Woven through gardens and bouquets, hydrangeas have little competition when it comes to bold, lush blooms. They are appreciated as prolific bloomers. There's something about their enduring beauty that completes our gardens and homes. While we freeze in the Northern Hemisphere, Christmas is hot in the Southern Hemisphere.
Hydrangeas - everything you need to know about growing hydrangeas in your garden
Growing garden hydrangeas isn't hard when you understand their needs. The popular Hydrangea macrophylla is native to Japan. Hydrangeas are neither indigenous to the UK or South Africa. It has been naturalised in a number countries across the world.
Browse through plant catalogs online and the hydrangea options seem endless. Plant explorers keep discovering them, and plant breeders keep developing new varieties. Each hydrangea type offers numerous options, but pay attention to mature size.
Many new varieties are designed for small spaces, and they stay just 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. But other hydrangeas can reach 20 feet tall or more.
Popular Hydrangea Varieties
Here are some well-known types of hydrangeas:
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- Bigleaf (Hydrangea macrophylla): Won gardeners' hearts with huge blue and pink "mophead" blooms. New varieties range from white to blush to vibrant blue, purple, pink and nearly red.
- Panicle or grandiflora (Hydrangea paniculata): Has large, showy pyramidal flower clusters that run from pink-tipped whites to bright strawberry and lime green.
- Smooth (Hydrangea arborescens): And its softball-like white flowers have been favorites for decades.
- Oakleaf (Hydrangea quercifolia): Also a North American native, has oak-like leaves that turn burgundy-bronze in fall.
- Mountain (Hydrangea serrata): Has blooms similar to bigleaf but smaller.
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Blue Ball'
Planting Hydrangeas in South Africa
The best time to plant hydrangeas depends on where you live. If you have warm winters, fall planting ensures hydrangeas establish well before summer heat. If you have cold winters, plant hydrangeas in early fall - well before winter comes - or wait until spring.
Hydrangeas flourish in light shade, but abundant blooms and strong stems depend on sun. Ideal planting sites combine four to six hours of morning sun with late-afternoon shade. In northern areas with less intense sun, hydrangeas need less shade. In southern zones, they need more.
Hydrangeas prefer moist, well-drained soil. Adding organic matter and garden gypsum can help loosen heavy clay. With some hydrangeas, soil pH influences flower color. Acidic soil turns bigleaf blooms bluer, while alkaline soil turns them pink. The flowers are noted for their colour variations according to soil pH. Hydrangea macrophylla come in shades of blue, red, pink, light purple or dark purple. Acidic soil produces a blue flower, while an alkaline soil tends towards pink. Your natural soil may trigger shades of purples, pinks and blues unique to it and you.
Planting Steps
- Keep your hydrangea in its nursery pot while you dig, so roots stay protected.
- Dig a hole slightly more shallow than the pot's depth, but two to three times as wide.
- Remove the pot, and center the rootball in the hole. It should sit barely above the surrounding soil. Hydrangeas have shallow roots, so don't plant too deep. Add soil back underneath if needed.
- Once you're satisfied, fill the hole halfway with soil.
- Water thoroughly, and treat your plant with Pennington Plant Starter to reduce transplant shock.
- Incorporate Pennington Rejuvenate Plant Food All-Purpose 4-4-4 into the soil to help give your hydrangeas a solid nutritional foundation. Then finish backfilling the hole, and water thoroughly.
Hydrangea Care
You may notice the words "hydrangea" and "hydrate" have a lot in common. Proper hydration is essential for hydrangea success. Regular feeding through the growing season helps ensure peak hydrangea beauty.
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Hydrangea develops branches and leaves prior to any root growth which can cause excessive evaporation. Ensure high humidity for potted plants because evaporation can be enormous, however, be careful with varieties sensitive to mildew. Try to avoid plant stress due to ‘evaporation shocks’.
Try to avoid any peaks in temperature, humidity and irradiance and maximize the root growth as smoothly as possible. Provide enough water to keep the substrate always moist. Stimulate rooting with 5 g/m2 Peters Professional Plant Starter 10-52-10. Support plant strength during finishing stage with 15 g/m2/week with Peters Professional Plant Finisher 9-9-36.
Ensure sufficient levels of trace elements, especially when potted Hydrangeas are grown outside. Spring nights can be cold, causing difficulties with phosphorus and iron availability. Keep EC levels low and stimulate roots with high P fertilizers when pruning the plants. Mix 4 g/l Osmocote Exact Standard 8-9M through the growing media.
Customers demand compact plants. Limit the need for growth regulation by stopping water-soluble feeding as soon as plants reach the desired length in August/September.
Pruning Hydrangeas
Timing is everything with hydrangea pruning. Panicle and smooth hydrangeas flower in summer on new spring stems - what's called "new wood." Cut back panicle hydrangeas by one-half right before spring growth starts. Cut smooth hydrangeas back to about 18 inches at the same time. The pruning encourages more new stems and that means more flowers.
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All other hydrangeas bloom in late spring to early summer on what's called "old wood" - the stems left from the previous year. Prune these types right after they finish blooming. Wait too long and you'll sacrifice next year's flowers.
Some hydrangeas bloom heavily on old stems and then have a second round of summer flowers on new stems. These "remontant" bloomers do best with little or no pruning. Cut out dead or damaged stems at any time. Pruning time is a great time to take cuttings and start new hydrangea plants.
Pests and Diseases
Hydrangeas can be prone to fungal leaf diseases that cause dark black or brown leaf spots, white spots or even holes in leaves. With fungal diseases, prevention is key. Stop, control and prevent hydrangea diseases such as leaf spot and rust with Daconil Fungicide, available in convenient ready-to-use and concentrate forms. Some hydrangea leaf holes come from unwelcome insects.
Leaf spot on Hydrangea
Enjoying Hydrangeas
Many gardeners let hydrangea flowers stay on the plant all winter. But fresh-cut blossoms and dried hydrangea flowers make gorgeous indoor arrangements, too. To make fresh-cut hydrangeas last as long as possible, wait until blooms mature fully and petals have a papery look.
Plan your harvest for early morning, before flowers get dehydrated and warmed by sun. Take a bucket of warm water, so cut stems can go in water immediately. Back inside, prep your vase and remove any remaining leaves. Run several inches of water in a sink or bowl, and recut the stems underwater to eliminate any water-blocking air bubbles.
For dried arrangements, wreaths and similar projects, you can let hydrangea flowers age on the plant to shades of antique green and pink, and then harvest your dried blooms. To expedite the process, harvest flowers once they start to age.
Garden hydrangeas will bring you and your family years of beauty and bouquets, whatever types of hydrangeas you choose to grow.
The Hydrangea genus belongs in the Hydrangeaceae or Hortensia family and Cornales order. There are around 66 species in the genus. The name Hydrangea originates from the Greek words for water (hydor) and a vase/vessel (angeio).
Hydrangea flowers have long gone over at Christmas in the UK. The russet-edged flowers can still add interest to the garden. They look particularly interesting in the first frost.
Table: Hydrangea Care Summary
| Aspect | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Watering | Keep soil moist, especially during growth. |
| Fertilizing | Use Peters Professional Plant Starter 10-52-10 for rooting and Peters Professional Plant Finisher 9-9-36 for finishing. |
| Sunlight | Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal. |
| Soil | Moist, well-drained soil with added organic matter. |
| Pruning | Prune panicle and smooth hydrangeas in early spring. Prune other types after blooming. |
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