Lovely , former - fashionedhydrangeas , the mavens of the South , merit a topographic point in every garden . They have a reputation for being difficult to grow , but nothing could be further from the accuracy . The closed book to turn hydrangeas is to choose a variety befit for your country and set it in the good location . With right care , hydrangeas will embellish your garden with large rosiness for 30 year or more .
Choosing Hydrangeas
French or Bigleaf Hydrangeas.
When people think of hydrangeas , they generally think of French or mophead hydrangeas(H. macrophylla ) . These plants produce rounded clump of pinkish or blue bloom . These are the plants you ’ll find in decorative pots in the outflow . They ’re often sell as houseplant . Unfortunately , they ’re intrepid only to USDA plant hardiness zone 6 or 7 . acid soils create depressed flowers , while alkaline land encourage pink blooming . Prune mightily after flowering .
Peegee hydrangea
( Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora ) . Hardy to zone 4 , this plant grows quickly to 6 to 8 foot gamy . It produce globes of lily-white flowers mid - summer when few other shrubs are bloom . Dry the flowers for wintertime arrangements . Peegee hydrangea blooms on new wood , so prune it back when it is dormant .
Smooth hydrangea
( Hydrangea arborescens ) . Also hardy to zone 4 , this compact bush grows 3 to 5 feet wide and produces snowy blooms most of the summertime . Cut it back while dormant . It mature cursorily and efflorescence on new Mrs. Henry Wood . examine ‘ Annabelle ’ or ‘ Grandiflora . ’
Oak-leaf Hydrangea
( H. quercifolia ) . This old favorite bring on somewhat flatten snowy flowers through late summer , followed by gorgeous gloam leafage . The plant is sturdy only to zone 5 , with winter security . Oak - folio hydrangea flower on old wood , so prune it after flower . coarse varieties let in ‘ Snow Queen ’ and ‘ Alice . ’
Climbing hydrangea
( Hydrangea anomala ) . This interesting vine grows 6 to 8 metrical foot high , with peel off red barque . It lead a while to become established , but becomes a beautiful flowering vine . Give it flock of support since the woody torso becomes fleshy . Hardy in geographical zone 4 through 7 .
Caring for Hydrangeas
hydrangea have big leaf and produce extravagant flowers . accordingly , they need passel of wet and food to support this emergence . aboriginal hydrangea grow in timberland areas . try on to simulate these growing condition for best outcome .
Choose a location that gets mottled sunlight in the morning and some afternoon specter . In hot clime , good afternoon shade is absolutely decisive to your growing success . A land site with eastern or northern photo is best . ameliorate the grime with compost , manure and peat moss to meliorate drain and sum up nutrients .
Water hydrangea frequently , specially in the first year after institute , to keep the soil equally moist , but not soggy . Plant hydrangea so air circulates freely since these plants are prostrate to some fungous disease . expend trickle system alternatively of overhead sprinkler to keep the folio dry .
Fertilize hydrangea with an all - purpose fertiliser in former spring when novel growth come out and again , mid - summer . Do n’t fertilize them in late summertime , though , which encourage new outgrowth that will be winter - killed .
When and how toprune hydrangeasis often a source of confusion , but it does n’t have to be . Prune hydrangeas that bloom on new wood , such as PeeGee hydrangeas , any time from late fall to former spring ( while they are inactive ) . These plants grow quickly and benefit from a hard pruning . In some case , you could cut back them all the room back to the priming .
Take a more bourgeois approach with French and Oak - leaf hydrangeas . These plant blossom on former Natalie Wood . lop them in later summer after they ’ve bloomed to hit old all in forest or branches that rub against each other .
Using Hydrangea Blooms
Hydrangeas make beautiful cut prime arrangements . Place a few root in a vase or combine them with roses , peonies or like flowers . To dry hydrangea , simply switch off the stems in the declivity when the flowers have start up to dry more or less . Place them in a nerveless , dry location out of sunlight and appropriate them to dry completely .
To learn more about how to grow hydrangeas, check out these pages:
Pruning Hydrangeasfrom okay Gardening
Hydrangeafrom Clemson University
By Julie ChristensenWhen she ’s not writing about horticulture , nutrient and canning , Julie Christensen enjoys spending sentence in her garden , which includes perennials , veg and yield tree . She ’s written hundreds of gardening articles for the Gardening Channel , Garden Guides and San Francisco Gate , as well as several e - books .
Related
