Where to plant
This is because hydrangeas love the warm morning sun, but they dislike the heat of the afternoon. The best place to plant hydrangeas is in a sheltered location with sunny mornings and shady afternoons. You often find this on the north or south side of your home.
Hydrangeas grow well in gardens, but can also grow in pots. They need well draining soil that has a slightly acidic pH. If these are not the conditions in your garden, I urge you to try planting a hydrangea in a container.
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.
Most common hydrangeas prefer a partial sun location - ideally receiving sun in the morning hours and shade in the afternoon.
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.
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.
All hydrangeas benefit from some shade
Most species like a bit of sun, but usually morning or midday light is best. Hot afternoon sun can cause scorching of leaves and reduced size of blooms. Hydrangeas planted in full shade will often have bigger leaves, blooms, and overall size.
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.
The Right Way To Water Hydrangeas
According to Karen Mitchell, Jefferson County Master Gardener, irrigating below the leaves and flowers at the base of the plant is best practice to avoid fungal-related issues and ensure the water goes directly to the root system.
When you deadhead hydrangeas, you aren't harming the plants at all. Removing the spent blooms triggers flowering shrubs to stop producing seeds and instead put their energy toward root and foliage development. This makes plants stronger and healthier, so by deadheading, you'll be doing your hydrangeas a favor.
A potted hydrangea can be planted in the ground at any time of the year. However, spring or fall are the best times. Wait until the frosts are over in spring, or plant in early fall when the soil will still be warm and before the frosts.
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.
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.
The hydrangea should be watered thoroughly at least 3 times a week. Always water the plant all the way around the container, not just in one place. Water should come out the bottom of the pot. Never let it sit in water which will cause the roots to rot away.
A good rule of thumb is to calculate one and a half times the estimated maximum width of your Hydrangea and plant it at least that far from your house. And as always, you should take sun exposure into account.
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 grown in the ground or in containers require 3 basic things; well-drained soil, the proper amount of sunlight and lots of moisture. Growing hydrangeas in pots is a great option for people who are limited in space, or would like to create a beautiful new look in their garden.
Hydrangeas are hardy in growing zones 3-7 and will need at least 4-6 hours of sun a day. They can get by on 4-6 hours if they are located in partial shade. If you don't know which growing zone you are located, check out this interactive USDA hardiness zone map here.
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.
Though hydrangeas prefer protection from hot direct sun, too much shade can prevent them from forming flower buds. Ideal light conditions for hydrangeas are several hours of direct morning sun with afternoon shade, or dappled shade that allows plenty of bright indirect light.
With proper timing and basic propagation techniques, you can grow new hydrangeas from simple stem cuttings. Just follow these steps to multiply your hydrangeas and their breathtaking blooms: Time hydrangea cuttings for optimal results. Gather your tools before you start.
You can use vinegar to lower the pH of your soil, but be aware that in order to achieve blue blooms, you will need both an acidic environment and aluminum ions. The acidic environment will also need to be a sustained over a period of time, which could be hard if rainwater is washing the vinegar away.
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.
Dip Stems In Alum Powder
You can also keep cut hydrangeas from wilting by using alum powder. Dip the stems into alum and put them into a clean vase. Make sure to mark the alum container “for hydrangeas only,” as you do not want to use it for anything else.