Selecting the appropriate-sized planter for your hydrangea is the first step in planting. Because their roots are vigorous and quickly fill smaller containers, hydrangeas do not grow well in smaller containers. Additionally, smaller containers dry out far too quickly for hydrangeas. Generally speaking, we advise purchasing a medium to big planter that is at least 2 feet wide.
Make sure there are drainage holes at the bottom of the planter once you’ve chosen it. It is necessary for hydrangeas to be grown in pots because they will decay if the soil lacks adequate drainage. To aid in drainage, we also like to add a layer of rocks at the bottom. The most important stage for healthy plants is proper drainage.
You must then purchase soil made especially for planters. In containers, topsoil can occasionally fail to drain properly. Compost can be applied to the soil to provide additional nutrients.
Plant the hydrangea at the same depth in the soil as it was in the pot it was previously growing in when putting it in the pot. To water the planter without the water washing out the top, leave at least 2 inches between the top of the soil and the top of the planter. To assist the plant stay firmly in the pot, gently press down on the dirt around it to remove any air pockets.
Hydrangeas can they live in containers?
If you’ve ever received a hydrangea in a foil-wrapped pot, you likely loved it for a few of weeks before seeing it sadly wilt. You might conclude from it that hydrangeas are poor container plants.
Most hydrangeas that are given in pots as gifts do poorly because they are kept indoors for too long. Others perish because they were grown in a greenhouse and are not cold hardy in your region of the country, even if they are planted outside.
However, hydrangeas can make wonderful potted plants if you choose wisely. What you should know is as follows.
Potted Hydrangea
You can utilize hydrangeas in containers in your garden on stands, decks, or patios. This plant looks classy perched atop an antique column.
- Choose a location for the hydrangeas first. You may move them around, which is one of the benefits of growing them in pots. This also makes it simpler to provide hydrangeas with the ideal growing circumstances because many of them like morning sun and afternoon shade. Additionally, you can arrange them to beautify a patio or other area for a celebration or special event.
- If your pots won’t stay in the same spot all the time, search for containers with wheels on the bottom or think about durable, rolling plant stands. Don’t forget that after adding dirt and plants, containers can become rather heavy, and soaking them can make them even heavier.
- For your hydrangea, pick a large container with a diameter of at least 18 to 20 inches. The plant commonly wilts in small pots like the one your gift hydrangea arrived in since they typically dry out too quickly. Drill drainage holes into the bottom of your container if there aren’t any already. Rotting can result from water that accumulates around the roots.
- Next, pick a variety that is advised for your area. (This is a general guideline for growing any plant well.) To choose the best types for your yard, read plant tags or conduct online study. Some hydrangea varieties can grow in USDA zones 3 and 9, while the majority are hardy in zones 4 to 8.
- Although using miniature hydrangeas in pots isn’t required, you might wish to if you have a small yard. Not only do hydrangeas grow tall, but they also become bushy. If not, prepare to prune your plants as they develop. Be careful when conducting your research; see if your variety blooms on new or old wood. You’ll lose the flowers for the following year if you prune at the incorrect time of year.
- Use high-quality potting soil that contains organic materials rather than regular garden soil. If you want the hydrangea to continue growing, don’t plant it higher or deeper than it was in the pot it came in. Make sure there is space below the pot’s rim so you can water.
- To get rid of air pockets, gently compact the dirt close to the roots.
- Water your hydrangea well whenever the top inch or so of the potting soil feels dry. But being underwater is preferable to being overwatered. When they are thirsty, hydrangeas may wilt to let you know. However, this can stress them out, so check them every other day or so. You’ll eventually get a sense for how frequently to water. In times of drought or extreme heat, you might need to increase your watering.
- Although hydrangeas don’t require a lot of fertilizer, you can feed your plants once or twice a year with a commercially available composted manure, a 10-10-10 granular fertilizer, or a slow-release balanced fertilizer. If you reside in a warm environment, wait until after July or August to fertilize. Gardeners in the north can get away with applying fertilizer just once, in June or July. Feeding hydrangeas later, when they should be starting to go dormant for the winter, promotes fragile, fresh growth.
- If your plant already appears to be ill or unhealthy, don’t fertilize it—you’ll just increase its stress. Try to solve the issue instead.
Are hydrangeas better in the ground or in pots?
Maintaining hydrangeas in pots is easy, and they provide a beautiful addition to a deck or patio’s color and structure. Additionally, they go well with modern gardens as well as country gardens.
You already know that hydrangeas want moist, organically rich soil that doesn’t dry out over the summer if you’ve read up on how to cultivate them. They thrive best when planted directly into the ground because containers have a tendency to dry out much more quickly.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t use these blooms to make a lovely container arrangement. Simply make sure to take good care of them, choose your compost wisely, and plant them where they will thrive. Additionally, some kinds are better suited to these circumstances. Everything you need to know about taking care of hydrangeas in pots is included in this guide.
Purchase hydrangea plants at garden centers near the end of the summer when they are on sale (if budget is a factor).
This may not apply to you if you are ready to go all out with hydrangea growing during the height of their season. Here’s a tip, though, if you’re trying to keep your gardening spending to a minimum: buy your plants near the end of the season when they’re heavily discounted.
I cautiously gathered my three hydrangea plants. Each of them was bought when they appeared to be quite dejected and abandoned at the store. Look what they look like now after I purchased them for a steal of a deal!
Place hydrangeas in a large enough pot to allow for good growth.
I have three different types of hydrangeas, as you can see in the photo above. They differ in terms of the size they can reach, the size of their leaves, the period during which they bloom, and the colors they exhibit.
The one thing they all have in common, though, is the requirement for sizable containers for growth.
It is advised to plant hydrangeas in pots with a depth and diameter of at least 40 to 60 cm since these dimensions will provide the roots room to spread out and thrive.
The pots to the left and right are each 17 inches tall and 20 inches in diameter. Here is a comparable product that you can buy online.
Similar to this one, the tall one in the middle is 15 inches in diameter and 22 inches tall.
Make sure the hydrangea pots drain well
Make sure the pots your hydrangeas are in have a drainage hole at the bottom because they need well-drained soil to thrive. If they don’t, pierce a few holes in the bottoms with a drill.
Use a potting soil mix that is formulated for plants in pots
When planting the hydrangeas in their new pots, use high-quality potting soil that has slow-release fertilizer (plant food) mixed it, such as this variety from Miracle Grow. Sprinkle in some slow release fertilizer plant food, such as this Shake n Feed, at the start of each spring.
I once heard that while water keeps plants alive, if they aren’t also supplied food, their nutrients will be lost. It’s just like us! We can survive by drinking water, but we need food to thrive. As I take care of my indoor and outdoor houseplants, I keep that idea in mind.
Place your hydrangeas in pots in a semi-shady location
Hydrangeas respond very differently depending on their environment. They dislike excessive sun exposure!
Our tiny terrace receives some afternoon sun but is primarily sheltered. They appear to be really content there in the shade.
Depending on where you live, hydrangeas require a different amount of sun. The benefit of having them in pots is that you may reposition them until you discover the location where they will thrive.
Water hydrangeas in pots frequently, so the soil doesn’t get dry during their blooming time
Hydrangeas need to be watered every day while they are blooming. I even watered them twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, during the unusually hot weather we saw this summer. That maintained their wellbeing.
I water them with a garden hose nozzle and my go-to lightweight, kink-free garden hose, making sure to keep the water at the roots. Watering the leaves should be avoided since it could transmit illness. Until water starts to start draining out of the container’s drainage holes and onto the patio, water it well.
Harvest hydrangea blooms to encourage more healthy growth
Hydrangea blooms can be cut and used as lovely cut flowers, like many other flowers can. Additionally, by removing the blossoms, you promote more new, healthy growth.
I discovered this incredibly useful video that demonstrates how to cut hydrangeas precisely for flower arrangements and even how to resuscitate a hydrangea bloom that has withered.
Trim hydrangeas in the Fall for nice growth the next Summer
I drastically prune my hydrangeas in the fall because I don’t want them to grow to enormous sizes. Then, it’s so much fun to see them grow and blossom once more in the Spring and Summer!
How to prepare hydrangeas for Winter
In order for hydrangeas to blossom, a cold time is necessary. I don’t need to do anything specific to get them ready for Winter because our winters in Zone 8 are mild. All winter long, I simply put them in their pots outside in their designated positions on the deck! They are shielded from windstorms by being cut back in the fall and placed in front of the patio barrier.
Look into the best winter hydrangea care practices in your area for the climate you live in.
Can hydrangeas in containers endure the winter?
Hydrangeas in potsWinter Care Bring potted plants indoors before the first frost for the greatest hydrangea winter protection. They can stay outside and be protected by covering the entire pot and plant if they are too heavy to transport.
How long do hydrangeas in pots last?
In U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 5 through 9, hydrangea (Hydrangea spp.) gardens are adorned with enormous, vibrant blooms. These shrubs, which share their frothy blossoms for the most of the summer and may grow between 4 and 12 feet tall with proper care, can live for decades.
Hydrangeas are hardy shrubs that, with proper care, can survive for up to 50 years. They require frequent watering during the growing season and prefer early light but afternoon shade. After the blossoms have faded, prune them in the fall so that they will have sturdy stems for the summer after. The hydrangeas may lose their blooms for a year while the plants heal if they are pruned when they are in bloom.
Common hydrangeas, sometimes known as bigleaf hydrangeas, bloom in a variety of hues, including blue, pink, and purple. These hydrangeas typically start to bloom in May, which is sooner than some other kinds. Usually, the plants keep producing blooms until July. According to the characteristics of the soil, bigleaf hydrangeas are known to shift their bloom colors; a plant that blooms pink one year may bloom blue the following. Aluminum sulfate, which is added to the soil, promotes blue flowers, whereas hydrated lime, which is added to alkaline soils, promotes pink blossoms. Ayesha, Nikko Blue, and Preziosa are cultivars.
Longer blooming than other hydrangeas, the smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) frequently displays color from early June through September. The cultivars “Anabelle” in white and “Invincibelle Spirit” in pink are examples. Smooth hydrangeas often bloom on wood from the current year, which means you should severely prune them, in contrast to other hydrangeas that bloom best on ancient wood. Trim them to a height of 6 to 12 inches above ground.
The panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) blooms later in the year because it prefers the heat of summer to the mild weather of spring. Panicle hydrangeas often begin blooming in July and continue through September. Their blossoms are initially white, but as fall approaches, they start to turn rusty pink.
However, if you relocate the plants or transplant one from a pot to the ground, the hydrangeas may not bloom for a year or perhaps two. Hydrangeas can produce big flowers in their first year. This does not imply that their time of flowering is over. Once the roots of the plants have recovered from the shock of transplantation, they should begin to blossom. To this end, keep the plants well-watered and treat them with a balanced fertilizer throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
Shala Munroe has been writing and copy editing since 1995 from her home outside of Atlanta, Georgia. She began her career in journalism at publications like the Marietta Daily Journal and the Atlanta Business Chronicle. She most recently had managerial and communications positions for a number of charity organizations before opening a flower business in 2006. She graduated from Jacksonville State University with a BA in communications.
Can I put my hydrangea plant in a pot outside?
Mophead hydrangeas can be cultivated outside wherever the wintertime temperature stays above -15oC because they are hardy (5oF). However, as they were grown in greenhouses and given fertilizer to induce early flowering, potted hydrangeas sold as houseplants may require some time to acclimate to life outside before being put out. Place them outside in their pots during the day and bring them inside at night to harden them off for one to two weeks before to planting. Hydrangeas that have been grown for outdoor planting can be planted immediately. Mid- to late April, when the soil has had time to warm up, is the ideal time to plant mophead hydrangeas outdoors.
The optimal conditions for hydrangeas are shade from the sweltering afternoon sun and moist, well-drained soil. They are therefore excellent alternatives for shady gardens, and in mid- and late-summer, their dramatic spherical flowerheads are absolutely gorgeous. Regularly water hydrangeas, especially during dry spells, and in the spring or fall, mulch with compost or other organic material.
Because of the soil’s pH (acidity or alkalinity), pink and blue mophead hydrangea blossoms have the unusual ability to change color. The blossoms will be a deeper shade of blue the more acidic the environment is. Flowers turn a gorgeous pink on alkaline soil. The color of white mophead hydrangeas doesn’t alter.