How much sun does a PeeGee hydrangea need?
Peegee hydrangeas prefer full sun, with at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily, but they can also grow in partial shade. While some flowering shrubs and flowers will put on less of a show in the shade, you should still get abundant blooms on the peegee hydrangea. Keep in mind that do not like extremely hot conditions, so try to locate them in an area where they can enjoy some afternoon shade. While they can be grown in a wide range of soils, hydrangeas typically prefer rich, moist soil that drains easily.Climate Suitability: Choose a variety that is well- suited to your climate and soil conditions. Site Selection – Sunlight: Most hydrangeas prefer morning sun and afternoon shade. However, some varieties, like panicle hydrangeas, can tolerate more sun.Hydrangeas that are grown in more sun than they like will often flag on hot days. They may recover at night, but if they continue to wilt every day, they may become stressed, making them more prone to damage from pests and diseases. And they’ll look tired with drooping flowers that often don’t attain full size.To grow Pee Gee Hydrangeas choose a site that is either half or full sun. These hydrangeas can handle much more sun than mophead varieties (Hydrangea macrophylla). In fact, because these hydrangeas are hardy to -30F/-34C these are also planted in the hot summer climates of the BC interior.
What happens if you don’t cut back your hydrangeas?
Here’s what could happen if you don’t cut back your hydrangeas: Reduced flower size and showiness: Over time, unpruned hydrangeas can develop a leggy appearance with fewer flowers. This is because new flower growth typically happens on younger stems. New wood hydrangeas can be cut in late fall to early spring; old wood types should only be cut right after blooming. Trimming old wood hydrangeas too late removes next year’s buds, so timing is key to avoid losing flowers. Pruning isn’t required, but helps shape the plant, boost growth, and prevent leggy, untidy stems.The blooms will naturally fade and fall off on their own over time. In fact, leaving the spent flowers can add winter interest and, on old wood hydrangeas, even protect the plant’s new buds from frost.Peegee hydrangeas bloom on new wood, so you need to prune them annually to boost flower production. Prune them in early spring just before new leaves begin to appear. Trim back old wood and dead stems, and don’t be afraid of a heavy hand. Peegee hydrangeas thrive when pruned back significantly.Deadhead After Flowers Die If you do this early enough, you may encourage the plant to set a second flush of blooms. The hydrangeas that flower on the new wood will sometimes flower again, if you remove the old flowers early enough to promote new growth to produce new flowers, says Becker.What Happens If You Don’t Prune Hydrangeas in the Fall? Nothing. Your hydrangea may thank you with prolific blooms next year because you didn’t prune it. This season’s flowers will slowly dry up and, throughout the winter, blow off and away.
Are PeeGee hydrangeas easy to grow?
PeeGee Hydrangeas bloom on new wood so, therefore, are pruned in the early Spring because they will form their flower buds on the new growth (unlike many mophead types some of which bloom on old growth). PeeGee Hydrangeas are easy and very rewarding to grow. Mophead hydrangeas bloom on old wood and produce flower buds on the stems in late summer for the following summer’s blooms. If those stems are pruned in the fall, winter, or spring, the buds will be removed, and there may be no blooms the following summer.Mountain Hydrangeas Like bigleaf hydrangeas, leave your mountain hydrangea’s (hydrangea serrata) blooms on the plant until spring. Doing this will help protect young shoots and buds.Add a packet of flower food to extend bloom life. If you don’t have flower food, dissolve half a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and a few drops of bleach in 4 cups of water to create a home-made substitute. Hydrangeas have woody stems that need to be cut to help the flowers uptake water.Propagating hydrangeas from cuttings is a great way to get more of these flowering shrubs for free. John Negus, a garden expert from Homes & Gardens, recommends liquid feeding them with a high-potash tomato fertilizer (such as this Schultz one from Amazon) to help them thrive.
What makes PeeGee hydrangeas unique?
Paniculata hydrangeas, commonly known as PeeGee hydrangeas, are sought after for their large, unique shaped blooms that will grow and bloom in a wide variety of climates & do best in the sun. Grandiflora’, commonly called peegee hydrangea, is a vigorous, upright, rapidly growing, somewhat coarsely textured, deciduous shrub which grows 10-25′ tall. Features conical, terminal flower panicles (typically 6-8 long) consisting almost entirely of sterile florets.This is a smaller cultivar reaching a height of 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide at maturity. Its leaves are also smaller than other Oakleaved Hydrangeas. Plant ‘Pee Wee’ in the full sun to partial shade in moist well-drained soil.
When to cut back PeeGee hydrangeas?
For these types of hydrangeas, it’s best to prune immediately after flowering. Paniculata or PeeGee hydrangeas offer a bit more flexibility, but in general, they should be pruned in early spring before new growth appears. Other hydrangeas such as climbing hydrangeas may require very little pruning. By removing spent flowers correctly and at the right time, you encourage healthy growth and continuous blooming throughout the season. Deadheading, or removing spent flowers, is an important maintenance practice for hydrangeas that encourages larger, more abundant blooms.Although it depends somewhat on your location, there are generally two ideal times to plant hydrangeas each year. In my opinion, the best time to plant hydrangeas is either early spring (April to May) or early fall (September to October), depending on your region, says horticulturist Kate Walz.Once the shrub is established and has a couple of growing seasons under its belt, prune these hydrangeas in the spring down to the ground, or not at all if you want a larger shrub. Flower buds will grow on this season’s growth or new wood.Don’t prune these hydrangeas down to the ground, but, if you’re trying to reduce the size of the plant, trim it down by one third. Remove dead stems by checking to see whether there’s green underneath the woody surface.The short answer is no. Pruning your hydrangeas just before winter will leave them even more susceptible to winter damage, and you’re at risk for cutting off future flowers. Here’s a snapshot at our guide for pruning hydrangeas: – If it blooms on new wood: Pruning is optimal in late winter or early spring.
What happens if a hydrangea gets too much sun?
Too much sun exposure can cause your hydrangea shrubs to burn on its leaves and blooms. Also, be sure to put your fingers in the soil to see if it needs watering. We do recommend a soak versus light watering each day, but you should be sure that the soil is always moist – not wet – by sticking your fingers in the dirt. We recommend feeding Hydrangea with a slow-release, granular fertilizer such as Plant-tone® + Iron-tone® OR Holly-tone® + Iron-tone® in both spring and midsummer. For a bloom boost, try applying Triple Phosphate, per package instructions, in addition to fertilizer.Mountain Hydrangeas Like bigleaf hydrangeas, leave your mountain hydrangea’s (hydrangea serrata) blooms on the plant until spring. Doing this will help protect young shoots and buds.Hydrangeas need nutrients to bloom, but just any fertilizer won’t do. Make sure you’re using a using a bloom boosting, slow-release, granular fertilizer and follow the directions on the packaging for how much to apply. Apply fertilizer in early spring and again in July to help promote the rebloom.One of the easiest ways to improve soil health and strengthen hydrangea growth is by using eggshells. Eggshells are an excellent natural fertiliser, Chris explains. They add calcium to the soil, which helps plants absorb nutrients more efficiently, leading to stronger stems and larger flowers.