Sign up for our daily newsletter to get gardening tips and advice.
How to Plant and Care for Hydrangea Bushes
ADVERTISEMENT
They look so beautiful.
Can hydrangea grow in large pots?
Hi, Mildred, thanks for your interest—and your patience! Yes, you can grow hydrangea in a pot but it should be a very large one if you intend for the plant to be there for a while. At some point it might become pot bound and need repotting or perhaps root pruning. But if you start with a small plant in a large pot, that should not be an issue for a while. Remember, too, if it is in a pot and outdoors in a cold zone it might benefit from some protection. A container does not provide the same protection from freeze/thaw cycles as an underground/in-ground plant would enjoy.
Can you divide a hydrangea? Mine is overgrown and needs to be divided?
Hi, Julie, Yes, you can divide a hydrangea. Look for natural separations in the rootball; it’s a lot like dividing a perennial flower. Shoots emerge from the perimeter of the plant and these should have their own root systems. Separate them by hand or with tools. Mid- to late fall is the second-best time to do this, by the way. The best time is very early spring, when the “new” plants have the whole growing season to become established.
I was given a hydrangea bouquet to put indoors in a vase. I was wondering if any part of the plant including the leaves is toxic to a pet cat?
Yes, hydrangea leaves are toxic to cats and dogs. Typically it causes mild indigestion or vomiting, but can be more dangerous if large amounts are consumed.
I have a hydrangea received it for mother’s day. I had it on my windowsill
Watered it when needed,now it is all dried up like it’s dead. Is it supposed to be like that ? I really don’t know how to take care of it.
HELP Please
Hi, Artimisha, We can’t be absolutely sure about your plant but this is what we think: Yours is one of the plants (there are many) that are grown (often the word used is “forced”) to be ready to sell on a holiday—in this case, Mother’s Day. The plants get care in the nursery that will bring them to flower at just the right time, usually the week before the holiday. (This happens with Easter plants, too.) But because the plants are forced, as opposed to being allowed to grow at a slower, more natural pace, once they leave the nursery and get into someone’s home, where the light and humidity are different, for example, they begin a slow decline. This is the state that your plant is in. There is not a lot you can do. Read about planting/transplanting above. You could try it; some survive, but for others, it can be a shock to the system that is their end.
The thing to remember is that the plant was chosen and given in love, and it brought you a lot of joy and good memories. Those do not go into decline.
Hi, I planted a climbing hydrangea about 7 years ago. It grows vigorously every year as I patiently wait for it to flower but it never has. It’s located right next to endless summers that flower profusely. The nursery told me to be patient because it can take a long time.
Can you share any advice that might encourage it to flower? It’s climbing up my house and I can only imagine how wonder it will look when it flowers.
Thanks!