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Instead, leave the old flowers on the plant over winter, until the worst frosts are over, this not only helps protects the stems but also the new buds.
Once the sap starts to rise in spring, these buds will open and many should go on to carry blooms the following year.
Another reason not to prune hydrangeas in the autumn is cutting off buds can encourage multiple, smaller flower heads rather than fewer larger flower heads – so the plant will be overall less impressive when it’s in full bloom.
As for what happens to the old flowers when left, they will slowly dry up, and throughout the winter, blow off and away.
In areas that get heavy snowfalls, dried flowers can be cut just before winter begins so the plant is not weighed down by the snow, which potentially causes branches to split.
But only cut enough to remove the flowers.
READ MORE: Camellia task to ‘never skip’ in autumn to ensure flowers bloom
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