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Secrets
of proper care and feeding for your hydrangea Hydrangeas
are full sun to partial shade plants that appreciate moist, well-drained
soil. Lots of organic matter will help here, although the nicest
hydrangeas I’ve seen were all on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard in
virtually pure sand; I suspect it’s simply the moist part that’s
important; water copiously. We'll talk about pruning hydrangeas as well
as other factors that affect color, growth and health. As
to feeding, don’t feed new plants until established (1 to 2 months)
and then use a balanced fertilizer. Feed sparingly, as too much nitrogen
stops flowering. Hydrangea color The
other big question with feeding hydrangeas is flower color. Acid soils
give us blues and baser soils cause pink flowers. The key is aluminum
ions in the soil, so aluminum sulfate is a good quick fix, but prolonged
use year after year may cause a fatal build up in the soil. Iron sulfate
is a safer fix, or try alternating. If pink is what you want, top dress
with dolomite or drench with a quick lime solution. Failure to flower: frost and late pruning Hydrangeas
fail to flower for several reasons. Most common would be frost damage,
followed very closely by late pruning. Too much shade or nitrogen are
other likely culprits, but lets look at siting our plant and pruning as
our best controls. If your hydrangea is not flowering look at your
growing practices and where you have it planted and make appropriate
changes. Partial shade means more than four (more like six) hours of sunlight. Finding a more sheltered spot may help. But I suspect that the reason 9 times out of ten is pruning practices. Let’s review…. PruningIncorrect
pruning is the biggest downfall of hydrangeas. Too much pruning and the
macrophyllas won’t bloom, too little and the paniculatas become in
Michael Dirr’s words “Monstrosity in the landscape.” The vine and big leaf types should be pruned immediately after flowering or not at all! Cut back to a good pair of buds, the last pair if you want to dwarf the plant back some. The panicle hydrangeas should be pruned in winter or very early spring and pruned HARD. Selecting 5 to 10 canes will produce the huge panicles most people are looking for. Besides, at 15 feet, Pee Gee needs reigning in. Cut it back to that last pair or two of buds. You’ll be glad you did in 10 years. Pests
and Disease While the list of diseases (wilt, blight, leafspot, rust) and
pests (rose chafer, scale, mites and nematodes) seems daunting, I would
tell you I have never actually seen any of these, and don’t expect to.
I have seen powdery mildew, but this is easily controlled with benomyl,
oil or lime sulfur (the latter two will discolor blossoms). Generally
the biggest problems with this plant are siting and culture, so find a
sheltered, partly shaded spot, water regularly, and soon your summer and
fall will be filled with hydrangeas. Summer is good Hydrangeas
can be the backbone of most summer borders. Their cultural requirements
lend themselves to combining with roses (in a full sun situation; both
need plenty of water), weigelia, spirea, and any number of other summer
flowering shrubs. Let’s not forget the perennial border; there are any
number of possible combinations there. All in all, hydrangeas are a
versatile plant that deserves a place in your garden. |
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