Leave adequate space between plants to allow airflow for happy plants (and happy gardeners). All of our plant pages have spacing recommendations under the “more information” section in the “how to grow” tab. Incrediball hydrangeas are recommended to be 3-5 feet apart, so you can plant them spaced 3 feet if you wish.
Keep good air space between the plants; don't crowd them together or against other plants. Don't give bigleaf hydrangeas too much love; if they're too comfortable (water, fertilizer, etc.), they may devote all their foliage to leaves instead of blooms.
Planting too close
The size of these shrubs will not be the size that the hydrangea will grow to. Hydrangeas can grow anywhere from two to six feet tall, and much taller if you are growing a climbing hydrangea. It might be difficult, but you will need to resist the urge to plant your hydrangeas too close together.
Shade tolerant perennials make excellent partners next to hydrangeas. Some of the best are hostas, ferns, foxglove & coral bells. Many upright hydrangeas create a shady area under their foliage. This is a great location for planting shade-loving hostas.
Fall is the best season to plant hydrangeas, followed by early spring. The idea is to give the shrub plenty of time to establish a healthy root system before blooming. The best time of day to plant is early morning or late afternoon.
Most common hydrangeas prefer a partial sun location - ideally receiving sun in the morning hours and shade in the afternoon.
Most hydrangeas prefer only morning sun. Yet one type of hydrangea can soak up the sun all day: the panicle hydrangea. While they can stand the sun, these do just fine in partial shade, too. Plus, panicle hydrangeas are the hardiest hydrangeas.
If you're looking for a good ground cover plant that can grow well in similar conditions to your hydrangeas, 'Lamb's Ear' is an option to consider. With silvery foliage and clusters of purple flowers that grow on upright stems, this evergreen is a great choice for any summer flower beds.
Hostas are a great companion for hydrangeas because they thrive in the same soil conditions and share the same pest problems. They also have similar light requirements.
Space hydrangeas anywhere from 3 to 10 feet apart, depending on the type. Always space plants based on their expected size at maturity! Gently remove the hydrangea from its container and inspect the root ball, snipping off any dead or rotting parts and teasing free the roots if the plant is especially root bound.
When planting hydrangeas, dig a hole that is twice as wide as the width of the container the hydrangea came in. Place the plant in the hole so that the root ball is at the same depth as it was in the original pot, then fill in the hole with the 50-50 soil mixture described above. Water well after planting.
If you're planting your Endless Summer Hydrangeas as foundation plants, space them eight feet apart from each other from the center. For a garden border, space them out four feet apart.
As rapid growers—averaging about 2 feet of growth per year—larger varieties of hydrangeas can reach up to 15 feet tall. Applicable in growing zones 3 to 9, hydrangeas are a low maintenance plant that will return year after year with proper care.
Although there are many types of hydrangeas, they all require similar environments. They grow best in about 4 hours of morning sun or filtered shade throughout the day. Keep in mind that do not like extremely hot conditions, so try to locate them in an area where they can enjoy some afternoon shade.
To rejuvenate the hydrangea, remove up to 1/3 of the older living stems down to the ground each summer. This will revitalize the plant. If necessary to control the size of the plant, cut back before late July to allow for buds to develop. Usually the plant will return immediately to its former size.
Best Types of Hydrangea for Low-Maintenance
Elegant oakleaf is one of the easiest types of hydrangea to grow. It's also one of the showiest, thanks to its big clusters of white summertime flowers, attractive peeling bark, and textured foliage that turns brilliant shades of purple-red in fall.
Some gardeners report success in turning their hydrangeas blue by applying coffee grounds to the soil. The coffee grounds make the soil more acidic, allowing the hydrangea to more easily absorb aluminum. In addition, fruit peels, lawn clippings, peat moss and pine needles, are thought to have a similar effect.
Front Yard Garden Idea With Hydrangeas, Loropetalum and Nandina. This garden design including Nandina, Loropetalum, and Hydrangea will turn any front yard into a modern garden. These flowers will be a great addition to any home and will be an attention-grabbing decoration.
Timing depends on the type of hydrangea you have, and there are many. First, know hydrangeas do not have to be pruned — unless the shrub has grown too large for its space or unruly and needs a little shaping up. Otherwise, you can simply clean up the plant by removing dead branches and deadheading spent blooms.
In warmer areas, many hydrangea types will suffer in the afternoon's scorching sun. The leaves and flower heads may burn, turning brown. If you notice this, that means your hydrangea is getting too much sun. Try moving it into filtered shade, or an area where it gets only a few hours of morning sun.
Many people think that you need a shady garden in order to grow hydrangeas. While that is true for some varieties, some hydrangeas thrive in sunny spots and even need full sun to develop into the fullest plants and the brightest blooms.
Hydrangeas need more water than most garden plants and will begin to wilt quickly without it. To ensure that Hydrangeas thrive, water deeply two to three times a week in the summer. Be sure to water in the morning or evening so that water does not evaporate as quickly as it would during the heat of the day.