COMMON NAME:
► Hydrangea
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
► Hydrangea
GROWER HINTS:
►Most Hydrangeas that are bought in bloom are French Hybrids and are often called Florists Hydrangea. They are beautiful in bloom and can transition very nicely into the garden. Pink or Blue? Many of the blue hydrangeas that you buy will be pink next year if you live in Southern California.
► Move to Oregon or Washington and they are always blue. This is all controlled by the Ph of the soil. To keep your hydrangea blue, plant it in lots of peat moss and add aluminum sulphate (lowers the pH) in late fall and spring.
►About one tablespoon per foot of height. Mix with water and apply several times, once in September and then several times in early spring before there are any flower buds. Don’t use high middle number fertilizer if you want blue flowers. Some hydrangeas never change color. White is always white. Hydrangeas make wonderful dried flowers. Hang them upside down to dry.
GROWTH HABITS:
►When the bloom is finished, cut off the old flower. On a young plant cut back the flower head only. Young stems that have not bloomed often bloom in late summer to the fall. When your plant is older and bigger, cut back further but always leave at least 2-3 leaf buds. (Where a leaf used to be) because this is where next years blooming growth will come from. Your plant won’t look like much in the winter. Come May it will be glorious!
SHADE/SUN:
►Grow in full sun to partial shade on the coast, partial to quite shady inland.
FEEDING AND WATERING:
►Hydrangeas take lots of water in the pot and in the ground. They wilt easily but come back after a good drink.
FLOWER/FOLIAGE COLOR(S):
►Dark green foliage. Flowers are white, pink, or blue with variations of these (see Evelyn’s notes above about flower colors).
SEASON(S) CARRIED AT WEIDNERS:
►Spring and early summer. Sometimes again in late summer.
CONTAINER OR GROUND?
►Container or in the ground. Easier to manage water in the ground.
PARTICULAR PESTS:
►Mildew. Catch and treat early.
