With their large ruffled leaves and round clusters of tiny flowers, hydrangeas are a shrub that makes their presence known in a garden. We don’t blame you for being curious about them! Luckily, they are easy to take care of and will reward you with incredible flowers.
In this guide, we are going to get to know the hydrangea and all its care needs, from watering, soil, and light to propagation and pruning.
By the end of this, you will have all the information you need to grow hydrangeas like a pro, no matter where you live or what skill level you have as a gardener.
What is a Hydrangea?
So, as always, let’s start with some basic facts.
| Hydrangea | Specification |
| Order | Cornales |
| Family | Hydrangeaceae |
| Genus | Hydrangea |
| Threat Level | Not threatened |
Hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs native to the Americas and Asia. They have been made popular all over the world because of their stunning multi-colored flowers and ornamental qualities.
They can grow from 2ft-6ft in height and width depending on how far they have to spread and how you prune them. The flowers are tiny and delicate blooms that congregate together into large heads. They can bloom in white, pink, purple, blue, and red, sometimes with multiple colors on one bush.
These lovely shrubs are very hardy and will tolerate some neglect, which makes them very good for beginner gardeners. They should be planted in autumn so they have time to establish themselves and grow a healthy root system before the summer heat and winter frost hit.
Their bloom time is from summer all the way through to fall.
There are 75 species of hydrangeas that vary slightly in bloom color, size, and spread. The flowers are classified into four main types.
- Mopheads- These are the most common types of hydrangeas that feature large puffy balls of flowers
- Lacecaps- These incorporate the flowers of the mopheads but with a circle of smaller flowers sitting at the center.
- Mountain- These are similar to the lacecaps; they are far more cold hardy with smaller flowers.
- Panicle- This variety of hydrangea is known as hydrangea paniculata, and they have unique cone-shaped clusters of blooms.
Since there are so wide varieties, we suggest taking note of the particular species when you first buy the plant as the species will affect some of its care, as you will see later in this article.
How to Care for Your Hydrangea
Ok, now it’s time to get down to business! We are going to tackle this care guide by breaking it down into categories so you can nail every part of this wonderful flower’s care.
As you will soon see, caring for a hydrangea bush is relatively easy and a very good stepping stone into the world of caring for larger plants.
Soil Conditions
One of the elements that make hydrangeas so easy to care for is the fact that they can tolerate just about any soil pH. They generally prefer loamy, well-draining soil, but they can handle alkaline, neutral, and acidic soils.
This is will save you a lot of time and money on soil additives to adjust the pH of your soil to your plants. Hydrangeas will take anything you give to them!
However, there may be one reason that you want to pay attention to the pH of your soil.
Soil pH actually has a magical effect on hydrangeas. Some species (excluding the white varieties) have color-changing flowers that will vary from red to pink to blue and purple depending on the pH of their soil. For instance, more alkaline soil will produce bluer flowers.
So, if you want a particular color flower, we suggest testing your soil and using additives to adjust the pH and the colors along with it.
Light
One of the most important factors to get right with hydrangeas is their light requirements. If you get this right and don’t overwater, you will have some happy hydrangeas.
Hydrangeas prefer semi-shaded areas or spots that receive dappled sunlight. Ideally, they should receive morning sun and afternoon shade, so they are protected from the midday heat (so planting on the east side of your house is recommended).
Too much sun can cause the hydrangeas to wilt, eventually harming the plant. We suggest upping their water intake to compensate if they are planted in a sunnier spot.
Watering
Hydrangeas love a good watering, but it is vital that you don’t overwater them as this can lead to fungal infections and root rot.
We suggest watering your hydrangea bushes three times a week, but you can increase this when the weather gets very hot. The best way to avoid overwatering is to test the soil with your finger before you water it. Simply insert your finger into the soil to the second knuckle. If the soil feels dry, it is time to water.
You should always water your hydrangeas from the base to avoid splashing water on the leaves, as this can cause them to go brown.
Pests and Disease
Pests are a hassle no matter what plant you are dealing with. These are the pests that are most commonly found on hydrangeas and how to handle them:
- Scale- This is identified through the small white eggs that they will lay on your plant.
- Slugs- These slimy creatures are particularly tenacious in small plants. They will feed on the leaves, making the edges ragged.
- Aphids- Small black or green bugs on the leaves will appear.
- Beetles- Various beetle varieties will feed on the petals and leaves.
- Fruit worm- This is more common in mature hydrangeas. The worms will cause small holes in the leaves.
Most of these pests can be treated with a spray of insecticide. In the case of beetles, you can remove them by hand.
Most of the diseases that plague hydrangeas are due to overwater, so, as we have seen so far, getting the watering right is essential.
The most common ailments that affect hydrangeas are:
- Root rot- This is caused by overwatering and can be remedied by allowing the soil to dry out and removing any heavily damaged areas. If your hydrangeas are potted, we suggest transplanting them into fresh soil.
- Iron chlorosis- If your soil lacks iron, your hydrangea might develop iron chlorosis. This will cause the leaves to yellow over time. You can fix this by adding iron to the soil through an additive.
- Black spots- This is a fungus caused by overwatering. It will cause black patches to appear across the leaves, but it can be fixed by simply cutting back on watering and removing the affected leaves to prevent it from spreading.
- Powdery mildew- If your leaves have strange white patches spreading across the leaves, then you likely have mildew. It won’t kill your plant, but it will cause it to drop leaves. It can be treated with neem oil.
- Rust- This issue causes rust-colored spots to appear on the underside of the leaves before turning the leaves yellow and causing them to drop off. It can also be treated with neem oil.
You can see pictures of hydrangea problems here.
Pruning
Pruning is an absolutely essential process for growing hydrangeas. This is because they can easily overgrow and turn into a wild mass of stems with fewer flowers. Not only that, but pruning also promotes more blooming, so your hard work will be well rewarded. However, pruning hydrangeas can get a little confusing because you can’t prune all species the same way.
First of all, you need to identify which hydrangea you have so you know what time of year to prune. If your hydrangea blooms from new wood, you need to prune it in late winter or early spring. If you have a variety that blooms from old wood, you need to prune it in summer after flowering.
Make sure to cut up any larger pieces and add all the cuttings to your compost heap to reduce your plant waste.
Grow Your Yard Tip: Occasionally, you may notice your hydrangeas wilting but don’t be alarmed. This could be from too much sun, not enough water, or over-fertilizing. Follow this guide to prevent your hydrangea from wilting again. (link to wilting here)
Propagating Your Hydrangea
Propagating is a great way to increase the size of your garden without spending any extra cash, and luckily, it’s really easy to propagate a hydrangea.
If you get your timing right, you can actually use the cutting you take from pruning to get your propagation started, so less of the plant ends up in the compost heap.
Here is a quick little guide on exactly how to propagate your hydrangea:
You will need: a mother plant, pair of pruning shears, a small pot, well-draining potting soil, and a plastic bag
- Pick a well-established hydrangea to make your cutting from.
- Choose a stem with new growth. It will be lighter than the older parts of the stem.
- Make a horizontal cut 4-5 inches from the top of the stem. There should be at least 3-4 pairs of leaves on your cutting.
- Cut off the bottom pair of leaves flush to the stem. This is where the roots will grow from.
- Prepare a small pot with moist, well-draining soil.
- Plant the cutting in the soil up to the bottom set of leaves.
- Water well.
- Cover the pot with a plastic bag, ensuring that the leaves do not touch the bag as this could cause rot. If you are struggling, we suggest using chopsticks to direct the leaves away from the edges of the bag.
- Place the pot in a warm place away from direct sunlight or wind.
- Leave it to root for a few weeks, checking periodically to see if it needs water.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which hydrangea I have?
Identifying your hydrangea correctly is challenging and will probably involve lots of photo comparisons and maybe even a helping hand from your local garden center.
There are over 75 species of hydrangeas, so figuring this out can be challenging. In general, you will need to compare flower color and distribution, the shape and size of the flowers, and whether they bloom from old or new wood.
Why didn’t my hydrangeas bloom this year?
There are a few factors that could stop your hydrangea from blooming.
As we mentioned earlier, pruning is very important in promoting flower growth, so doing this incorrectly or neglecting it altogether can prevent your hydrangea from blooming.
Other factors that could be going into this are bud damage, incorrect plant location, too much fertilizer, and not enough water. To stop this happening next season, hold back on your fertilizer, prune well, and potentially consider moving your plant to a more suitable location.
A happy hydrangea will bloom happily, so the lack of flowers clearly indicates that something in their environment is not quite right.
Is Epsom salt good for hydrangeas?
As we touched on earlier, the pH level of your soil will affect the color of the hydrangea flowers, and that’s where Epsom salts come in!
Epsom salts contain magnesium sulfate and sulfur that are very handy for lowering the pH of your soil. If you add them to your soil, it will make the flowers of certain hydrangea species turn a beautiful blue shade.
Conclusion
As you can see, hydrangeas are a wonderful plant that adds height, shrubbery, and riotous color, all with one humble plant.
They are hardy and easy to care for, as we have illustrated, and this minimal love and care is all you will need to be rewarded with stunning flowers. The number one tip we have is to get the watering right. If your hydrangeas have the correct moisture levels growing them will be simple.
If you use this guide wisely, you will be able to rear and maintain the most stunning hydrangeas to adorn your garden for years to come.
