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.
Balanced granular fertilizers such as Espoma Rose Tone and Holly Tone are good choices. Jobes Fertilizer Spikes are another good option. Avoid using fast-release fertilizers in liquid form on hydrangeas. These products can stimulate growth in the short term but may not sustain the plant for the long haul.
Avoid feeding hydrangeas after August, especially in regions with cold winters. A slow-release plant food works well. For best results, try Miracle-Gro® Shake 'n Feed® Flowering Trees & Shrubs Plant Food, which feeds for up to 3 months.
Keep this in mind as your choosing and caring for your plant. Requirements: in this area hydrangeas prefer full morning sun with afternoon dappled shade. They like well-drained, moist soils. Fertilizing: recommended granular, slow-release fertilizer of 10-30-10, in the spring/early summer.
To prepare hydrangeas for winter in colder areas, add a thick layer of mulch around the base of the plants to protect the crown and roots from freezing temperatures.
Wrap with winter protection.
During the winter, make a DIY A-frame wire cage out of burlap and chicken wire to protect your hydrangea plant. This cage will protect it from winter winds, heavy snowfall, and cold temperatures.
Water at a rate of 1 inch per week throughout the growing season. Deeply water 3 times a week to encourage root growth. Bigleaf and smooth hydrangeas require more water, but all varieties benefit from consistent moisture.
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.
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.
But when to prune them? Prune fall blooming hydrangeas, or old wood bloomers, after they bloom in the summer. If you prune old wooded hydrangeas in fall, you are cutting off next seasons blooms. Summer blooming hydrangeas, or those that bloom on new wood, are pruned in the fall, after they stop blooming.
Hydrangeas that bloom on new wood can be safely pruned in late fall once the plants have gone dormant or in early spring. Next year's flower buds won't be formed until late spring the same year they bloom, so there is no risk of removing the buds if you prune in fall or spring.
The simplest method is to mound shredded leaves or bark mulch around the base of the plant to about 12 inches or so. Put the mulch mound in place in late fall after the ground freezes, and uncover plants in spring when temperatures begin to stay above freezing.
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.
Here are the four most common types of hydrangea: Panicle hydrangeas, sometimes referred to as Pee Gee Hydrangeas or Hydrangea paniculata, are a variety that blooms on new wood only. This group can be pruned in fall or very early spring, but we highly recommend waiting until the spring to reduce risk of injury.
Best Fertilizer For Hydrangeas
Organic, slow-release fertilizers for roses (such as a 15-10-10, or 10-5-5 formula) work well on hydrangeas, giving the plants the nutrients they need to increase the size and quantity of their blooms.
15-10-10 Flower Fertilizer
Great for Hybrid Tea, Old Fashion & Landscape Roses. They're like Vitamins for your Landscape!
Flower buds form on current year's growth. Prune in early spring, just as leaves are beginning to show. Cut branches back by one-half to one-third, cutting just above a node. Next, remove any weak or spindly branches.