Most common hydrangeas prefer a partial sun location - ideally receiving sun in the morning hours and shade in the afternoon. The reblooming Endless Summer® Hydrangea series prefers part shade.
Hydrangeas do best in moist, well-drained soil and dappled shade – not too sunny and not too shady. Avoid south-facing positions, especially if the soil is very dry. For a very shaded spot, such as a north-facing wall, grow the climbing hydrangea Hydrangea anomala subsp.
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.
Too much sun exposure can cause your hydrangea shrubs to burn on its leaves and blooms. Also, be sure to put your fingers in the soil to see if it needs watering. We do recommend a soak versus light watering each day, but you should be sure that the soil is always moist – not wet – by sticking your fingers in the dirt.
Hydrangeas grow best in full sun (more than 6 hours sun) to part sun (4-6 hours sun). With that being said, all hydrangeas can handle some shade, but the timing and type of shade are important to consider. They can be in full shade during the hottest part of the day, as long as they are getting some morning sun.
East Side. The east side of the house is the best planting location, as it gets the morning and afternoon sun. This is the best side of the house for your hydrangeas, traditionally.
Bigleaf hydrangeas, also known as hydrangea macrophylla, vary especially with some of the newer cultivars being bred to better tolerate heat and sun, but most of these including the mopheads and lacecaps prefer some shade, especially during the afternoon.
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.
Panicle hydrangeas can handle hot sun
While they are drought tolerant and stand up to heat, I still like to provide shade during the hottest part of the day. And just because they are drought tolerant doesn't mean you should let them wilt. As with all hydrangeas, plants will thrive with regular irrigation.
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.
Water your hydrangeas in the morning before the heat of the sun is strong enough to quickly evaporate soil moisture. Try to avoid watering at night, which can encourage mold and mildew as the moisture sits through the cool night. Water your hydrangeas through the growing season as well as in late fall.
Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Blooms Nutrition
This is an all-purpose blossom booster that's suitable for use on a wide variety of perennial and annual blooming plants, including hydrangeas. It provides various minerals, including copper, calcium, and iron, to supplement common nutrient deficiencies.
What month is best to plant hydrangeas? The months of both spring and fall are best for planting hydrangeas, so long as the weather is mild. In spring, this should be after frost season, and in fall, before it begins again. If you need to plant in other months, avoid those that are very hot or very cold.
Most hydrangeas prefer partial sun with full sun in the morning, followed by some afternoon shade. This is especially true for the Bigleaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla). Some varieties are more tolerant of full sun. Most hydrangeas will thrive in fertile, well-draining soils that receive plenty of moisture.
There is one more trick up the apple cider vinegar sleeve: You can actually change the color of hydrangea flowers from pink to blue. Hydrangea flowers will be pink in alkaline soil, but change to blue in acidic soil. So, mix up some apple cider vinegar and water, and give all the acid-loving plants a treat.
A 2-3” layer of mulch around the base will help keep the moisture in as well but remember, no “volcano” mulching (where you pile the mulch higher up next stem). Mulching around your hydrangea will encourage deep roots to develop, adding to winter hardiness.
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.
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.
4. All hydrangeas will turn brown if they wilt too many times in hot weather. Water these shrubs deeply every few days in the heat of the summer (note that hand watering isn't deep enough) and mulch around plants to hold moisture in the soil longer.
If you don't prune hydrangeas then they can eventually resemble a tangled mass of woody stems, and the flowers will become smaller and less showy.
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.