Do hydrangeas like sun or shade?
Most common hydrangeas prefer a partial sun location – ideally receiving sun in the morning hours and shade in the afternoon. The reblooming Endless Summer® Hydrangea series prefers part shade. Hydrangeas thrive in moist soils, and your shrub must be kept hydrated through the cold and dry winter months. Adding mulch to your hydrangea after thoroughly watering helps retain moisture (and warmth) at the shrub’s crown when temperatures drop.Hydrangeas will have an easier time thriving when planted in the ground because it is easier to give them proper water and soil needs, plus their roots have more room to grow. Hydrangeas are fast-growing shrubs that need full morning sun and protection from high afternoon temperatures.Hydrangeas can be susceptible to various pests and diseases, including aphids, powdery mildew, and rust. Aphids suck the sap from the plant, weakening it and potentially spreading diseases. Powdery mildew and rust are fungal diseases that can cause discoloration and damage to the leaves.
How do you keep hydrangeas happy?
The soil pH can affect flower color in some varieties. Watering 💧🚿 Hydrangeas love water! Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water deeply at the base 2-3 times per week during dry periods. Adding Epsom salts to soil that already has sufficient magnesium can actually harm your soil and plants, such as by inhibiting calcium uptake. Spraying Epsom salt solutions on plant leaves can cause leaf scorch. Excess magnesium can increase mineral contamination in water that percolates through soil.Epsom salt won’t help hydrangeas bloom or change color—it doesn’t affect the soil in a way that generally boosts flowers. However, you can add Epsom salt if a soil test indicates a magnesium deficiency. To turn hydrangeas blue, lower your soil’s pH using sulfur—not Epsom salt.
Do coffee grounds really help hydrangeas?
Want to turn your hydrangeas blue? It will take some time, but used dry coffee grounds can alter the ph level of the soil. Coffee grounds increase the soil’s acidity. Acidic soil (low pH) favors blue flowers, while alkaline soil (high pH) favors pink flowers. 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.Hydrangeas are long-lived shrubs, sometimes living for up to 50 years if properly cared for. They enjoy morning sun but afternoon shade, and they need frequent watering during the growing season.But NEVER prune these hydrangeas to the ground, otherwise you’ll cut off all of next year’s blooms. If your hydrangeas bloom on “new wood” you can deadhead them if you’d like…but then in late fall or early spring you can more aggressively prune them back.An unhealthy hydrangea will have discolored leaves or drooping leaves. It might also have fewer flowers. Meanwhile, a healthy hydrangea should have large, vibrant leaves and sturdy stems with no browning or fungus.Is there a homemade fertilizer for hydrangeas I can use? Homemade compost is a great source of slow release nutrients for hydrangeas. Either top dress the soil beneath your plants with your compost and water well or brew up a batch of compost tea and give your plants a deep drink of it.
Which hydrangeas should not be cut back in the fall?
Oakleaf Hydrangeas “If you prune in the fall, you’ll significantly impact next year’s growth by accidentally removing many new buds,” Berendsen says. Moreover, this plant doesn’t typically need pruning very much. Unless your oakleaf is extremely overgrown, heavy pruning is not needed for this shrub,” she says. You don’t have to, but you it is best practice. Hydrangeas will die back on their own and develop new blooms in spring, but over time, failing to prune them can reduce new growth and blooms, causing the plant to look leggy. Pruning encourages new growth for the next season.When to Deadhead Hydrangeas. You should deadhead throughout the blooming season to keep your hydrangeas looking their beast and encourage new flower growth. However, stop deadheading hydrangea shrubs in mid to late fall, leaving any spent blooms in place.While deadheading can be done throughout the summer, you should make sure to stop in mid to late fall. Leaving that final set of blooms on your hydrangeas provides gorgeous winter interest.Believe it or not, this is normal! Reblooming hydrangea varieties (this one behind me is an. This means you get a nice long season with new blooms popping up into the fall there are many different kinds of reblooming hydrangeas on the market if you want to keep up the seasonal interest.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.