Learning how to take care of hydrangeas isn’t difficult, though. These hydrangea care guidelines came straight from the pros, and they’ll help you care for your blooms in a vase, potted, in the ground, or wherever else they take root. Pick up some trusty gardening tools and get ready to get your hands dirty—your hydrangeas will thank you.
Hydrangeas are generally easy to grow and care for. The different varieties do need slightly different conditions, so check the individual plant for more detailed instructions on care.
Light requirements
Most hydrangeas prefer to be located in full sun or partial shade. However, they do not like exceptionally hot, arid conditions so if your garden receives a lot of sun they will prefer to be a little protected from the worst of the heat.
Water requirements
Hydrangeas usually need a deep watering about once a week. In very dry weather they may need even more. It is best to give them a thorough watering rather than a light sprinkling every day. Water your plants at the base rather than on the leaves to help prevent too much humidity which can encourage fungus to thrive. Water early in the day to allow any moisture on the leaves to evaporate. The American varieties are more drought tolerant than the Asian ones.
Soil requirements
Hydrangeas can grow in a wide range of soils including acid and alkaline types. However, the Asian varieties need acid soil in order to flower. All types prefer a rich soil that is moist but free draining. If planted in dry soil they will need more watering. If your soil is poor, then adding extra compost and organic matter can help them thrive.
Fertilizer requirements
Fertilize your shrub in early spring to support new growth and plentiful blooms. You can use an organic soil improver or a slow release shrub fertilizer. You may like to repeat this in summer, depending on your soil conditions. However, do not fertilize after August as this can encourage new growth that will be too tender to survive harsh winter weather. There are special hydrangea fertilisers available, but these are not really necessary.
Do not be tempted to over fertilise your shrub. If your plant is looking sickly it is important to find out exactly what is wrong rather than just feeding it more. Over fertilising can cause more problems for an already stressed plant.
Hydrangeas also benefit from an application of liquid iron every two years. This will keep the leaves nice and green and healthy. This is particularly important for the Asian varieties.
If you are growing a pink or blue variety, you can keep the colour you want by adding small quantities of either sulphur or lime to the soil. Lime will result in pink blooms and sulphur will turn them blue. This will not happen overnight, so you will have to be patient.
Cultivation
Hydrangeas prefer a partially shaded position. They will grow in sunnier positions – but not very sunny, hot conditions – providing the soil is kept moist.
Hydrangeas need a moisture-retentive soil that is well drained in winter, but doesn’t dry out in summer.
The flower colour depends on the acidity or alkalnity of the soil or compost. In alkaline soils (pH greater than 7) they will be pink, but in acidic soils (pH less than 7), the same plants produce blue flowers.
How to care for hydrangeas
As the word ‘hydra’ means water, hydrangeas need plenty of moisture at the roots to grow well. They are shallow-rooted shrubs, so soon dry out during periods of prolonged dry weather.
Keep the soil and roots moist by giving a thorough watering once a week during dry weather. Mulching the soil will help retain soil moisture and keep the roots cool – as well as help to keep down weeds.
Feed with a general granular plant food or a high potash rose food in spring.
Pruning: Bush hydrangeas don’t need regular pruning. As the flower buds of mophead and lacecap varieties are produced at the tips of their stems, any pruning will cut these off resulting in no or very few flowers.
If you do need to prune, to reduce the overall height for example, do it over 3 years, pruning one-third of the stems hard back to ground level or a low-growing growth point or bud in spring. These stems won’t flower that year, but you’ll only miss one-third of the display each year.
Hydrangea paniculata varieties can be left unpruned, or cut back annually in February/March to a low framework of branches to produce larger flowers, although this can also reduce the number of flowers.
The climbing hydrangea should have any overlong shoots cut back immediately after flowering. Doing this at other times of the year will remove the flower buds.
Propagating Hydrangea Plants
Hydrangea plants can be propagated by softwood cuttings taken in June.
Using a sharp clean knife, strip the lower half of the leaves from a 6-8 inch healthy cutting.
Dip about 3/4 inch of the cut end into a rooting hormone such as Roottone® or Hormonex®, and insert the cutting about one inch deep into sterile moist sand, vermiculite or sphagnum moss.
Create a mini-greenhouse over the container with poly film over a wire frame and place it in a bright spot (NOT full sun!) until the roots form.
After the cutting has rooted it should be planted in a mix of loam and peat moss.
Hydrangea cuttings may also root when placed in a glass of clean water.
Disease and Pest Management
Hydrangeas are generally hardy plants, but they can suffer from problems with mold, powdery mildew, rust, blight and leaf spot, as well as bugs, including aphids, scale insects and spider mites. Diseases, like powdery mildew and leaf spot, are rarely fatal, but they damage leaves. Fungal problems usually result from humid conditions or if hydrangeas are not receiving enough sun. Recommended control methods include application of sulfur, neem oil or potassium bicarbonate. Insect pests, like aphids, are best managed using insecticidal soap sprays, while regular watering during hot spells will keep spite mites at bay.
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