How Far Back Can You Prune Hydrangeas. A bush can be trimmed by cutting back stems close to a node. If you need to do a severe pruning to rejuvenate a spindly shrub you can cut all the branches back to about a foot above the ground in late winter or early spring when its still dormant.
To reduce flopping leave a framework of old growth. That might look like a. Flower head size can be related to pruning.
It blooms on current seasons growth so prune it in late winter.
Cutting it back more modestly produces many more but smaller clusters. Prune as far back as you want right above the first leaf joints. This will cause the plant to produce lots of fresh new growth and youll still see flowers later that same year. There are two varieties in our area that bloom on new wood.