With dozens of species and even more varieties, hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.) are popular garden plants for many years . Their flowers now are available a good array of colours , including azure , deep red, and pale green. Some hydrangeas have large, round flower clusters while others have smaller, flatter, and more delicate flowers. The foliage also varies counting on the species. Plus, these versatile shrubs thrive in sandy coastal soils, shady woodland sites, and almost everything in between. to make sure that hydrangea shrubs have time to determine a healthy rootage before blooming, it’s best to plant them in fall or early spring. Once planted, hydrangeas are rapid growers, averaging 2 feet or more of growth per annum .

Hydrangea Care

Most hydrangeas can adapt to a good range of growing conditions. they’re generally hardy from USDA growing zones 5 to 9. And as long as they’re planted in well-draining soil with many organic matter, they ought to grow well.

Plan to water your hydrangeas regularly, especially in hot and dry weather. And fertilize them once a year. you furthermore may might got to do some pruning annually , but it shouldn’t be excessive. Volume 90% 2:17

Watch Now: the way to Grow and look after Hydrangeas

Light

Too much shade can reduce a hydrangea shrub’s flower output. Hydrangeas had best within the partial shade provided by tall deciduous trees, especially if they receive morning sun and therefore the partial shade is within the heat of the afternoon. they’re going to also thrive fully sun but might need extra water on hot summer days.

Soil

In general, hydrangeas can tolerate a good range of soil types. one among the perks of growing hydrangeas is having the ability to vary their flower color. Although somewhat determined by cultivar, the colour are often tweaked by the quantity of aluminum within the soil and therefore the soil pH. The soil pH determines how available aluminum is to the plants. Acidic soil (aluminum available to the plants) will offer you blue flowers, and alkaline soil (aluminum unavailable to the plants) will offer you pink flowers.

To decrease the acidity of your soil and alter flowers from blue to pink, add calcium hydroxide to the soil within the spring. to extend the acidity to vary flowers from pink to blue, add aluminum sulfate to your soil within the spring, or mulch with oak-leaf mulch.

Water

Hydrangeas prefer deep watering a minimum of once every week unless you’ve had rainfall. During particularly weather, slightly increase the quantity of water you give your plants, but confirm they’re not sitting in soggy soil.

Temperature and Humidity

Hydrangeas prefer fairly mild temperatures. In areas with bitterly cold winters, dieback (a plant dying from the ideas of its leaves inward) are often a drag. Protect your hydrangeas from cold winds by planting them during a sheltered spot or with a burlap windscreen or burlap frame crammed with dry leaves. A north- or east-facing site, where temperatures remain somewhat constant, maybe a more sensible choice than a spot on the south and side of your property, which can heat up within the winter sun and may cause buds to open prematurely and be susceptible to cold snaps. Furthermore, hydrangeas prefer moderate to high humidity, as dry climates can cause the leaves to wilt

Fertilizer

If your soil is rich in nutrients, you likely won’t need to fertilize your hydrangeas. In fact, if hydrangeas are given an excessive amount of high-nitrogen fertilizer, they could grow full and plush but with fewer flowers. If your soil isn’t rich, apply a shrub fertilizer within the spring.

Are Hydrangeas Toxic?

Hydrangeas contain cyanogenic glycosides, which are toxic both to people and animals when ingested. The leaves, buds, and flowers have higher concentrations of this compound.

Symptoms of Poisoning

Symptoms of toxicity in both people and animals include nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, and lethargy. If you suspecting poisoning, contact a medical professional as soon as possible.

Hydrangea Varieties

There are two main groups of hydrangeas: plants that bloom on new growth (the current year’s stems) and people that bloom on virgin forest (last year’s stems). Some varieties include:

• Hydrangea macrophylla: Also referred to as bigleaf hydrangea, this species grows to around 6 to 10 feet tall and wide and has leaves that reach around 6 inches long.
• Hydrangea arborescens: referred to as smooth hydrangea, this shrub reaches around 3 to five feet tall and wide and produces white to pink flowers.
• Hydrangea quercifolia: Commonly called oakleaf hydrangeas, this plant reaches around 7 feet tall and wide and sports white to purplish-pink flowers.

Pruning Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas typically need minimal pruning. But if you’d wish to reduce the dimensions of your plant or prevent it from flopping over an excessive amount of, you’ll remove a number of the older canes after the flowers fade. this may reduce crowding and encourage new growth.

The exception to the present rule is when cold winters kill the ideas of the branches. Then, you ought to prune within the spring, removing the dead wood and curtailing the stems to a healthy set of buds. If you’ve got a longtime shrub, you’ll also remove several of the older stems at this point . Just don’t remove all the buds, otherwise you will lose your blooms for that season.