If you have an overgrown plant, cut some of the stems off at the base. Hydrangea paniculata and Hydrangea aborescens:. Cut back in early spring. Pruning is not essential, but left unpruned the plant will get taller with most of the flowers at the top.
Prune to just above a pair of healthy buds on each stem. Hydrangea aspera and Hydrangea quercifolia:. Lightly prune in spring — just remove old or crossing stems and old flower heads. Climbing hydrangea, Hydrangea petiolaris:. Prune in summer after flowering for best results. Cut back the flowered shoots to a pair of new buds. Read our full guide on how to prune hydrangeas. Take softwood cuttings from hydrangeas in spring.
In the morning look for young, non-flowering shoots that have three sets of leaves. For best results prepare cutting material straight away. Alternatively, keep them in a plastic bag in a cool shed. See How to take hydrangea cuttings for more detail on taking hydrangea cuttings. A lack of flowers is likely to be due to pruning at the wrong time of year. Check the type of hydrangea that you have, and follow our pruning advice, above. Brown or blackened foliage or buds in spring are due to frost damage.
Prevention is better than cure — plant your hydrangea in a sheltered spot, leave the faded flowerheads on over winter and prune at the correct time. Give it time to recover when the weather warms up and only prune out dead or damaged areas in late spring. Purple leaves can be due to a sudden decrease in temperature in spring or autumn. In spring, the leaves may turn purple if temperatures plummet but should revert to their usual green once the weather has warmed.
Late in the season, the leaves of some hydrangeas change colour as the plant begins to go dormant in autumn. RHS Hydrangea paniculata trials bulletin.
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Shop plants rhsplants. Shopping with the RHS. RHS Christmas gifts. Help us achieve our goals Make a donation. Join the RHS today and support our charity Join now. Save to My scrapbook. Hydrangea paniculata 'Floribunda'. Quick facts. Cultivation notes Hydrangeas thrive in a moist, but well-drained soil, in a cool, semi-shady part of the garden.
They flower for much longer than most other plants, months rather than weeks in many cases. Often the blooms remain attractive even after they have faded, adding interest to the garden, even in winter. They also make excellent flowers for cutting. The good news is that they are easy to grow, both in pots and in the open ground. All they need is the right situation, plenty of water in dry weather and occasional feeding with the right fertiliser; one that is formulated to bring out the best in them.
Pot grown hydrangeas can be planted at any time of year, in the open ground or in pots and containers using Vitax John Innes compost. Choose nice big pots that will allow the plants to grow happily for several years. Small containers dry out too quickly. When planting in the open ground prepare the soil well, adding plenty of garden compost or organic manure to improve the soil structure. A few handfuls of 6X Natural Fibrous Fertiliser forked well into the soil is ideal to boost the humus content of the ground which helps with water and nutrient retention in future years.
Add a handful or Vitax Hydrangea Feed to the soil, or compost if growing in a pot, when planting. This provides all the essential nutrients for healthy growth and beautiful blooms. Most hydrangeas will grow in an open sunny situation, but prefer light shade. They grow on most soils and thrive on heavy clay.
Each variety has different needs and will benefit from different application timing. The best way to determine your fertility needs is by using a soil test. Bigleaf hydrangeas need 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. Protect against pests and disease by choosing cultivars with resistant traits. Leaf spots, bight, wilt and powdery mildew can all appear on hydrangeas. Pests are not common on hydrangeas, but can appear when plants become stressed. Possible pests include aphids, leaf tiers and red spider mites.
Properly caring for hydrangeas is your best defense. Types of Hydrangeas There are four different types of hydrangeas grown in the United States: Oakleaf hydrangeas thrive in warmer zones.
Bigleaf hydrangeas are the most common of all. Panicle hydrangeas are hardy to Zone 3. Smooth hydrangeas are also known as snowballs because of their large white clusters of blooms. Mophead hydrangea — This variety of bigleaf hydrangea features large, round blooms. Lacecap hydrangea — Large flowers surround smaller buds with the appearance of being only half bloomed for a lacy, delicate look. Peegee hydrangea — While often trained to look like a tree, the Peegee P. Blue hydrangea — Blue hydrangeas from the bigleaf family are only blue because of the soil they are grown in.
You can purchase a blue hydrangea and find it blooms a different color next year. Pink hydrangea — Pink hydrangeas range from hot pinks to barely blushing and can be found in several different types. How do you cut back hydrangeas? Do you need to deadhead hydrangeas? How do you control hydrangea color? Can hydrangeas grow in shade? Can hydrangeas grow in full sun? Can you grow hydrangeas in pots? How do you keep hydrangeas from wilting? Previous Article. Next Article.
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