The hydrangea is a spring and summer flowering shrub. Despite their propensity to be big showpieces in the yard, even the most inexperienced gardener will not need to inquire how to grow hydrangeas – these beauties almost grow themselves.
The hydrangea grows swiftly and may cover an area in only one summer, reaching up to 15 feet in height.
Hydrangea blooms may be the foundation plant of your landscape since they bloom in the spring and typically linger into the summer and early fall.
Tips for planting hydrangeas
Although the hydrangea’s foliage and blooms seem delicate, they don’t require much maintenance. These guidelines will teach you all you need to know about hydrangea care.
Tip 1: Throughout the growth season, water at a rate of 1 inch per week. Water deeply three times each week to promote root development. Hydrangeas with bigleaf and smooth leave demand more water, but all kinds benefit from constant hydration.
Water deeply with a soaker hose to keep moisture off the flowers and foliage. Watering hydrangeas in the morning will help keep them from withering on hot days.
Tip 2: Mulch around your hydrangeas to keep the soil wet and cool. Organic mulch decomposes over time, releasing nutrients and increasing soil texture.
Tip 3: Apply fertilizer according to the needs of your hydrangeas. Each variety has unique requirements and will benefit from a distinct application schedule. A soil test is the best approach to estimate your fertility requirements.
In March, May, and June, bigleaf hydrangeas require numerous mild fertilizer treatments. Two treatments in April and June are recommended for oakleaf and panicle hydrangeas. Smooth hydrangea plants require just one fertilizing, in late winter.
Tip 4: Choose cultivars with resistant characteristics to protect against pests and disease. Hydrangeas can suffer from leaf spots, blight, wilt, and powdery mildew.
Pests are uncommon on hydrangeas, although they might occur when the plants are stressed. Aphids, leaf tiers, and red spider mites are all potential pests. Proper hydrangea care is your greatest protection.
Consider including the following popular hydrangeas in your garden landscape:
French Hydrangea: Because of its huge, vivid flowers, this traditional bigleaf hydrangea is also known as the florist’s hydrangea.
Mophead hydrangea: This bigleaf hydrangea cultivar has enormous, spherical flowers.
Lacecap hydrangea: For a lacy, delicate appearance, large blooms surround tiny buds that appear to be only half blossomed.
Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer: This rare bigleaf hydrangea cultivar, discovered in the 1980s, can tolerate the harsh winters of zone 4.
Peegee hydrangea: Although it is sometimes trained to seem like a tree, the Peegee (P.G.) is actually a Grandiflora cultivar from the panicle hydrangea family.
Blue hydrangeas: from the big leaf family are only blue because of the soil in which they are produced. You can buy a blue hydrangea and discover that it blooms a different hue the next year.
Pink hydrangea: Pink hydrangeas range in color from bright pink to barely blushing and come in a variety of varieties.
When do hydrangeas bloom?
The blooming season of hydrangeas is determined on the variety and cultivar, as well as the planting zone. The majority of new growth hydrangeas form buds in early summer to bloom the following spring, summer, and early fall. Hydrangeas in warmer areas may cease flowering in the summer, but will rebloom in the fall.
How do you cut back hydrangeas?
Hydrangea plants do not require trimming when allowed ample growth room in the garden. All that is necessary is the clearance of dead wood on a regular basis.
How do you control hydrangea color?
Hydrangeas are special in that their color may be controlled. However, keep in mind that not all hydrangeas can be colored. Bigleaf hydrangeas, H. macrophylla, respond to pH variations in the soil.
A low soil pH causes hydrangeas to absorb metal, resulting in gorgeous blue blossoms. Reduce the pH of your soil by adding sulfur or peat moss to enhance the number of blue hydrangea blossoms.
Throughout the growth season, you may also apply more aluminum sulfate to the soil. Pink and crimson blooms pop when the pH is raised with pulverized limestone.
Conclusion
Hydrangeas thrive in wet, well-drained soil with dappled shade – neither too bright nor too gloomy. Avoid sites that face south, especially if the soil is very dry. Grow the climbing Hydrangea anomala subsp. for a particularly shady site, such as a north-facing wall.
