Do hydrangeas like more 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. The Magical garden hydrangea loves moist soil. Hydrangeas in pots need regular water, and so do those in the ground. This is especially important during warm periods. It’s better to give the plant plenty of water a few days a week rather than a little every day.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.As Paul explains, the ideal time to trim a hydrangea largely depends on its type, although autumn is never the right time to prune these ostentatious blooms. This is because most hydrangeas already have new flower buds on their stems. By cutting them back now, you would remove the buds and spoil next season’s blooms.For newly planted hydrangeas, frequent and thorough watering is crucial to encourage deep root growth, says Gail Pabst, gardener and marketing director at the National Garden Bureau. Aim to water young hydrangeas approximately once every other day and established hydrangeas once a week.If you find that your soil doesn’t need three fertilizations, you can just fertilize twice: in spring and early summer. For hydrangeas you overwintered in containers, give them fertilizer in early spring and again in May. There’s no need to fertilize again during summer.
What happens if you don’t cut back hydrangeas?
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. 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.You can clip the dead flowers off the plant just below the bloom, or leave it on the plant into the winter. Most dried hydrangea flowers break off sometime in the winter and any that remain on the plant can be removed in the spring. Don’t “neaten them up”!Try to plant your hydrangea on the north or south side of your home. Don’t put them directly under trees, however, because they’ll compete with the bigger plants for water and nutrients. Avoid a spot that risks being windswept, as those high wind speeds can tear through leaves and destroy your flowers.There are certain instances when pruning Hydrangeas can be helpful: All dead stems should be removed from hydrangeas every year. After the plants are at least 5 years old, about 1/3 of the older (living) stems can be removed down to the ground each summer. This will revitalize the plant.Then, aim to water every other day for the first month after planting. Established hydrangeas need to be watered deeply at the roots once or twice a week, but this will depend on your region’s soil and weather. If you’re dealing with higher temperatures, the more water your hydrangeas will need.
What is the mistake for pruning hydrangeas?
Don’t make this mistake when pruning your hydrangeas! Pruning your hydrangeas to reduce their height isn’t effective because they will grow right back to their original size, or even larger because the act of pruning stimulates new growth. If you need to prune your panicle hydrangea—and it can grow huge over the years, reaching up to 15 feet (5 m) in height and spread if you never cut it back!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.Overwintering these types of hydrangeas indoors is difficult and usually not successful. Here are a few ways to overwinter your plants. Sink the pot in the ground, if it is an all weather non-decorative container, to protect the roots from the cold. Or move them into an unheated garage once the plants are dormant.
Are hydrangeas better in pots or ground?
Hydrangeas in pots will dry out much more quickly than those planted in the ground, so during the hotter, drier months, check your plants regularly. Butler says: “In the summer, the pots will need watering every day and must be kept moist the rest of the year. Aim to water young hydrangeas approximately once every other day and established hydrangeas once a week. To determine if your hydrangeas need a drink, stick a finger in the soil and water when the top inch feels dry or if the leaves look wilted in the early morning or late afternoon.When hydrangeas grow lots of leaves but no flowers, it is often due to excessive nitrogen in the soil, which encourages foliage over blooms. Insufficient sunlight can also cause lush growth without flowers, especially in varieties that need 3-4 hours of direct light.To help prepare growing hydrangeas for winter, add a fine bark mulch to the base of the hydrangea plant. Remove the top inch of compost and replace with the mulch to add a layer of protection for the winter season.Really, any clay, terra cotta, or ceramic pot that catches your eye will work for hydrangeas. The size of your container matters, since the plant’s roots will need room to grow into during their stay.
How do you maintain a hydrangea?
Hydrangeas thrive in consistently moist soil. Check the soil at least once a week. When the top inch of soil is dry, it’s time to water. Once hydrangeas are established, they typically survive on rainfall, except during times of drought. Hydrangeas are perennial plants, meaning they can live for several years or even decades. Some Bigleaf or Mophead hydrangeas have an average lifespan of 10-20 years with proper care.The dead portions are brown, brittle, and easily snap like a stick. If you have a hydrangea that blooms on old wood or was killed to the ground, it may be another year before you see flowers. But rest assured that the shrub will slowly grow back as long as it has adequate water and decent soil.
When should I prune hydrangeas?
There are two simple rules of hydrangea pruning. If it blooms on old wood, you prune after the blooms fade in the middle of summer or else wait until late winter or early spring. And if it blooms on new wood, then late winter or early spring is the optimal time to prune. For example, Hydrangea macrophylla (lacecap or mophead hydrangeas) bloom on “old growth” wood and should be pruned in the fall by removing 1/3 of its older branches at the base and pruning the remaining stems just above the top set of healthy buds.Pruning hydrangeas that bloom on new wood Next year’s flower buds won’t be formed until late spring the same year they bloom, so there is no risk of removing the buds if you prune in fall or spring. If you like the look of dried flower heads in your garden in the wintertime, leave them on and prune them in spring.
Should I cut off dead hydrangea blooms?
Yes. Hydrangeas should have the spent blossoms removed, a process called deadheading, because otherwise, the plant will put energy into seed production instead of blossoms. Ideally, the goal is to keep the plant producing lots of large, showy flowers, rather than seeds. If you enjoy puttering in the garden or like a neater appearance, go ahead and deadhead your hydrangea as needed. But you won’t harm the plant or affect blooming if you don’t, says Hirvela.Plant Nutrition 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.