A good rule of thumb is to plant the hydrangeas a distance apart that is equal to what the full size plant will be. For instance, if your bigleaf hydrangea will be six feet tall and wide, plant it six feet away from the closest plant to avoid crowding.
Space hydrangeas anywhere from 3 to 10 feet apart, depending on the type. Always space plants based on their expected size at maturity!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Though they are fast growing shrubs, it can take 2-4 years for hydrangeas to reach their full size. Some are faster to mature than others. Growing hydrangeas is simple, and they can thrive in just about any climate.
Watering Newly Planted Hydrangeas
You do not want to plant them in an area that has standing water, especially after rainfall. Hydrangeas in the ground should be watered at least 3 times a week when planted to help establish a strong root system. They have shallow roots so mulch is an absolute must!
Most common hydrangeas prefer a partial sun location - ideally receiving sun in the morning hours and shade in the afternoon.
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.
For best results when planting hydrangeas, follow these steps: Create a hole twice as wide as the plant's root system, and about six inches deeper than the plant's pot. Break up the soil a bit before you plant to help the roots easily establish themselves.
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.
Hydrangeas bloom seasonally and typically start to bud around mid-summer or late summer. However, a newly planted hydrangea may take 2-3 years to bloom.
Arranging Tips
Cut the stems so the blooms are just above the rim. For a more complex arrangement, use an opaque container and the grid method with chicken wire or tape on the opening. Bold blooms such as roses, peonies, and dahlias pair great with hydrangeas.
You really want to make sure you are buying the freshest Hydrangeas available (1-3 days old) as they only tend to last 5-9 days depending on how you care for them.
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.
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.
Hydrangeas grow best if they are fertilized once or twice in the summer. Although some authorities recommend special fertilizer mixes to get the maximum results, hydrangeas do amazingly well with a more relaxed approach. Either chemical fertilizers or organic matter can be used successfully.
All they need is well-drained soil, some water and a little bit of shade during hot summer days. Find out even more about hydrangea care in our Complete Hydrangea Guide! Oakleaf varieties are the easiest type of hydrangeas for beginners to grow.
Deadhead After Flowers Die
Experts recommend removing spent flowers from your hydrangeas when they start to fade to make way for new, fuller blooms—a process known as deadheading.
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.
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.
If you're growing hydrangeas, use coffee grounds to affect their color. Coffee grounds add extra acidity to the soil around hydrangeas. On a chemical level, this increased acidity makes it easier for the plant to absorb naturally occurring aluminum in the dirt. The effect is pretty blue clusters of flowers.