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Hydrangea Care

Hydrangeas thrive in partial shade and well-drained soil. Their flower color is influenced by soil pH, with acidic soil producing blue flowers and alkaline soil producing pink or red flowers. Hydrangeas require different pruning techniques depending on the species, with some pruned in late winter to encourage larger blooms, while others are pruned only after flowering.

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314 views

Hydrangea Care

Hydrangeas thrive in partial shade and well-drained soil. Their flower color is influenced by soil pH, with acidic soil producing blue flowers and alkaline soil producing pink or red flowers. Hydrangeas require different pruning techniques depending on the species, with some pruned in late winter to encourage larger blooms, while others are pruned only after flowering.

Uploaded by

Anonymous MVHQ97KEoP
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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16622 Twin Lakes Avenue, Arlington, WA 98223 • www.theplantfarm.

com • 360-652-3351

Hydrangea Care
Hydrangeas combine romantic tradition with bold and exciting modern varieties.
Their easy care, adaptability, long bloom time and shade-loving qualities make
them a garden favorite.

Sun or Shade?
In nature, most hydrangeas are found in woodland areas under a high tree canopy that provides the
dappled shade that protects their flowers from becoming faded or sun-scorched. In this semi-shade,
hydrangea flowers appear to glow, yet the plants still have access to life-supporting rain and light. In a
garden setting, most hydrangeas also perform best in filtered sunlight, although needs do vary by
species:
• Hydrangea arborescens (smooth hydrangea) prefers light shade and regular summer water.
• H. macrophylla (bigleaf or garden hydrangea) prefers some shade, although lacecap types (flat or slightly
rounded heads with tiny fertile flowers) don’t scorch in open sun as easily as mophead types (round, globelike
heads).
• H. paniculata (Pee Gee) will flourish in full sun but its brittle stems need protection from strong winds.
• H. quercifolia (oakleaf) prefers light or full shade but will take full sun if you keep its soil moist.

Soil Conditions
Hydrangeas thrive in well-drained, humus-rich soil in their natural woodland environment, but they can
handle sandy, clay and stony soils if you improve the planting site with our Organic Compost and keep the
soil evenly moist. It also helps to use our compost as a mulch to help preserve soil moisture, provide
nutrients and reduce weeds.

Color Change
With many hydrangeas, flower color and intensity is affected by your soil’s pH. Acidic soil tends to
produce blue flowers and alkaline soil tends to produce pink or red flowers. Some hydrangea varieties
stay constant or vary little in their flower color, regardless of the soil.

If you have moderately acidic soil (unless a soil test tells you otherwise, in our area it is pretty safe to
assume this is the case), you may be able to adjust the pH enough to change the color of your
hydrangea’s flowers. You will have the best luck with the mophead and lacecap varieties of H.
macrophylla.
Hydrangea Care Guide (over) Updated 5/03
• To make blue flowers more intense, add 1 tablespoon of aluminum sulfate to 1 gallon of water and apply to the
soil during the growing season to make your soil more acidic. Caution: overuse of aluminum sulfate can cause
root damage. Fertilizing with rhododendron food will also help acidify your soil.
• To make blue flowers turn pink, add 2 cups of lime to the planting hole to make the soil more alkaline, adding
more twice a year during the growing season. Caution: Adding too much lime can cause chlorosis (inability to
absorb sufficient iron), which results in yellow leaves.

Note: When a H. macrophylla cultivar is first planted in the ground, or transplanted from one spot to another, its
color has a natural tendency to edge toward red (blue flowers could become lilac, pink could become red, etc.). This
may be because the plant is temporarily unable to absorb the natural aluminum in the soil. So give it a chance to
settle in before adding even more aluminum sulfate or lime to try to force a color change.

Pruning
The various hydrangea species require different pruning techniques. Hydrangeas will grow and flower if
they are never pruned at all, but careful pruning can encourage bigger blooms, enhance the shape and
symmetry of branches and boost the plant’s overall vigor. There are four species that have specific
requirements:
• H. arborescens – In February or March each year, cut all branches back to 1 foot from the ground. There is no
danger of frost damage, as the flower buds have not yet formed at that time. The plant will grow rapidly in the
spring and bear large flowers the same season.
• H. macrophylla – In spring or early summer, after all danger of frost is past, clip off spent flowers and cut back
each stem to just above the new buds. Cut out any damaged or dead branches to allow light and air to flow
through the plant. Do not prune in the fall, as the resulting new growth would be too tender to withstand the
coming frosts. Lightly prune young plants, saving more extensive pruning for when the hydrangeas are at least
six years old.
• H. paniculata – There are two ways to handle this species.
1) Prune back to only 2 buds at the base of each stem in February or March, or
2) Remove entire branches if you need to reduce the size of the plant.
Both of these methods will increase flower size. If left unpruned, you will get more, but smaller, flowers.
• H. quercifolia – This species produces blooms on the previous year’s growth, so thin lightly, primarily cutting out
weak or dead branches. The best time to prune is in the spring, or after flowering.

Hydrangea Care Guide Updated 5/03

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