Plant, care for, cut and more

Hydrangeas create picturesque impressions in beds and tubs. Cultivated as a romantic flowering shrub or raised into a small tree, hydrangeas demand little from the gardener. Answers to previously unanswered questions about dealing with the magnificent ornamental tree can be found here.

Plant hydrangeas properly

The professional planting of a hydrangea by placing the potted root ball in a bucket of soft water. How to proceed:

Dig a pit in the bed with twice the volume of the root ball
Fill the hollow with rhododendron or bog bed soil, enriched with leaf compost and horn shavings
Unpot the hydrangea and place it in the ground according to the previous planting depth
Press the substrate down with your hands and water

Finally, spread out a layer of mulch consisting of fern leaves, leaves, lawn clippings or pine needles. The planting in the pot follows the same pattern, supplemented by the creation of a drainage made of potsherds over the water drain in the bottom of the pot.
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care tips

The care protocol of a hydrangea consists of the following factors:

Determine the water requirement daily with a thumb test in order to water in the early morning and/or late evening
Primarily use collected rainwater or decalcified tap water
Fertilize between March and late August/early September
Winter protection recommended in the form of a 20-30 cm high layer of leaves and a felt or jute hood over the branches

In March, cut the faded flowers back to the next strong bud. Apart from panicle hydrangeas, an extensive pruning takes place at the expense of the next bloom. To prevent a bush from aging, thin out dead wood every year and at the same time remove all 5-year-old shoots close to the ground.
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Which location is suitable?

Allocate Hydrangea to a partially shaded, wind-protected location. Avoid a seat at the foot of one embankment or in a depression, since harmful waterlogging threatens here. The decorative shrub feels particularly comfortable in the wandering shade of tall deciduous trees. Thrive in a sunny location hydrangeas likewise, provided that an adequate supply of water is guaranteed.
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The right planting distance

The correct planting distance is relevant in two ways. If you arrange hydrangea as a group or hedge, the distance should be chosen just as wisely as in the immediate vicinity of the neighbor. How to determine the perfect value:

The ideal planting distance corresponds to half the growth width
Rule of thumb for the distance to the neighboring property: expected height in cm minus 130 results in the planting distance

What soil does the plant need?

In order to get the best out of a hydrangea, the soil should be like this:

Rich in nutrients and humus
Deeply loose, fresh and moist, with good water drainage
Low in lime with a pH of 4.0 to 5.5

In the planter, hydrangeas thrive excellently both as a shrub and as a small tree in compost-based ericaceous soil, enriched with lava granules or expanded clay.
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What is the best planting time?

The best time to plant hydrangea is spring, when there is no risk of ground frost. Alternatively, put the shrub in the ground in late summer when the soil has been deeply warmed by the sun. In principle, an appointment in summer is also possible in containers, but it is associated with a higher risk of failure due to drought stress.

When is flowering time?

The central flowering period extends from June to September. If the weather is mild, hydrangeas from the Endless Summer collection that bloom more often will be in bloom as early as May. If autumn comes with a golden October, hydrangeas will delight us with their blaze of color until the beginning of November.

Pruning hydrangeas properly

For the most part, restraint is required when pruning Hydrangea. Since hydrangeas mainly bloom on last year's wood, you rob yourself of the summer flower spectacle after cutting too extensively. Modern breeds and selected varieties are nevertheless more flexible. The following overview provides more information:

Farmhouse, plate and velvet hydrangeas: Cut off faded blossoms in spring and thin out the bush
Panicle Hydrangeas: Tolerates a pruning of more than 50 percent in March
Endless Summer: Thin out the first frequently flowering hydrangea collection in late summer. Cut off wilted flowers in March
With each thinning, prune the 5-year-old branches at the base for rejuvenation

Thanks to their cut compatibility, is primarily the panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) qualifies as a small tree or standard. With all other hydrangeas, an extensive pruning is possible immediately after flowering or in early spring, but at the expense of this year's abundance of flowers.
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watering hydrangeas

The hydrangea evaporates large amounts of moisture through its lush dress of flowers and leaves. Thus, the shrub turns out to be a very thirsty plant. Check the moisture content of the substrate daily with a thumb test. During summer droughts, water early morning and late evening as needed. Use mainly lime-free water, which you pour directly onto the root area of the shrub and tree.
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Fertilize hydrangeas properly

A balanced supply of nutrients is one of the primary requirements for vital growth and opulent flowering of hydrangeas. So fertilize You Hydrangea Expertly:

Apply leaf compost with horn shavings and coffee grounds every 14 days from March to September
Optionally apply natural fertilizer for hydrangeas from Compo or Substral to the roots every 4 weeks
Alternatively Special long-term fertilizer for hydrangeas, apply once in March, e.g. B. by Cuxin, Beckmann or Compo
Additionally Hydrangea mulch with fern leaves, nettles, leaves, grass clippings or pine needles

In addition, the specialist trade offers fertilizer preparations with blue tinting agents if this color is to be retained over a long period of time. In order to properly fertilize the shrub in the bucket, we recommend the use of adequate liquid fertilizer.
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hibernate

In order for a hydrangea to get through the cold season healthy, the following precautions should be taken:

Before the first frost, pile up the root area thickly with leaves, pine needles, straw or brushwood
The branches on the bush wrap the crown of the tree with jute ribbons or garden fleece

Leave the wilted flowers on the branches until spring so the buds underneath are more sheltered. In buckets, hydrangeas preferably overwinter in frost-free, not too dark winter quarters at 4-6 degrees Celsius.
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multiply hydrangeas

When hydrangeas spread their summery floral flair, the desire for more specimens grows. The following methods of propagation are uncomplicated:

Cut top cuttings in early summer and root them in lean substrate
Pull side shoots from the bush to the ground to lower them
Cut off root suckers, plant horizontally so that they take root

How do I plant correctly?

If a change of location is unavoidable, transplant a hydrangea in late summer or early spring. The more soil and root volume left on the bush, the more promising the procedure will be. Therefore, cut off the root strands over a wide area, get the hydrangea out of the ground and plant it in the new location without wasting any time. In the period that follows, water the plant regularly and extensively so that rooting progresses quickly.
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Hydrangeas in the pot

Hydrangea with a comparatively delicate habit are primarily predestined for cultivation in pots. Choose vessels with a minimum volume of 20 liters and an opening in the bottom for water drainage. A drainage made of expanded clay or potsherds prevents unwanted waterlogging. High-quality bog bed soil should preferably be considered as the substrate.
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Are hydrangeas poisonous?

Toxic substances such as hydrocyanic acid, saponins and other toxins flow through the plant pathways of a hydrangea. Although the concentration is low, care should be taken in the reach of children and pets. In addition, wearing gloves when planting and caring for hydrangeas is strongly recommended.
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brown leaves

Brown leaves on a hydrangea are an alarm signal that should be addressed immediately. Look out for the following causes:

Drought stress: Water the shrub or tree more regularly, even after a rain shower if necessary
Sunburn: Move the hydrangea to a semi-shady spot or protect it with a parasol
spider mites: Treat the affected hydrangea with a biological fungicide based on rapeseed oil

When are faded flowers cut off?

As the gardening season draws to a close, the withered inflorescences on hydrangeas always raise eyebrows among hobby gardeners. The paper flower heads are actually not that unsightly. Covered in hoarfrost, frost and snow, hydrangea blooms grace the garden even during winter, glittering in the sun. We therefore advocate pruning in early spring, especially since the withered flowers act as additional winter protection for the buds underneath.
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Why is my hydrangea losing its blue color?

Mother Nature didn't have blue in mind when she created Hydrangea. When a pink hydrangea turns into a blue gem, it has less to do with magic and more to do with an acidic soil pH. If the blue hue fades, this process signals an increasing acidity of the soil due to too much lime content. Here's how to get your hydrangea back to a bright blue color:

Buy potassium aluminum sulfate - alum - in the pharmacy, add to the irrigation water until the desired blue coloration
Alternatively apply a fertilizer with a deep blue dye, e.g. B. from Norax, Cuxin or liquid from Frux Classic Line
When organic fertilizer acidic leaf or coniferous compost also meets the requirements for a blue hydrangea

Is the hydrangea suitable for houseplants?

The hydrangea thrives wonderfully as a houseplant on the bright window sill. Use acidic bog bed soil with a drainage made of potsherds to prevent waterlogging as a substrate. Check the watering needs daily and fertilize every 14 days from March to the end of August with special hydrangea fertilizer. Once the hydrangea has exuded its bloom charm this year, carry the plant into a dark, frost-free room with temperatures around 5 degrees. Next spring, cut off the withered flower heads and gradually acclimate the hydrangea to more light and higher temperatures.
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