Caring for Hydrangeas
Garden Forum -> Archive Quickie
| Posted by: tiffyt |
Hi All,
I planted three new Endless Summer Hydrangeas about a month ago. They appear to be doing nicely thus far. One of the plants has two flower heads that are beginning to appear. I'm wondering if you all think I should cut those flower heads off so that the plant can use its energy to establish a good root system and fill out in size which are my two primary concerns right now. I know that they say to do this with newly planted annuals for the first two weeks and I practice this and have been shocked at how much better the annuals look later in the season because of it!
I gave the hydrangeas a good feeding of plant tone when I first planted them and they get decent amounts of water and sunlight. Anything else I should do with them? Will they need pruning next spring? I've been reading on these, but it seems every book tells me to do something different with them!
As always, thanks for sharing you wisdom! |
| Posted by: moonbaby |
| Here is what I found !
Its mop- head type flowers are big and showy, up to eight inches in diameter. The striking blooms are clear pink in soils with poor aluminum uptake (typically alkaline soil) and blue in acidic soils with sufficient aluminum.
By cutting back to half the emerging growth, the amount of blooms is significantly increased. Deadheading will promote blooms from April through October in warmer regions, and June through frost in colder areas.
Endless Summer was discovered by Bailey Nurseries of St. Paul, Minnesota. The mature plant will reach three to five feet in height and width with a full, well-rounded shape. It's ideal as a shrub for mass plantings, or a specimen plant. Works very well in containers. Will take morning sun, but thrives best in a dappled or shaded place in the garden. Moist, well-drained setting.
Good luck! It needs acid soil if you want blue flowers! |
| Posted by: MrSeedy |
| I need to try that one , since the older varieties of mop heads and lacecaps need to flower on the previous years growth and mine are always killed back in the winter, so I lose the flower buds. Since that one flowers on new growth the same season , it would work for me. |
| Posted by: MrSeedy |
| In answer to the question about pruning increasing blooms, it means that plants that flower on new growth will branch much more when pruned so with the extra branches you'll also have extra blooms. By pruning the older growth you encourage lots of extra branches that will flower. |
| Posted by: tiffyt |
| This is probably a dumb question... but,
I hear all this talk about new growth, old growth, etc. How do I know which is new growth and which is old growth. Do I wait until next spring and cut back the stuff that has turned woody and dried out or do I have to do it before winter? |
| Posted by: Nettle |
Old growth means woody twigs, new growths means green twigs. Pruning old growth means encouraging grown of more new green twigs which then produce flowers. The new green twigs are producing the flowers. That will be the next year thou, when your cutting back deep into the old wood. Dunno how long your vegetation periode is, tiffyt. Pruning means in the beginning lesser flowers, but a compact and green plant.
er.....sorry , that's what MrSeedy already said, I guess
btw, your hydrangea looks wonderful, tiffyt. Did you know that
quote: It is known that the hydrangea flower is pink if the shrub grows on acidic soil and blue if the shrub is found growing on alkaline soil. |
| Posted by: MrSeedy |
| I think the easiest way to explain old growth and new growth is to think in terms of the distance the branch is from the bottom of the plant or near the roots. Obviously the oldest growth is right near the ground and then the next branches from that are the next oldest and so forth up the stem to each new branch. The very top parts are usually green when they're first formed and on the very tips of the branches at the top, but if you go backwards you'll find woody stems where those branches branched off and those would be probably year old growth. If you follow those backward to where they branched off , they'd probably be two year old wood, but if they're pruned several times a year that wouldn't be true as you might get two or three "branchings" in just one season. Hope I haven't confused you even more. |
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Have you posted your exchange list?
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