All About Hydrangea

All About Hydrangea this week. Hydrangea is one of the easiest flowering shrubs to grow. There is no need to fertilize, prune or use chemicals for it to flower each year. Different varieties require different care to insure your shrubs bloom from year to year. I’m sure you have all seen the range of colors of the hydrangea flowers. This is due to the soil PH that they are planted in. In neutral soil you will see a mauve to purple. Acidic soil yields blues and alkaline soil pinks.

For big leaf hydrangea varieties, Lace Cap and Mop head, pruning is helpful to insure new growth for the next season but should really not be done after July. Pruning after blooming is ideal. Sometimes it may be necessary to prune late in the season to control growth. If you need to prune later in the season be sure to leave a few flowers on the cane. Though not needed for growth pruning will help with flowering for the next season. If you are hesitant or have pruned only to have a result of no flowers there is an answer. Dr. Michael Dirr has developed several strains that will grow regardless of pruning. These varieties will also add a different color scheme to your garden. Blushing Bride is a Mop head with white to pink flowers and soil chemistry has no bearing on the bloom colors. For Lace Cap lovers Twist ‘n Shout will yield a range of blues.

The Mop head and Lace Cap shrubs are native to Asia. They should not be planted in an area that gets sun all day long. Other than 3 hours in the morning they will flourish better in a shady area.

Oak Leaf hydrangeas are native to the Southeastern United States and grow very well in the Myrtle Beach area. The blooms are a beautiful white and provide a long grow period – in the fall they are still blooming. If pruning the Oak Leaf do so after it blooms. This strain requires little maintenance once it is established. Because it is native to our area it can grow in a sunnier area and require less water than the other varieties. Be careful not to over water as root rot can develop! Oak leaf flowers do not change color regardless of the soil ph. They make a beautiful and easy to grow addition to any landscape.

There are other varieties/colors which we will discuss in later posts

Want to know more or add hydrangeas to your landscaping or garden? Call the experts at Beach Landscaping – 843-839-5584 to speak to one of our professional landscaper designers. We will insure the shrubs are planted in an ideal location to afford you a beautiful array of flowers all spring and summer long.

Beach Landscaping – where our grass is always greener!