Growing Hydrangea
Hydrangea is a great plant that offers a long flowering season on a nicely shaped bush. Books suggest sun / partial shade. But, our experience is that it can thrive in full sun, but heavy shade will leave it stunted. It is relatively pest free which is a real boon. It is also fairly resistant to frosts, though new blooms may get damaged in a heavy frost. It is a heavy feeder, especially when in bloom. Give a good feed in spring with a general plant fertiliser.
Flowers come from new shoots, so you can prune back the old shoots in Autumn. But, we like to just dead head to encourage more flowers.
Getting More Flower Heads
- Feed with phosphorous rich fertliser like bone meal.
- Water well from early spring to encourage growth but remember Hydrangeas flower on old wood.
- Prune with care I repeat ‘remember Hydrangeas flower on old wood.’
- Blooms come from buds set in the autumn at the tips of stems.
- Reduce the number of stems on the plant in early autumn.
Care For Growing Hydrangea
- Water if necessary in flowering season
- Dead Head to encourage longer flowering seasons
- Position in Sunny fertile soil and feed in Spring
How To Change Colour Of Hydrangea?
A fascinating aspect of hydrangea is that it is a natural ph kit. In alkaline soils it will turn pink and in acid soils blue. and in neutral soils white. To change the colour of the flowers you will have to change the ph of the soil.e.g. adding Lime will make the soil more alkaline and could change flowers to pink.
Other Resources
Royal Horticultural Society RHS ‘Gardening for All’
National Council for Conservation of Plants and Gardens ‘Conservation through Cultivation.’
Garden Organic National Charity for Organic Gardening.
BBC Gardening
