How to Plant Hydrangeas

I am always looking for new plants to add to my garden, and one of them was the hydrangea. I was delighted to get the opportunity to grow my own hydrangeas with a collaboration and beautiful plants thanks to www.plantingtree.com. Keep reading to learn how to plant hydrangeas!

Hydrangeas are considered old-fashioned plants, but are making a comeback. I’ve seen many hydrangeas grown in yards all over Southern California.

These colorful flowering plants come in a variety of colors and types. I love the fact that many can grow in containers and enjoy shade. My container garden is engulfed in shade half the year, making hydrangeas the perfect addition to my garden!

Types of Hydrangeas

There are about 5-7 basic types of hydrangeas. These include bigleaf, climbing, oakleaf, mountain, and panicle hydrangeas. From those types, there are many varieties that come in an array of colors and sizes.

As I just mentioned, there are many different types of hydrangeas that you can grow in your garden. Below are several popular types of hydrangeas.

• Endless Summer-This popular hydrangea is a great flowering shrub. You can grow pink, blue, or purple flowers, based on the pH in the soil.
• Bloomstruck Hydrangea-These hydrangeas also come in an array of colors, based on the soil’s pH. Many flowers bloom from these plants and they grow great in containers. I can’t wait for mine to bloom beautiful, pink flowers!
• Pistachio Hydrangea-These hydrangeas come in striking red and green. They are a smaller plant, making them perfect for containers.
• Twist-n-Shout Hydrangea-This lacecap hydrangea is the first of its kind to bloom over and over again. Buds are in the middle while pretty flowers bloom on the edge surrounding the buds.
• Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea-This hydrangea is a panicle hydrangea. These hydrangeas have pointy looking blooms. The cream and pink contrast of the flowers are striking!
• White Climbing Hydrangea Vine-This hydrangea is in the group that grows on a vine. These white flowers bloom similar to the lacecaps and can make any fence beautiful again with its blooms!
• L.A. Dreamin-I had to add this hydrangea to the list because of its name. What makes this hydrangea plant unique is that blue, pink, and purple flowers can bloom on it all at the same time!

Planting Hydrangeas

With the help of my husband, I placed both hydrangeas into pots that were a little bigger than the plants so that they had room to grow. I added some potting soil to the bottom.

Once the plants were placed in their containers, I added more potting soil to the sides of the pots. I kept turning the pot so that the plant stayed in the middle and had the same amount of soil on all sides.

I made sure that the plant sat slightly higher than the soil and watered throughout the process. New plants need to be watered more frequently as they settle into their new home.

Watering Hydrangeas

Most plants need to be watered more frequently when settling into their new home. Hydrangeas are the same. Water your hydrangeas deeply at least once a week once they have settled in their new growing area.

Pruning Hydrangeas

Plantingtree.com was kind enough to prune my hydrangeas before sending them out to me. Each type of hydrangea needs to be pruned slightly differently for best results.

For a fuller plant, prune back after the flowers bloom, usually in late summer. This can vary based on the type of hydrangeas you have and where you live. If you aren’t sure, contact a local gardener or supplier of hydrangeas to find out when it is best to prune back your plants.

Fertilizing Hydrangeas

You can fertilize your hydrangeas using a slow release type fertilizer right before the plants start to flower. For best results, fertilize once in the spring and once in the early summer for plenty of blooms.

Changing the Color of Hydrangeas

Did you know that you could change the color of flowers on certain hydrangea plants? All you need to do is change the pH level of the soil its planted in.

High pH in soil can cause the flowers to bloom pink. Low pH in the soil can cause the flowers to bloom blue. With some trial and error, you can control what type of color you want your hydrangeas to bloom!

How to Plant Hydrangeas

I hope you found this post helpful if you have hydrangeas or are thinking of growing them. Do you have hydrangeas or are thinking about growing some? Let me know in the comments section below!