Hydrangeas (Hydrangea Macrophylla) produce one of the largest bloom heads of any flowering shrub. Upon closer inspection, you will discover that the one large bloom consists of many tiny flowers.
That’s not the only secret hydrangeas have – this shrub can be manipulated into changing bloom colors!
Hydrangeas are easy to grow, make excellent cut flowers, and dry easily for dried floral arrangements.
Shady Location
A partially shaded location with moist soil is the ideal location. The shrub also needs to be planted near a water source because with will need to be watered frequently.
Water, Water, Water
The ‘hydra’ in the name indicates the hydrangea needs plenty of water. Water is lost at a rapid rate through the big, broad leaves of the shrub and it dehydrates easily in the summer heat.
Water deeply at least twice a week during the summer, more often if the leaves begin to wilt. This is one of the most important facts to grow hydrangeas.
We recently had a prolonged drought down under, where I live, but pleasantly my hydrangeas survived through it. I watered them everyday but nearly all its leaves wilted with only partial green left towards the end of summer. The shade may have saved the plant from the extreme heat and dryness.
Feeding Time
Hydrangeas need to be fed three times a year, once in early spring, again at the beginning of summer, and once again in mid-summer.
Feed with your choice of plant food. Compost and well-rotted animal manure, or any balanced fertilizer.
Pruning A Hydrangea
You should prune a hydrangea soon after the blooms have faded so you won’t risk cutting off next year’s buds. Hydrangeas produce blooms on old wood and usually just need a light over-all pruning to keep the shrub looking neat.
Actually you can shape the hydrangea as you like. I am shaping it like “V” and keeping all the foliage 2/3 above the ground.
Propagation
Propagation is done by a method called ‘layering‘. Dig a 3-inch (7.5 cm) deep trench near the base of the shrub. Make the trench 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide and 5-6 inches (10 – 12 cm) long. Select a long, healthy limb near the bottom of the hydrangea and bend it into the trench and cover with soil.
Allow 6-12 inches (12 – 24 cm) of the limb tip to stick out of the trench. Place a small rock on the buried portion of the limb to keep it buried and water each time you water the shrub.
A new root system will form from the buried limb in a year and you can cut free from the parent plant and transplant it.
The lowest limb of my hydrangea ended up touching the ground, and it kept pushing it down with its weight over time and started growing roots. It was an accidental propagation, but I was impressed it can really establish roots like that.
Change Hydrangea Bloom Color
The hydrangea flowers change color according to the amount of aluminum and acid in the soil. Hydrangeas will produce blue or purple flowers in acidic soil where more aluminum is present. The lower the pH, the bluer the flowers. Add aluminum sulfate or sulfur to increase acidity.
In neutral soil, hydrangeas take up less aluminum and the flowers are pink. On white flowers, only the eye color of the male flowers will change. Add lime to the soil to neutralize it and change the blue hydrangea blooms to white or pink.
Different flower colors like white and blue blooms can appear on the same shrub too.
How cool is that!
Plant facts
| Genus | Hydrange |
| Light | part shade, shade |
| Soil type | clay, loam, sand |
| Soil drainage | moist but well drained |
| Height x Width | 5~6 x 5~6 feet (150 ~180 x 150~180 cm) |
| Flowering seasons | Summer |
| Life span | perennial |
| Plant hardiness zones | 6 – 9 |
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