Hydrangeas produce beautiful, vividly colored blossoms on globe-shaped flower heads, and they are frequently presented as gifts during the spring holidays. The United States National Arboretum claims that Hydrangea macrophylla is the most widely cultivated species in the country. Hydrangeas make excellent indoor plants and may be grown outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 6 through 8. If you received a potted hydrangea as a present, it was probably already in bloom. After the petals first fade, many people throw away their hydrangeas, but with the right care, the plant will bloom once more.
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.
How is a potted hydrangea maintained?
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.
Why aren’t the hydrangeas in my pots blooming?
The majority of types flower on “old wood,” or wood that grew and produced flower buds the year before. Thus, flower buds may be harmed by early or late freezes or harsh winters. The incorrect timing of pruning is another factor in hydrangeas’ failure to bloom.
If deadheaded, do hydrangeas bloom again?
Hydrangeas cannot be revived by deadheading like other flowers can. Reblooming hydrangeas produce a second set of flowers on fresh stems later in the season compared to regular kinds, which only bloom once each season. When deadheading hydrangeas, the goal is to keep the shrubs looking tidy and to direct plant growth toward roots and leaves rather than seeds.
What do I do with my hydrangea in a pot over the winter?
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. Foam insulation is one way to safeguard your potted plants.
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.
Do hydrangeas thrive in containers?
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.
Why isn’t my hydrangea in bloom?
All varieties of hydrangeas should begin to bloom in the early spring or mid- to late-summer, and each flower should endure for many weeks.
Too much fertilizer, not enough sunlight, transplant shock, moisture stress, frost damage on developing flower buds, and severe trimming of the old wood that supports this season’s new hydrangea blossoms are the causes of hydrangeas not blossoming.
For more information on the reasons why your hydrangea isn’t blooming and how to make sure it blooms profusely the following year, continue reading.
How frequently do hydrangeas in pots need to be watered?
To help maintain moisture when planting in a container outside, choose a light-colored ceramic pot. Dark colors heat up more quickly. Make sure a drainage hole is present! At least three times every week, the hydrangea needs to be thoroughly watered. Never simply water the plant in one spot; always water it all the way around the container. The pot’s bottom ought to leak water. Never leave it submerged in water because the roots will rot away.
How can a dead hydrangea be revived?
Greek words “hydor,” which means “water,” and “angos,” which means jar or vessel, combine to form the term “hydrangea.” Translation: a barrel of water! These lovely flowers that resemble pom poms require water to survive, and if they don’t get it, they wilt.
The woody stem of hydrangeas can make it challenging for the flower to obtain the water it requires. A small slice cut into the stem and an angled trim with a sharp knife help the plant absorb more water.
I used to use scissors to trim the ends of my flowers, but I’ve since moved to using a sharp knife on the advice of my friends at Byland’s. Apparently, using scissors causes the stems to be pinched, harming them and limiting their ability to absorb water.
While they were beautiful to look at when we originally built the floral arrangement for our Mother’s Day Frache Table, it didn’t take long for them to start to look very melancholy. I was able to keep them from being thrown away thanks to this simple approach, and the flowers still looked new and fresh!
Keep in mind that hydrangeas might wilt to a certain extent after which they cannot recover. The good news is that this hack is really easy to use and doesn’t call for anything complicated, so why not give it a shot?
Directions:
- A kettle or pot of water should be heated up and then left to cool gradually. It ought to be really hot right now. Fill the vase with water.
- Cut the ends of the hydrangeas at a 45-degree angle with the sharp knife after setting them on the cutting board. Then, on the newly trimmed stem, make a tiny vertical slit running up the middle.
Is the hydrangea in my container dead?
When a hydrangea dies, it is typically because the soil is too dry or it is exposed to too much sunshine, which causes the leaves to wilt and turn brown. Frost damage can easily affect springtime new development, turning the leaves and flower buds dark and mushy and giving them a dead aspect.
Here is a reference table listing the symptoms and most frequent causes of hydrangea death:
Continue reading to learn why your hydrangea is dying and how to apply the remedies to save it.