Hydrangea Plant Care

Types of Hydrangeas

There are many different kinds of hydrangea that provide a variety of different colors and shapes. The mophead varieties are probably the most popular, but there are many others:

• Mopheads (Hydrangea macrophylla) have large leaves and big clusters of flowers in blue, pink or white.
• Lacecaps are from the same species as the mopheads, but have a flat center cluster of flowers surrounded by fertile flowers at the edges of the cluster.
• Oakleaf (Hydrangea quercifolia) varieties are winter-hardy in places that other hydrangeas can't tolerate. They're a great choice for low-maintenance, four-season interest because the leaves change color in the fall.
• Panicle (Hydrangea paniculata) plants have conical flowers. The plants get large and are very hardy.
• Hydrangea vines (Hydrangea anomala) are also available. They usually have cream-colored flowers that bloom in early summer and have a light scent.

Hydrangea Plant Care Tips

The most important thing you can do for your hydrangea is to plant it in the right place. That means choosing a plant that is right for the climate in which you live (hydrangeas of different varieties live in zones 2 through 8) and plant it in a good location.

Light

Hydrangeas love partial shade and will do best in a location that provides filtered light or morning light but afternoon shade.

Some light is required to produce flowers, but too much sun can singe the edges of the leaves, so a delicate balance between sun and shade is required.

Water

Hydrangeas like a lot of water, and it is necessary for producing the big, beautiful blooms that are the main reason for growing hydrangeas.

A drip irrigation system is a good choice for making it easy to water well and often.

Soil

The color of blooms your hydrangea will produce depends a great deal on the condition of your soil. Even if you buy what's supposed to be a pink hydrangea, if your soil is acidic, you'll get blue blooms.

This is a really fun part of hydrangea plant care because you can alter the color through soil amendments. Adding lime or other alkaline materials will make your flowers pink, while acid makes them blue.

In addition to the pH of the soil, you should also be aware that hydrangeas like rich soil and will love to have compost spread around them every year. Adding a good layer of mulch to hold water in will also be helpful.

Though hydrangeas need a good amount of water, they also need good drainage. Soggy soil is not a good solution.

Planting and Pruning

Hydrangeas are best planted in the spring after the last frost. Work some compost, and fertilizer if necessary, into the soil before planting, and water the plants well.

Check with your local garden center to learn what protection your plant might need in the winter.

Most hydrangeas produce flowers just fine without regular pruning, but they can be cut back if they get too big. Depending on which type of hydrangea you choose, it may bloom on old wood or new growth.

Mopheads, lacecaps and oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood, so it's a good idea to prune these in the early summer (before August). They are producing the stems that will make next year's blooms though the late summer and fall.

The paniculatas bloom on new growth, so you can prune them pretty much any time you want except in the month or so before they are set to bloom. If you don't know what kind of hydrangea you have, pruning in the early summer should be fine.

You can remove spent blooms or dead or sick branches at any time. Some people get really worried about when to prune their hydrangeas, and while it is important to do it at the right time to get blooms the next year, the worst thing that can happen is you won't get as many blooms the year after if you have pruned incorrectly. After that, you'll know how to do it right!

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