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Grow Your Hydrangeas Like A Pro!

Jun 13, 2024 | Trees

Grow Your Hydrangeas Like A Pro!

hydrangea, Changeable, Large-leaved, Garden, French, Wild-growing, Bush, Variety, Of, Paniculate
First things first, you will need to select an appropriate location. Some hydrangeas can tolerate partial to full sun, but most varieties prefer morning sun and afternoon shade. Leave a little extra space around the plant for air to flow to help prevent problems with fungus down the road.
 
Hydrangeas thrive in rich, well-drained soil. If you have overly sandy or clay-based soil (most FL yards do), you’ll need to amend your soil before planting. Don’t worry, it’s much easier than you might expect! Simply mix 1 part aged compost with 1 part peat or coconut coir. Spread a 6″ layer of this mixture evenly across the top of the bed you are amending. And till the amendments into your native soil until well mixed. If you’re preparing a large bed, it may be useful to rent a tiller from our shop. But a pitchfork or garden weasel is sufficient if you’re only prepping a small area. In addition to the aforementioned amendments, exceptionally hard-packed clay soils will benefit from the addition of Espoma Greensand.
Hydrangeas - Purple, Pink, bag aof peat moss, bag of greensand

Next Steps for Planting Your Hydrangeas

With your soil in tip top shape you’re ready for the next step. Dig a hole that is about twice as wide and just a little bit deeper than your hydrangea’s nursery pot. Toss a little bit of your fluffy, amended soil into the bottom of the hole. Along with that, toss a handful of BioTone starter fertilizer. After you remove your Hydrangea from its pot, use your fingers to gently loosen any tangled or tight roots. Then set the plant into the hole. Ensure that the base of the trunk is in line with the top of your hole. Add or remove soil beneath the plant as needed.

Once you have the plant exactly where you want it, do the following.  Begin to fill the remainder of the hole with more of your loose, fluffy, amended soil. Sprinkle a little BioTone here and there as you go. Ensure that the level of the soil in your hole matches that of the surrounding land. Also, avoid creating a mound of soil around the base of the trunk. Water your newly planted Hydrangea thoroughly. After planting, water every day for one week, every other day for two weeks, and weekly thereafter.

Hydrangeas -purple, bag of organic bio-tone starter

When Should I Prune?

hand with clipper clipping faded blooms

It depends on the variety! Old Fashioned varieties only bloom on old wood and should be pruned as soon as the blooms fade in fall. You want to give the Hydrangea a little time to grow before it goes dormant, because this pre-dormancy growth is where your buds will arise in spring. Reblooming varieties bloom on new spring growth and may be shaped as needed in early spring, before the buds begin to emerge.

Spotty Leaves?

We have the solution! Dark spots are fairly common on Hydrangea leaves, but fortunately there is an easy fix.

spotty leaves, container of Daconil Fungicide
First, make sure you only water the base of the plant and avoid splashing water droplets directly onto the leaves of your Hydrangea. This is the number one reason customers end up with leaf spots. If the problem persists, a common occurrence during the rainy season, treat the leaves with Daconil fungicide weekly until the problem subsides. This product is great for controlling a broad spectrum of vegetable, fruit, and ornamental plant diseases including black spot, botrytis blights, anthracnose, rusts, and powdery mildews.
 
If you have questions about any of these steps we would be happy to help. Call us at (850) -386-2114  or contact us here.
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