What is the common name for a Hydrangea macrophylla?
Bigleaf hydrangea: also seen as big-leaf hydrangea; one of many common names for Hydrangea macrophylla. Other names include French hydrangea, garden hydrangea, and Florist’s hydrangea (this particular term may refer to either the plants or to the cut flower stems). 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.Landscaping hydrangeas—potted or otherwise—will come back if planted within their USDA zone. Hydrangeas sold as flowering plants rarely return because of a forced early bloom period. Overwintering hydrangeas is low-maintenance and can be achieved with mulch and the right container for potted plants.Prune your bigleaf hydrangeas (hydrangea macrophylla) before new growth appears in late winter or early spring.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.
What makes Hydrangea macrophylla unique?
Hydrangea macrophylla, or bigleaf hydrangea, is known for its large mophead or lacecap blooms and lush green foliage. It flowers from early summer into fall and does best in part shade with rich, well-draining soil. It’s a classic favorite in Pacific Northwest gardens and grows beautifully in our local climate. Hydrangeas flower from mid- to late summer on the previous year’s growth. Mophead and lacecap hydrangeas will bloom satisfactorily with little attention, but annual pruning encourages new, vigorous growth and a better flowering display. Likewise, other species, including climbing hydrangeas, will benefit from a trim.Do Hydrangeas Rebloom? Whether you have the big leaf, smooth leaf, or panicle type of hydrangea, you will see one spectacular bloom per year. As much as you may wish it, hydrangea reblooming does not occur on the standard varieties of the species.If left to their own devices, hydrangeas will die back in the winter and grow again in the spring. However, if they are not pruned or cut back, at some point, the branches will begin to become a mess of last year’s wood and this year’s wood. Eventually, this could inhibit the growth of the plant and impact its blooms.Mophead and Bigleaf Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) You do not have to prune your ‘Endless Summer’ since they bloom on both old and new growth, but if you need to cut back, do so immediately after blooming. Remove only dead stems in the spring.One of the best times to plant hydrangeas is in the fall – this gives time for the roots to get established before any harsh weather sets in.
What’s the lifespan of a hydrangea plant?
Though they require minimal care, the lifespan of a hydrangea can vary depending on environmental conditions and how well they’re cared for. With proper care, hydrangeas can live for up to 50 years. To improve their longevity, prune your hydrangeas in the fall so they can grow strong stems the following summer. However, most varieties of hydrangeas take two to four years to mature to full size.Make sure your container will withstand the rigors of winter. If not you may want to move the plants to a nursery pot that can be placed inside the decorative pot during the growing season. Overwintering these types of hydrangeas indoors is difficult and usually not successful.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.So, when is the best time to plant hydrangeas? Aim for late spring, well after any danger of frost has passed, or early fall, when night temperatures usher in cooler air. If you garden in a region where the ground freezes, get plants into the ground at least six weeks prior to fall’s first killing frost.
Where is the best place to plant a Hydrangea macrophylla?
We recommend planting your hydrangea macrophylla in a location that allows for full morning sun with dappled shade in the afternoon. The further south you live, the less tolerant the hydrangea macrophylla is to the intense sun. Allow for 2-3 hours of morning sun with afternoon dappled or part shade. Planting hydrangeas for the biggest possible blooms: Plant your hydrangeas in good, well-drained soil. In my experiments, better soil and more regular water does matter to size and will lead to bigger blooms.The best place to plant the majority of Hydrangeas is going to be in a spot that has good drainage, morning sun, and afternoon shade. Hydrangeas can play many roles in your landscape. Most hydrangeas bloom in spring and summer depending on your growing zone. Some can reach heights of 15 feet or higher.An ideal planting location gives your hydrangea morning sun and dappled sunlight in the afternoon, so the east side of a home is often a good choice. They present few challenges in well-drained soil that is amended with organic matter.A pH of 7 is neutral, and household vinegar has a pH of around 2. The theory is, applying diluted vinegar to the soil will lower the pH enough to change the color of your hydrangea blooms. This strategy will make the soil more acidic, but not for long!
How to keep hydrangeas blooming all summer?
Skip summer pruning to avoid cutting off this season’s and next year’s blooms. Water deeply in the morning and don’t bother deadheading—hydrangeas don’t need it. If you decide to deadhead your hydrangeas, the best time to do it is right after the flowers have faded, but before they have a chance to form seeds,’ explains Peter from Fantastic Gardeners. This is usually in late summer or early autumn for panicle hydrangeas and smooth hydrangeas.Hydrangeas that bloom on new wood can be safely pruned in late fall once the plants have gone dormant or in early spring. 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.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.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”!