A Great Old-Fashioned Plant for Modern Gardens

Hydrangeas are easy-to-grow, deciduous flowering shrubs that offer long-lasting color from midsummer into fall. This time-tested garden favorite is a large plant family that includes 13 commonly grown species, ranging from climbers to dwarfs to standard hydrangeas that can grow as high as 14 feet when left un-pruned. Numerous varieties are included in these species, each with its own characteristics. Hydrangeas come in three basic flower colors ... pink, blue and white ... with many hues in between. The flowers also grow in three basic forms ... ball shapes (known as "mop-heads"), panicles (a cluster of blooms similar to lilacs) and open, flat-topped flowers (called "lace-caps").

Where to Plant Them?
Hydrangeas can live for decades when planted in suitable locations. They also transplant well in case they have to be moved. Since hydrangeas are natural woodland plants, they do best in a dappled shady site, such as under the filtered light of a tall tree. They grow well in any sheltered area. Nearby plantings of evergreens are ideal for sheltering hydrangeas. Early morning or late-afternoon sun is best because the hot mid-day sun of summer can bleach hydrangea flowers and scorch the leaves.

How to Plant Hydrangeas:
Dig a hole no deeper than the root ball and at least twice the width of the root ball. Three to five times the width of the root ball is even better. Improve the soil with Humore® plant and soil builder, peat moss or any other good soil conditioner. A good root stimulator, like Up-Start® by Ortho® is also recommended. Hydrangeas like rich, well-drained soil. Plant your hydrangeas with an inch or two of the root ball above ground. Backfill half way, water, then fill the hole the rest of the way. Mulch around the plant with two inches of pine bark or any other organic mulch. Be sure to keep the mulch a few inches away from the trunk so as not to rot the bark.

Blue or Pink?
One of the unique things about hydrangeas is that it is a plant that can change colors depending on the acidity of the soil. Hydrangeas generally do best in a soil PH of 6.5 to 7, which is slightly acidic. Add soil will turn flowers blue, while more alkaline soil will turn flowers pink. To turn pink flowers blue, apply any form of sulfur or peat moss to create a more acidic soil. If blue flowers seem to be losing their deep color and turning a pale bluish-pink, give them a watering or two with aluminum sulfate solution. Blue flowers have their best color in a soil pH of 6.5 or less. To turn blue flowers pink, scratch small handfuls of lime into the soil twice a year ... once in spring and once in the fall. Also use Erne if your pink or rose-red flowers seem to be getting pale or fading into a bluish-pink. Pink flowers have their best color in a soil pH of 7 to 7.5. White flowers will retain their color regardless of pH.

Feeding & Pruning:
Although hydrangeas can thrive with little attention, they will benefit from a half-strength feeding twice a year with a fertilizer rich in phosphorus, such as 10-15-10. The majority of hydrangeas flower on wood that is produced the previous year. To avoid removing flower buds before they have opened, it is best to prune most hydrangeas after they have flowered. The exceptions are climbing hydrangeas and the species Hydrangea arborescens and Hydrangea paniculata, which bloom on the current year's growth and therefore can be pruned in late winter or early spring. Arborescens varieties can be trimmed back to one foot in February or March to maintain a desired shape or left un-pruned for a Large plant with many small flowers. Paniculata varieties can be pruned back to two buds on each stem in February or March or left un-pruned.

Pests & Problems:
Hydrangeas have few pest problems but sometimes suffer frost damage or windburn in winter or in late-spring when frosts nip them after they have leafed out Hydrangea foliage also may be scorched around the fringes in summer when the plants are located in full midday sun. Proper siting in the first place can all but eliminate these problems. Insects that occasionally attack hydrangeas include aphids, scale, thrips, vine weevils and whiteflies. Most of these are not fatal to the plant and can easily be controlled with contact insecticides such as malathion, diazinon or pyrethrum. Some hydrangea varieties also may develop a disease called "honey fungus," which can be controlled with a fungicide. Occasionally, leaves will develop some fungal spotting or mildew, which also can be controlled with fungicides. Our staff will be glad to help in the diagnosis and treatment of any problem you may have.