Summer weather -- you'll be a pro at taking care of them! I promise! 🙂

[@tc5773]

Thank you so very much for your help!! I absolutely love how you completely explain and show how to care for these beauties ❤😊❤😊

[@GardenSanity]

You're most welcome, and I appreciate your feedback very much! ❤

[@tinablum9089]

Thank you so much for this video! I cried a bit today...lol..I had to cut a hige garbage bag of blooms from 5 of my strawberry hydrangeas from a couple rain storms...it is a sad day for sure!

[@GardenSanity]

Oh Tina, I feel your pain, as I’m going to do the same thing this week to my Limelight Hydrangea Tree. Seems like it’s a once-per-Summer ritual. 🙃🙂 Enjoy the rest of the Strawberry Hydrangea flowers, and try to forget about the big garbage bag! (I’ll be telling myself to do the same thing!) 🤣

[@OliveCityOasis]

Great video, Laura - practical and encouraging! I don't grow hydrangea yet, but I will next year. This is the type of pruning I have to do with my peaches (and other fruits), too. No, it's not easy to cut off healthy looking branches that potentially could produce more fruit. Nor is it fun thinning the fruit. However, the branches definitely sag and even *break* from the heavy weight otherwise. Good to know (in advance) that I'll need to prune hydrangea the same way if the branches start drooping low. Thanks for sharing. 😊

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks Kim! That's so interesting that you need to do the same thing with some of your fruit trees. And it makes sense, as I imagine some of those fruit can get heavy. Since you're experienced with this, you'll be a pro at panicle hydrangeas! 🌳🍑

[@Brian.RollTide]

Thank you so much for the detailed video. My tree is happy again.

[@GardenSanity]

My pleasure Brian - always happy to help! (And glad your tree is happy again too!) 😀

[@seriejohnson698]

I watched this video last week and had to watch it again t

[@JessicaMillerNashville]

This is excellent! Thank you for explaining it so it's easy to understand.

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks Jessica! 😊 I really appreciate your feedback and hope your Limelight flowers don't droop too much if it rains! 💚

[@truthofthematter9409]

lol It is 857 degrees! 😆 Great information, Laura! Thanks

[@GardenSanity]

I swear that’s exactly what the temperature was!

[@songsgardensbyjenniferlynn3242]

My Rose of Sharon shrubs are all dropping after last night’s rain! Thanks for this tip :)

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Jennifer -- I wouldn't do the same thing to your Rose of Sharons, as they usually will perk up pretty easily. And some Rose of Sharon varieties do actually droop as part of their growing habit. However, if you have stems touching the ground, then perhaps just trimming those bottom stems will help. I have a Helene Rose of Sharon that droops a bit, while my Lavender Chiffon Rose of Sharon remains upright. And there are so many Rose of Sharon varieties. Do you know which type of you have?

[@songsgardensbyjenniferlynn3242]

@@GardenSanity thanks! I haven’t pruned any yet! I just shook off the rain, but they are still bent over. These rose of Sharon’s were all from seedlings given-they’re not sterile and they are just massive older varieties. I usually have flowers planted underneath the shrubs, and so that’s why I’m not sure about what to do.

[@GardenSanity]

@@songsgardensbyjenniferlynn3242 In that case, Jennifer, I can see why you’d want to prune away the bottom drooping branches. I’d probably do that too, especially if you like to plant flowers underneath them. I think you could prune those drooping stems - and perhaps they will “bounce back” like the stems I showed in this video. I assume they would. And if they are massive, and you want to contain them a bit more, then pruning away the outer-most stems around the base will definitely make them more manageable. Let me know how it goes!

[@willaerley7140]

Good idea! I think that not pruning the drooping branches can harm the shape of the tree if they harden off like that. How is your stick doing? 😄 The bare root one you bought online. Any new growth?

[@GardenSanity]

Agree! And that’s sort of what happened to this tree “before” I started all of this last year. Or should I say, before the tropical storm started all of this last year! The “stick” is actually growing! I’m amazed, but there are actual redbud leaves - healthy - growing from the bottom. It seems the stick is kicking in from the bottom and working its way up. There are tiny buds along the length of the stick, and an actual leaf near the top. I’m happy with this, but the wonderful online company where I ordered this is not. I sent them photos, and they said they want to refund or credit me, because I shouldn’t have had to deal with this. They’ve been helpful and I took the credit because...more plants! (But I won’t try bare-root again anytime soon!)

[@amyhoff1501]

Hi there , where are you gardening? My lime light Hydrangea tree was literally laying on the ground yesterday morning from a little wind and rain. I’m thankful it didn’t snap . It got so big and beautiful this season with lots of blooms and now I’m trying to just keep it upright for the rest of the season and maybe move to different location in fall . I don’t know what size of rootball I’m dealing with, I’m older and might not be able to do the work myself but have no help. Worried in Massachusetts

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Amy! I garden in southern New Jersey in Zone 7. One of the things you can do is what I suggest: remove some of the largest flowerheads to relieve any pressure on branches that may be sagging from the weight of the flowers. It's amazing how heavy those flowers get with even a little rain in them. As for moving the tree to a new location, my best suggestion would be only move it IF you have a less windy area that will alleviate your concerns about the wind. Otherwise, similar things will happen in any similar location in your landscape. When you prune in the Spring, make sure you don't remove too much of the stems -- as each year they will get stronger and stronger so there should be less flopping of those stems. It's the younger stems that do most of the flopping. 🌳 Now that it is late November, my suggestion is to trim off the dried flowerheads and enjoy them indoors either in vases or in holiday arrangements or decorations. This will help your tree get through the Winter nicely without the wind pulling on any dried flowers that may be wet with rain or snow - or even worse: ice. I hope this helps! ❤

[@derekhench4592]

Extremely informative and helpful, but I have a very new young tree with every rain after the tree has bloomed and all the flower heads severely droop downward. How can you strengthen the tree from within to prevent drooping after every rain in the future?

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Derek, all young panicle hydrangea trees will have drooping flowers. Once your tree matures, you should have less and less of this. I realize it is a study in patience, which isn’t always easy! While your tree is young, just remove up to 1/3 of the stems in the Spring - which you can do now. Follow the steps in my pruning video for Limelight Hydrangea Trees - you won’t have to worry just yet about all the issues I mention such as crossing branches, however I show what the developing buds look like and where to make your cuts. Then give it some Holly-tone fertilizer (or other fertilizer for acid soil plants) and you should be all set. I hope this helps? 🌱

[@haydenlynn8120]

Thank you so much for sharing this was very helpful. I have 2 limelight hydrangeas trees. I live in zone6b. I planted each tree last year one for my dad and one for my brother who both passed. So this is very sentimental to me. We had a storm and one tree just leaned over the whole tree. I had to get sticks to hold it up straight. But I noticed the blooms are starting to hang so I’ll prune them. It’s August now so when is a good time to prune them?

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Hayden, that is truly a meaningful thing to do for your dad and brother. And I'm so sorry for both losses. We aren't going to lose these trees, ok? I'm glad you got some supports to hold the tree straight up, as this will help it to grow correctly. My own tree is over 10 years old, and I still have the supports in place. If you feel like the flowerheads are weighing the branches down to the point where either A) the branch could break off; or B) the branch is pulling on the tree causing it to lean, then yes I would snip off the flowerheads just like I showed in this video. The branches should bounce back up to the shrub and will be much happier. You don't need to take much off, as it is the flowers that cause the heavy weight. I'd wait to do any serious pruning -- if you can -- until late Winter, early Spring. Let me know if pruning off some of the heaviest flowerheads helps the tree.

[@bettypecoraro8104]

So interesting. I have a limelight hydrangea by my house.

[@GardenSanity]

Glad you found it interesting Betty! 🌿

[@DiscoveryWonders]

LOVE THIS CHANNEL thank you Lady:)

[@GardenSanity]

Well thank YOU Paulina for letting me know! 😊 Hope you'll subscribe as there's much more to come!

[@kristycannon7923]

First, I love your sense of humor, lol! (It's 847 degrees out here! Too funny) Two years ago, I planted a hedge of these beautiful limelight hydrangeas (5 plants as shrubs). They were gorgeous this past year with each bloom bigger than a football!! Then we had a hurricane come through here in North Carolina with several days of downpouring rain! They flopped and looked awful. I tried staking a few long stems up, but they still looked terrible. This year, I pruned them back about a week ago for this growing season. I plan to take a "square" green plastic tomato cage with the adjustable, snap on arms (as ugly as that sounds now) and build it around each plant for their "future" stem support. Who knows what will happen, but I know in zone 8a, potential future hurricanes & lots of raining will not stop, lol! Wish me luck and I will use your technique too in the future as well! Thanks for posting this video! :)

[@GardenSanity]

Glad you liked my temperature report Kristy! 🤣 Being you’re in NC, I’m sure you can relate to the awful heat and humidity combo. 🥵 The tomato cages sound like a good solution and my guess is that once the hydrangeas leaf out and bloom you won’t see the cages. I’m also feeling the same way as you about these storms, as they seem to be more common every year. We had a really bad one a few years ago that even made the individual petals on my Little Lime hydrangeas turn into very weird shapes. Now every Summer, I worry when the forecast doesn’t look good. 😕

[@ethelrizarri2614]

Laura , thank you very knowledgeable

[@GardenSanity]

You’re welcome Ethel! Glad you liked it! 🌱

[@Dessyluvs]

Great information.

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks Dessy! 🌱

[@InfinityHealthPilates]

My tree got hit with high winds and rain and it’s all drooping. Do I cut off all the flowers? I did lose one branch. It was a really bad storm.

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Donna - and my apologies for not replying sooner. You can cut off all the flowers if you feel that will help the tree. I usually wait until the tree dries out to see how the branches look with the flowerheads, once they are dry again from all of the rain they stored, which causes the drooping. Then trim a few flowers off to see how those branches look. It's up to you how many or how few of the flowers you remove. I'm sorry you lost a branch too. Years ago, one of the tropical storms we had took out half of our Limelight tree. It's one of the first videos I made, if you'd like to see what I went through: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4uqpnmniMubkMUsi=tKh1NWhNdpEaVObA 😥 Now that we are coming into the Winter, if your tree is in a very windy location, you can trim off just the flowers and enjoy them indoors. This way, no rain or snow (or ice) will sit on the flowers and weigh the tree down. I hope this helps! 😃🌳

[@Jenn_80]

I live in Mobile Alabama and my limelight like this is huge and beautiful and top heavy. We get TORRENTIAL rainfall, how can i support it without the tree breaking at the point of support?

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Jennifer -- that is exactly what happened to our Limelight Hydrangea Tree a few years ago -- we had a tropical storm and the tree broke in several places. I have a video about it, including the "emergency pruning" I had to do...and the subsequent pruning I did on the tree the following Spring to make sure it would regrow into a sturdier and stronger tree. You can see all of those videos here on my KZbin channel under my "Limelight Hydrangea Tree" playlist. If you add a tree support to your tree AND make sure that the support goes two ways, your tree should be ok. Many times, if a tree support is added, it will help the tree stay upright as long as the wind and rain is coming from one direction, but when the wind switches, the tree can end up swaying from the main trunk and begin breaking. If you support the tree on each side, then even during a storm the tree should remain mostly stable. Of course with horrible rains and tropical storms, that's not guaranteed. Our tree was planted many years ago, so the main trunk is completely stable now. How old is your tree? You can also help your tree by giving it a good hard pruning. When a Limelight Hydrangea Tree is huge and looks gorgeous with all the pretty flowers, it's difficult to imagine pruning it back to a shorter height and width. However, it's a good idea because it will also help you take a close look at the various branches and stems -- especially in late Winter/early Spring before any leaves have budded out. In my own case, I've had a few branches that were crossing, and over time from rubbing together both branches become weak and can break much easier. (I show that in two of those videos I mentioned above, too.) So removing crossing branches is important in addition to general pruning out of dead wood and spindly stems. Late Fall or late Winter/early Spring are the best times to prune these trees. I always prefer late Winter/early Spring partly because the blooms on the tree dry nicely into Fall and I keep them on for the Winter. (I bet you get wonderful dried flowers too, being your in Alabama.) (And I'm not implying that you don't prune your tree either!) 😀 🌿

[@carolkiesch3492]

We live in Minnesota and are gone from Nov. 1 until mid May. When should I prune my limelight and Quickfire hydraenga shrubs and hydraenga trees?

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Carol, I would prune them in late October before you leave. That would be fine. If you wait until your return in mid May, there might be too much growth already forming to make "seeing" into the shrubs and trees to remove anything you want to remove, i.e. a broken branch, or crossing stems, etc. I hope this helps!

[@seriejohnson698]

The name is get out…dying. Lol

[@GardenSanity]

Glad that gave you a laugh, Serie! 🤣👍

[@hardwood7955]

What is the best time of year for me to cut back my hydrangea tree? I live in Ottawa, Canada, zone 4b

[@GardenSanity]

Spring time is the best time - either late Winter or early Spring. Since you’re in 4b, wait until all snow and freezing has gone. Even better if you wait until you see some of the tiny “nodes” that become leaves and stems. If you have a lot of flowers and you’re worried they might weigh the stems down with snow during the Winter season, go ahead and snip those flowerheads off the stems. Otherwise wait until Spring. I hope this helps! (And if you need it, I have a pruning video to show you what to look for and where to prune.)

[@MonicaHajkova]

I have 3 year old Limelight Primes and most of the branches are fairly upright. But along the bottom of one of them especially, all of the stems that grew are literally resting right along the ground with small flowerheads. Should I be cutting these more insignificant branches off right at the trunk or only a little ways from the flowerhead still? TIA if you see this! 😊

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Monica, It's up to you, but if it was me I would definitely cut those branches back to the trunk. If you cut them back just a little ways from the flowerhead, they will continue to have flowers next year that weigh the stems down to the ground. Better to cut the stems off completely, and provide some air flow around the base of the shrubs - especially as you said the stems are insignificant. I hope this helps! 😀

[@Lovercoffee]

After a storm a few weeks ago mine drooped down and never went up again:( it’s super hot still can I prune them?

[@GardenSanity]

Huge apologies for not responding sooner. It sounds like the tree definitely will benefit from pruning now versus waiting until early Spring. I realize it's 2 months since your question, and am unsure of your garden zone - but - you can begin by removing all of the dried flowers which may help some of the branches bounce back up. Otherwise, I would prune back the branches "enough" so that they won't break during any Winter storms. You can always do a more thorough pruning, like cleaning up any spindly stems, in the Spring. I hope this helps. 🌳🍃💚

[@Lovercoffee]

@@GardenSanity Thank you ! We did just that. We’re in zone 7, In Maryland. They were pruned back and hopefully for the spring they’ll bloom strong 💪🏼

[@anaandbellasmom]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[@GardenSanity]

You’re welcome Mary! 🙂 I hope this is helpful. 🌱

[@sarahwahhab4210]

Is there a reason why you make the cut so high on the stem? Thank you.

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Sarah, Do you mean cutting just the hydrangea flowerhead off as opposed to including more of the stem in my cutting? My reasoning is if the stem is otherwise healthy, by cutting off just the flowerhead, the stem remains and can continue to mature and thicken up. Mature stems won’t flop from the weight of the rain-soaked flowers. If they do, it’s usually minimal - unless you get a tropical storm like we did a few years back. 🤣😮🙂 Does this help answer your question? Let me know!

[@GardenSanity]

PS - You can also place these in water and enjoy the blooms, and so cutting them close to the flowers or further down the stem is up to you! I hope this helps!

[@sarahwahhab4210]

@@GardenSanity yes! Makes sense!

[@GardenSanity]

🙂 Any other questions, just ask!

[@Tootsie55]

I planted two of these plants. This year they bloomed and looked really pretty but all the drooping I hate. I wish I hadn’t wasted my money on them. If they don’t do any better next year I’ll just dig them up. Now they look dirty and ugly.

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Mary, yes these full-size Limelight Hydrangeas can be frustrating. Do you have the tree form (like I do) or the shrub form? For the shrub forms, there are two options you most likely will love instead of Limelight. One is Little Lime Hydrangea, which grows only to 5 feet tall and wide maximum, but more importantly there's no flopping. (I have a few videos on them here on my KZbin channel.) I've had mine since 2014 and love them! Proven Winners has apparently also released an "improved version" of Limelight, called "Limelight Prime" which supposedly has stronger stems and better color. I'm not familiar with it, but you can search for it on their website to see if that's an option for you. I hope these options help! 😃

[@Tootsie55]

@@GardenSanity thank you. Mine can get up to 8 feet tall. I thought they were a shrub but I don’t know. I’ll try to look for the new variety. Thanks again.

[@richardpalmieri842]

It’s October 24th and I’m in Long Island Ny. Can I prune back my hydrangea trees? They are very overgrown.

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Richard, yes you can! Happy pruning! 🙂🌳

[@richardpalmieri842]

@@GardenSanity thank you. The trunk of both of my limelight hydrangeas are really leaning over because previous owners didn’t maintain them. So i am training the tree now and holding it back over winter. Then will prune in early March.

[@GardenSanity]

@@richardpalmieri842 Sounds like a good plan Richard! Not sure if I mentioned this elsewhere to you, but make sure when training them that you have the trunks "held" on two sides so that the tree doesn't move much when being blown about during the Winter. Think of the trunk as straight up and down, with a support on either side, such as left and right. Eventually you won't need both supports, but it's a great way to make sure the tree stays the way you want it to. 👍 I hope this helps! And please keep me posted next Spring!

[@richardpalmieri842]

@@GardenSanity ok thank you for the detailed response. I will keep you updated next spring.

[@nobody-xs3gc]

Thank you for the tips! Would it be okay if I tie the branches to some garden stakes? I have lots of bamboo canes to use as supports.

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Eureka Jo, I haven’t tried staking the Limelight branches before, so I cannot say how it would work. I suppose you could try it with a few branches and see how they do. Keep me posted! 🌱🌿

[@nobody-xs3gc]

@@GardenSanity I’ll give it a try next season😆😆

[@MilesStuffedAnimalWorld]

I just shake the water off them and they bounce back up. Why would you want to cut them off before they need to be trimmed? Just give the bush a good shake and it will be fine.

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks for question! 👍 While many gardeners can indeed just shake the branches to remove all of the water from the flowers, many other gardeners live in areas with high winds, and once a branch droops it may not bounce back up again even with the flowers dried out. This happens especially with younger stems on the tree. And again, my advice is for Limelight Hydrangea Trees where branches tend to be much heavier on a slender trunk versus a shrub that has multiple strong stems coming up from the base. I hope this helps clarify things. Also - many gardeners love cutting the flowers for fresh flower arrangements indoors throughout the Summer and Fall; and in the Winter the dried flowers are beautiful too! 🌳🍃💚

[@samanthaguerra6943]

What if this happens to my bushes ?! they fell down after the rain and haven’t come back up HELP

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Samantha, you can follow the same process for your Limelight Hydrangea shrub. In fact, I have an easier solution that might help you as well, in my most recent video: "Limelight Hydrangea Tree Drooping (Part 3): A Quick Solution During Heat Waves!" I hope this helps you! 💚🌿

[@nicolepsy]

I have 3 huge bushes and I just go out and shake the water out of the flower heads. They perk back up. I've never had a stem break🤷🏼‍♀️

[@MadHatter11371]

Ugh I wish I could send you a photo of the myrtle I have. It’s only in its 3rd year and still small with not that many branches. They are all drooping so if I cut them that’s all the flower heads. Is that ok to do and just hope It blooms next year?

[@GardenSanity]

Do you mean a Crepe Myrtle tree? There are several kinds, if that’s what you mean, so let me know and maybe I can help.

[@MadHatter11371]

@@GardenSanity hi thanks for the reply. Yes it’s a Sioux Crepe Myrtle Tree. It’s a colder climate tolerant tree so far survived 10 degree weather!

[@GardenSanity]

@@MadHatter11371 Don't prune it now, as it is best to prune these in late Winter or early Spring. You could also prune them in late Fall as some gardeners do. (These bloom on new wood, so will bloom on the current season's stems.) Once you prune them, and the new growth begins to show up in Spring, you can "pinch" the branches, i.e. prune them again just a bit to encourage newer branches to form, making them bushier and increasing the number of flowers that will grow from those branches. When these trees are young, yes you will get some flower drooping which is normal. These trees love full sun, and don't like to dry out. They enjoy water and love rich, acid soil, so use something like Espoma Holly-tone in the Spring and maybe again during the Summer months. If it was me, I'd experiment and cut off one of the drooping flowers just to see what the stem does. I don't think you need to cut those flowers off completely UNLESS you think the stem will break off the tree. I hope this helps!

[@MadHatter11371]

@@GardenSanity thank you so much for this information. is it ok if I link a video video here so you can see it? You are a great person for helping everyone. I found your video and subscribed. I am new to gardening and want to learn as much as I can!

[@GardenSanity]

@@MadHatter11371 I'm unsure if you can link a video in these comments, but you can try. I'm glad you subscribed, as I try to help beginning gardeners avoid costly and frustrating mistakes, thus keeping your garden sanity! The way I see it, we are always learning, no matter how many years we've been gardening! 🙂

[@lesliehardin7963]

So are you saying if it rains, but the blooms off?

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks for your question Leslie. If there are some blooms that droop excessively after a soaking rain, and after a day or so of drying out those blooms are still drooping very low, then I would cut off the flowerhead. Take a look at what the stem looks like. Is it strong and does it seem to handle the drooping, heavy flower well? Or does it seem like it might not last through another storm? In my own case, after going through the remnants of two tropical storms in the past week - with heavy rainfall over several days on and off - I’m so happy I cut those low branches off that were drooping severely. They probably would have been breaking off at this point. Looking outside while it was raining, I was so happy to see my tree, still with lots of flowers, handling the rains really well. I hope this helps? Let me know.

[@sallyjones9702]

Ok so I live in the southern most island of Greece and have been told that my paniculata s which I recently bought won’t do well here as the summer temperatures are too hot. I have put them in pots ( they’re small at the moment) in a place where they get some sun but more shade to protect them from the searing midday sun. I water them every night to keep them damp. The limelight shrub seems to be getting new growth but it’s very droopy and the stems are very thin so of course the flower heads weigh them down. Should I remove the flower heads or leave them? We still have a couple of months of pretty hot weather. Sorry for the long post!

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Sally -- sorry to not reply sooner, but here's what you can do. Yes, clip off the flower heads, and have the shrubs focus their growth on roots and new stems and stronger stems. That's actually what I did with two of my paniculata hydrangeas this year -- once is a new firelight, that had pretty flowers but I removed them and the plant has been growing well. The other was a Little Quick Fire in a pot, and I did the same thing when I planted it in a pot. It means, of course, that you won't be enjoying flowers this year, but you are helping these hydrangeas develop a much stronger root system as well as stronger stems so that they can hold onto the flowers better. (Many young panicle hydrangeas will droop when young as the stems just aren't strong enough yet.) Can you get self-watering pots or add a self-watering pot attachment to them? That might help you cut down on having to water manually every day. Please keep me posted, because I'm rooting for you to grow these successfully! 🪴🌺💚

[@sallyjones9702]

@@GardenSanity thank you so much for your reply. I’ve clipped off the flowers and will leave them now to rest until the Spring. Then I might bother you again for some more advice about how to get through the summer temperatures!

[@GardenSanity]

@@sallyjones9702 😀 No problem Sally -- you're not bothering me -- I'm here to help! 💛