Hydrangea Care
Watering
- For the first year or two after planting and during any drought, be sure hydrangeas get plenty of water.
- Water at a rate of 1 inch per week throughout the growing season. It’s better to deeply water 3 times a week than sprinkle water in a shallow manner. This encourages root growth.
- Bigleaf and smooth hydrangeas require more water, but all varieties benefit from consistent moisture.
- Leaves will wilt if the soil is too dry, and flowering will be hampered by a lack of water.
- Use a soaker hose to water deeply and keep moisture off the flowers and leaves.
- It’s best to water in the morning to prepare hydrangeas for the the heat of the day and to avoid disease.
- Add organic mulch underneath your hydrangeas to help keep the soil moist and cool, add nutrients over time, and improve soil texture.
Fertilizing
If your soil is rich, you may not need to fertilize hydrangeas. Too much fertilizer encourages leafy growth at the expense of blooms. The best way to determine your fertility needs is by using a soil test.
Apply fertilizer based on your specific hydrangeas. Each variety has different needs and will benefit from different application timing.
- Bigleaf hydrangeas can benefit from several light fertilizer applications in March, May and June.
- Oakleaf and panicle hydrangeas do best with two applications in April and June.
- Smooth hydrangea plants only need fertilization once, in late winter.
Winter protection
- In the fall, cover plants to a depth of at least 18 inches with bark mulch, leaves, pine needles, or straw in the fall. If at all possible, cover the entire plant, tip included, by making cages out of snow fencing or chicken wire, and loosely filling the cages with leaves. (Do not use maple leaves, as they tend to mat when wet and can suffocate the plant.)
How to Change the Color of Hydrangea Flowers
It is possible to change the flowers’ colors, but not instantly. Color correction takes weeks—even months. Wait until the plant is at least 2 years old to give it time to recover from the shock of its original planting. Also note that it’s easier to change blue flowers to pink than pink to blue.
It’s not every hydrangea that changes color. The color of some Bigleaf hydrangeas (H. macrophylla)—especially Mophead and Lacecap types—and H. serrata cultivars change color based on the soil pH.
Acidic soils with a pH of less than 5.5 produce blue flowers; soils with a pH greater than 5.5 produce pink flowers. White flowers are not affected by pH.
See How to Change the Color of Hydrangea Flowers for more information.
How to Prune a Hydrangea
Many of our readers’ questions involve pruning hydrangeas. And no wonder—it’s confusing, and all depends on the variety of hydrangea. Luckily, as long as you know which type you’ve got, it’s easy to figure out what sort of pruning technique to employ.
Learn the essentials below, then read more about how to prune hydrangea varieties here.
| Hydrangea Type |
When to Prune |
Where Flowers Appear |
|---|
| Bigleaf (H. macrophylla) |
Summer, after flowering |
On old growth |
| Oakleaf (H. quercifolia) |
Summer, after flowering |
On old growth |
| Panicle (H. paniculata) |
Late winter, before spring growth |
On new growth |
| Smooth (H. arborescens) |
Late winter, before spring growth |
On new growth |
| Mountain (H. serrata) |
Summer, after flowering |
On old growth |
| Climbing (H. anomala subsp. petiolaris) |
Summer, after flowering |
On old growth |
Pruning Common Hydrangeas
The most common garden hydrangea shrub is the Bigleaf variety, Hydrangea macrophylla. (See more below.)
Bigleaf (H. macrophylla), Oakleaf (H. quercifolia), Mountain (H. serrata), and Climbing hydrangeas (H. anomala subsp. petiolaris) are pruned AFTER the flowers fade in the summer. These varieties bloom on the previous season’s stems (“old wood”).
- Flower buds actually form in the late summer and flower afterwards the following season, so avoid pruning after August 1.
- Only cut away dead wood in the fall or very early spring.
- To prune, cut one or two of the oldest stems down to the base to encourage branching and fullness.
- If the plant is old, neglected, or damaged, prune all the stems down to the base. You’ll lose the flowers for the upcoming season, but also rejuvenate the plant for future years.
- It’s best not to deadhead (remove faded blooms) on the big Mopheads; leave them over the winter and cut them back in early spring (to the first healthy pair of buds). It’s fine to deadhead the Lacecaps; cut down to the second pair of leaves below the flower head.
- When growing H. macrophylla (and H. serrata) varieties in Zones 4 and 5, do not prune unless absolutely necessary, and then do so immediately after blooming. Otherwise, remove only dead stem in the spring.
Other Hydrangeas
Panicle (H. paniculata) and Smooth (H. arborescens) hydrangeas are pruned BEFORE flower buds are formed. These varieties bloom on the current season’s stems (“new wood”).
- Prune in the late winter when the plant is dormant. This means that if the buds are killed during the winter, the plant will produce new buds in the spring which will produce blooms.
- In general, prune only dead branches, and do not prune to “shape” the bush.
Read more about how to prune hydrangea types.
Reader Comments
Leave a Comment
droopy Mopheads
Mopheads—so far as our research suggests—are also known as Big Leaf Hydrangeas. We looked into a few sources and these suggest that yours may be getting too much sun. The little red spiders may also be present; it might be wise for your to review/copare the pics of diseased leaves on the US National Arboretum page below or consult a local nursery (taking a couple of leaves with you).
Here’s the Arboretum page: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/hydrangeafaq2.html
Here’s a cooperative extension page: http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=C973
We hope this helps—
Deer
I have a lot of deer in my yard. Will they feast on hydrangeas?
deer and hydrangea
Deer might eat your hydrangea, Beverly, if they are hungry enough and there are few options. TO be on the safe side, you could try this: We recently learned of a gardener who used Milorganite fertilzer around plants that she did not want animals to bother. (We do not know if Milorganite will alter the pink/blue of your flower.)
HYDRANGEA GROWTH
I am interested in knowing if, because they are refereed to as a "bush"...will one plant spread like bushes do?
hydrangeas
My hydrangea is usually beautiful but fot the last 12months we have a building site next to our fence where they are suddenly the leaves have gone brown mostly at the tips is it due to the cement thats in the air and what can I do it only seems to be on the top of the bush should I snip them off
cement in the air?
It wouldn’t seem like cement in the air would be a problem; maybe cement in the soil … if in large quantities. But remember that hydrangeas are susceptible to disease. This page from the Alabama Cooperative Extension service (more on your local in a moment) shows the effects of several problems with hydrangeas and offers some advice to remedy the situation: http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1212/ANR-1212.pdf
If you would like advice from your local cooperative extension service, find your state here and follow through with contact: http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services
If it’s convenient for you, you might also bring a leaf to a local nursery, describe the situation, and see if they have an opinion.
We hope this helps!
Birthday gift dying?
My husband bought me a beautiful pot with a Hydrangea. It is sitting in our kitchen on the counter, out of any direct sunlight. The card said to water it often, so we have done that, but my blooms have all turned brown and are falling off. Is it too late to plant it outside? Will it recover, and bloom again?
Heated Discussion
Hi, Vickie: Assuming that your plant does not have some sort of disease or pest (inspect carefully; if so, do online research) and you have not just totally drowned your hydrangea (it should be moist, not swamped), it would seem that heat might be a possible culprit as the cause of your brownout. Sometimes folks equate heat with sun, but the two aren’t the same. Perhaps your kitchen has just been too warm for it. In any event, sure, go ahead and plant it outside as long as you are not in the far north (find your last frost date here: http://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates). Snip off the brown blooms and go for it. Be sure to read all the advice above. Good luck and thanks for asking!
Planting hydrangea in a big pot
What is the correct way to do this?
growing hydrangeas in containers
The planting and care information at the top of this page should be helpful. Hydrangeas need full sun in the morning and some shade in the afternoon. They grow best in rich moist soil. You can plant your hydrangea in a big pot with fresh potting mix. Place the pot in a sunny spot outdoors and don’t let the soil dry out.
hydrangeas
is it ok to put white marble rock around the hydrangea. i put film down and then the rock.will hydrangeas be ok in this setting.thanks for your advice
Hi, we live on Zakynthos in
Hi, we live on Zakynthos in Greece the temperature in the summer regularly exceeds 40 degrees C (104 F) and in the winter we do get some mild ground frosts. We often go 5 or even 6 months with no rain in the summer and in the winter we have very heavy rainfall. The average annual temperature is 18.5 °C. (65.3 F) rainfall averages 937 mm 170 mm in December alone, often leading to our garden flooding. My questions are: Will Hydrangeas tolerate this much sunshine or will they need shade? Will they survive flooding for 1 or 2 days, 4 or 5 times each winter? Will they survive and flower long term if grown in a pot?
Thank you.
How do I rehab struggling Hydrangeas in place for years?
Hi, I bought a house last fall. There are two small Hydrangeas on the North side of the house. Both seem to have been in place for at least a couple of years, as the grass is completely filled in around the base, with no signs of disturbed earth. They are both small, and one seems to be really struggling. They are a beautiful blue color, so I would like to save them and get them healthy. Should I peel off the sod around them, fertilize, and mulch? Or should I dig them up and move them to a sunnier spot? If I dig, how far out should I dig from the stems so I don't cut roots?
Thank you!
PS... They both have live
PS... They both have live buds, but the smaller one only has buds around the base, and not the branch tips like the other. Also, I'm worried about compacted soil as they are planted in the lawn up against the foundation, and not in any type of a bed. How can I amend their environment, or should I dig up and start over? There are spruce trees 10 feet away, so I think they are acidic enough.
what to do about hydrangeas
There is an old rule of thumb that advises when you move into a new home you should not do attempt to alter the plantings/property until you have been there for a year—a full cycle of seasons. The idea is that you will see what comes up, blooms, etc. and know better what’s there and how it’s doing. In today’s world, a year might seem like a lifetime but we tend to favor this idea. With spring upon us, you can watch the progress of the plants and see how they do in their show-off season. (A lot of hydrangeas look weak in the off season.) Another reason we like it is that there are so many types of hydrangeas … unless you know what this is, you do not know what you’re dealing with. They might like a north side. There is the idea that you inquire of the buyer what type/variety they are, and/or how they do in that spot … but again we advise giving the plant time to reveal itself to you.
Is it dead or alive? Please help
I purchased a flowering beautiful hydrangea Pink diamond is Sept 2016, (I live in NJ) I planted it and it was fine for about a month and a half. Then the deer came and ate almost all the leaves off of it, so we put netting around it. Now, April of 2017 it appears to be just dead branches. Will it still start to get buds and new growth or is it dead, How can I tell? Please advise me of your opinion. Thank you so much
The best way to tell if the
The best way to tell if the plant is dead is to simply scrape a little of the bark with your fingernail. If it's green underneath, it's alive. If it's brown, it's dead.
I found these articles very
I found these articles very informative. It helped me very much..thanks
Slips from an older hydrangea
My daddy started a couple slips from a hydrangea my sons got for me for Mothers Day over 30 years ago. This past summer the blooms were the most beautiful they have ever been. He lives at the property where the original plant is so I wanted to have plants from that original hydrangea that was sentimental to me. The two potted plants he grew for me were pretty healthy and were about 10" in height when he brought them to me. I live in zone 6 and even though it was mid September the weather was still hot so I kept the plants watered and in the partial sun. However it wasn't long the leaves started turning brown and falling off. After a few weeks I researched and did find that was a result of too little water to which I rectified. I hadn't chose a spot to plant them plus I felt they were to young to put them in the ground to survive a winter so decided to bring them in for the winter and keep them in my pantry where I would keep my florescent light on just so many hours through the day and my furnace unit is in that small room so it stays a comfortable temp. Now my issue is the poor little plants has gradually lost every leaf and they are down to a little stem. One plant has only a healthy bud of leaves that look like they are ready to break open anytime. The other has two of the same thing only they are at the soil line and have been there all along and have done nothing. Other than a half inch of a green and brown stem and the two soil line buds that pot is the only thing it has. Should I give them just a tiny feeding to see if it would boost them and help them along. My daddy used the correct potting soil for the hydrangeas. I don't want to lose the plants since they came from a hydrangea my sons got me years ago and mean a lot to me. I know my daddy would start more for me but he is elderly and in bad health. What do you recommend to save these plants? Help.
Hydrangea Indoors
Your hydrangeas sound like they are stressed. They may have suffered transplant shock when they were potted up. And now their growing conditions have changed again. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing. Let them adapt to the conditions, watering only as needed and keeping the light consistent. Don’t worry about fertilizing until spring.
how to get hydrangeas seeds
how to get hydrangeas seeds from a hydrangea
Collecting hydrangea seeds is
Collecting hydrangea seeds is a challenge, and growing from seed is also quite difficult. Cuttings are the preferred method of propagation. Take a cutting from new growth and dust the stem with root hormone. Remove most of the leaves and cut those that remain in half. Put the cutting in potting soil and place a plastic bag like a tent over the plant (to keep moisture in). Once the cutting starts to root, remove the bag.
Planting from seed
A friend's mother in law gave me a (too big) bag of dried clusters of seed pods, each containing a large number of seeds from various hydrangeas that thrive in the cold of New England. I weeded out thorn brush and other wild plants from a 5 by 2.5 ft patch on the boundary between cleared and wild parts of my property, dug out all the roots from the very organic acidic soil, opened six of the clusters of pods and uniformly spread that vast number of seeds (far too many for that area) pressed them in slightly, then threw 1/16 in of inorganic soil on top to discourage whatever might find and eat the seeds.
I never had a hydrangea before, on the slim chance that I did any of that right and a tenth of them sprout next spring, how do I tell them apart from weeds? I didn't find any pictures of what they look like at that stage. If anything close to a tenth sprout I need to transplant them further apart very early. How do I guess below ground size from above ground size in the first few months, to know when I can't wait longer to transplant without excessive intertwining of roots?
Help! Flooded Hydrangeas
Hurricane Matthew caused the river I live on to spill over the bank into my yard and covered my first row of hydrangeas for about 2-3 hours. The river water is brackish/salty. They really took a beating and look awful now. Will they come back next Spring? Should I prune them back??
Flooded Hydrangeas
They should bounce back next spring, yes. Plants often take months, sometimes even years, to recover from a major shock like that. Don’t prune them, that would be an added stressor at this point. In the spring, just remove any dead wood. Next fall, if they are strong and healthy again, you can do a regular annual pruning. Good luck!
Increadable hydrangeas
This year my hydrangeas acted crazy... There are about 10years old . Every year in November my husband cuts them back to 18 inches and they come back beautiful. Until this year... In there growing stage we had some really harsh rain and the bent down and many broke off. One of the bushes only got small flowers that never got to the usual large size. One bush under a large tree now barely grows and sparsely flower. Then it looks like something ate there leaves.. They turned green early in July which is very weird... I live in Chicago and this is my pride and joy. Next month after Halloween is when we cut them .. I tried to add photos but won't let me
Hydrangea
My hydrangea was accidentally weeded by a gardener. How can I salvage it? It's just about 3 inches from grown now. When it was cut, it was mid-September but temp was low 90 degrees F.
Save Hydrangea
At this point, it is a matter of letting it grow back. If you live in a cold climate, mulch it for the winter. Next spring, start fertilizing. Give it a growing season to bounce back and send up new growth. The following year, get onto an annual pruning schedule. Good luck!
Is it possible to cut the leaves off of the plants to form other
The plants are expensive. I have heard by cutting some leaves off I can get more plants. How do I do this? And first of all is this true and when do I do this. What is the procedure?
Hydrengea
my hydrangea will not bloom.
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