I always thought hydrangeas were relatively undemanding and hardy plants. This March I came to visit my grandmother and was horrified. She’s been growing these flowers for a long time, but I was sure they were doomed this time when I saw how the frost had damaged them. My grandmother laughingly reassured me that this was nothing unusual and nothing to worry about. She said it happens pretty regularly every year, you just have to know what to do about it.

I wonder if in a few months I’ll actually see a garden full of blue flowers like Grandma promised. I trust her and I know she knows gardening. Still, the frost damaged flowers looked pretty bad. Even professional gardeners, however , reassure that if you remove some of the frozen shoots and give the plant sufficient care, by the end of summer the flowers will decorate the garden as if it had not been cold in winter.

How to get rid of frost damage

Hydrangeas should always be checked at the end of winter. Before pruning the plants, you should find out how deep the shoots have frozen.

“Basically, the water in the plant’s vascular system has frozen and killed the tissue. The leaves turn brown and shrivel or curl because they no longer have moisture to fill them,” explains botanist Lorraine Ballato. Shoots that are damaged by frost are brown and light green. And I’ve seen plenty of those in my grandmother’s garden this year. But she still smiled that it was okay.

Right at the beginning of March is the perfect month to prune plants. It is an essential activity that allows hydrangeas to form flower buds later on. If you keep only the healthy and strong shoots and remove the frozen ones, there will be nothing left on the bush at first glance, but you should be rewarded with a wealth of beautiful flowers in summer.

Hydrangeas are beautiful plants, but they need the right care. If you take good care of them after winter, they will thank you later with beautiful flowers. ━━ Hydrangeas are beautiful plants, but they need the right care. If you take good care of them after winter, they will thank you later with beautiful flowers. ( Source: Y K /  Unsplash+ )

Protect your plants from the cold

My grandmother always prepares very carefully for winter. She is proud of her garden, and when I was so horrified by the frozen hydrangeas, she immediately said, “If I hadn’t taken care of them, it would have been worse. Look at Magda.” Our neighbor didn’t take care of the hydrangeas before winter and had to throw the whole bush out this year. That can happen too. But if you prepare the plants for a big frost as a precaution, a proper pruning in spring is all that is needed.

If you want your hydrangeas to survive the winter, but overall to thrive in your garden, you need to:

  • choose a location protected from strong easterly winds
  • choose a location protected from direct sunlight
  • leave damaged stems over the winter and get rid of them in the spring
  • wrap the branches in breathable non-woven material to protect them from cold winds