What is the lifespan of a hydrangea bush?
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. 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.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.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.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.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.
Where do hydrangea bushes grow best?
Where to plant hydrangeas. Hydrangeas do best in moist, free-draining soil and dappled shade – not too sunny and not too shady. Avoid south-facing positions, especially if the soil is very dry. For a very shaded vertical surface, such as a north-facing wall, grow the climbing hydrangea Hydrangea anomala subsp. 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. Prune them in the fall after the blooms fade so they can grow on strong stems the following summer.We don’t recommend oakleaf hydrangeas because they don’t often look their best when grown in a container. They flourish when planted in the ground. But if you enjoy the look, go for it! For a temporary planting, pick a hydrangea that’s already the physical size that suits your needs.Also known by the common name PeeGee, panicle hydrangeas are robust plants with excellent hardiness, and drought tolerance. They thrive in the hot and humid summers of the deep South and shrug off frigid northern winters. These are the easiest hydrangea to grow, but you wouldn’t know it from their over-sized blooms.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.
What do you do with hydrangeas in October?
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”! 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.Endless Summer® hydrangea’s first bloom cycle lasts until about mid-July. That’s about when the blooms start to fade, and you know that it’s time to get deadheading! While deadheading can be done throughout the summer, you should make sure to stop in mid to late fall.Consistent moisture is crucial for hydrangeas, but overwatering can be detrimental. The key is to water the base of the plant deeply, adjusting frequency based on weather conditions. Beyond watering, successful hydrangea care involves proper pruning, understanding soil pH, and knowing the variety’s light requirements.If you have had problems in the past with your hydrangeas not blooming, it may be because you have pruned them at the wrong time or the frost has killed your blooms. Now is the time to prune them. September will be too late.
What not to plant next to hydrangeas?
Not all plants pair well with hydrangeas. Here are some combinations to avoid: Sunflower prefers full sun and hotter conditions than hydrangeas, which require some shade. Lavender is a sun-loving perennial that performs best in dry conditions and leaner soil, so will not thrive near hydrangeas. 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.Winter Damage Don’t panic and throw your hydrangea out. Give the plant a few weeks in spring before determining what’s really dead and gone. Even if the stems have died, a flush of new growth often appears at ground level.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.Yes, Hydrangeas are perennials: they go dormant in winter and come back in the spring on their own, assuming you’ve planted varieties suited for your Zone. Gardeners in northern Zones must take care to choose winter-hardy varieties.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.
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. The east side of the house is the best planting location, as it gets the morning and afternoon sun. This is the best side of the house for your hydrangeas, traditionally. The east side of your home will likely get wonderful morning sun and afternoon, providing hydrangeas with ideal conditions for beautiful flowers.This timing will vary by region. For instance, in areas with winter freezing and snow, hydrangeas should be planted in early spring or early fall (as soon as summer heat breaks). In warmer regions with mild winters, the window for planting hydrangeas is longer, from fall all the way through to early spring.This timing will vary by region. For instance, in areas with winter freezing and snow, hydrangeas should be planted in early spring or early fall (as soon as summer heat breaks). In warmer regions with mild winters, the window for planting hydrangeas is longer, from fall all the way through to early spring.It’s best to start adding coffee grounds to the soil months before the blooming season begins, ideally in the late fall. You can repeat the process with your typical fertilizing schedule. With a little caffeine and a lot of patience, your hydrangeas should reward your efforts come spring with the boldest blue globes.
Should hydrangeas be cut back every year?
If a branch is broken or dead, it can be removed completely. If in doubt, don’t prune! No hydrangea requires pruning to grow and bloom well. You don’t need to cut back hydrangeas. 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.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.As rapid growers—averaging about 2 feet of growth per year—larger varieties of hydrangeas can reach up to 15 feet tall. Applicable in growing zones 3 to 9, hydrangeas are a low-maintenance plant that, with proper care, will return year after year.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!