How do I know if my hydrangea is perennial?
Is Hydrangea a perennial? Yes, Hydrangeas are perennials: they go dormant in winter and come back in the spring on their own, assuming you've planted varieties suited for your Zone. Gardeners in northern Zones must take care to choose winter-hardy varieties.
Prune back stems to just above a fat bud — called a heading cut — in fall, late winter or spring. These plants have conical-shaped flower heads. I recommend leaving the dry, tan flower heads on the plant to provide some winter interest in your landscape, so I wait to prune these until late winter or spring.
The primary reasons hydrangeas don't bloom are incorrect pruning, bud damage due to winter and/or early spring weather, location and too much fertilizer. Hydrangea varieties can be of the type that blooms on old wood, new wood or both. Old wood is the current year's growth and new wood is next year's (spring) growth.
Brown, tan, yellowish or black spots on hydrangea leaves may be anthracnose. You can also identify it by cankers that form on stems and branches. Anthracnose can be fatal to hydrangeas, so prune out dead or diseased plant parts and destroy them.
So, what's the difference? Perennial plants regrow every spring, while annual plants live for only one growing season, then die off.
You can also check your hydrangea in the fall to see if any buds are starting to push out already. If there are buds already on the branches, then it blooms on old wood. If there are not yet buds in the fall, then it will push them out on new growth the following spring.
What happens if you don't prune hydrangeas? If you don't prune hydrangeas then they can eventually resemble a tangled mass of woody stems, and the flowers will become smaller and less showy. If your hydrangeas are not blooming, lack of pruning is often a reason.
To rejuvenate the hydrangea, remove up to 1/3 of the older living stems down to the ground each summer. This will revitalize the plant. If necessary to control the size of the plant, cut back before late July to allow for buds to develop. Usually the plant will return immediately to its former size.
So pruning it back in the fall means you may be cutting off all the flower buds for next year. If it's the type of hydrangea that blooms on new wood, the flower buds won't form until spring. Pruning it back in the fall won't cut off next year's flower buds because they haven't formed yet.
Whether or not hydrangeas need protection depends on how cold the winter temperatures drop. If the air temperature doesn't go below 0 degrees (zone 7) there is no need for winter protection. In colder climates, wrap or completely cover marginally hardy hydrangeas.
How do I know what kind of hydrangea I have?
Look at the foliage to identify your type of hydrangea. Mountain hydrangea foliage has serrated edges that are often tinted maroon at the edges. The round hydrangea flower form comes in what is called a mophead or lacecap version. The lacecap flower has outer petals that surround the pollen capsules in the center.
Are the blooms on your hydrangea shrubs fading or turning brown? No need to worry – this is simply a sign that it's time to remove the flowers, a process called deadheading. When you deadhead hydrangeas, you aren't harming the plants at all.
Nitrogen (N) deficiency occurs on older, mature or lower leaves which may be chlorotic, uniformly light green or yellow, and may have brown/black or dying (necrotic) tips. New or young leaves may be smaller or have red margins (leaf edge), while some edges, stems, or bud scales could have a purple tint.
Removing spent flowers will ensure your hydrangeas produce healthier, more bountiful blooms later on.
Watering. Soak the plants immediately after planting and check regularly to prevent drying out. The rule of thumb is to add one inch of water per week for established plants. Less frequent but deep watering encourages perennials to root deeply.
Mix and Match Perennials and Annuals
While there are plenty of perennial flower combinations that allow your garden to have blooms at every window of the growing season, adding in some annuals can certainly help fill the gaps.
Hostas are prized primarily for their foliage but they also have attractive, often scented, summer flowers. These hardy clump-forming perennials are popular with container gardeners and are unbeatable for low-growing foliage interest in spring and summer.
Some gardeners report success in turning their hydrangeas blue by applying coffee grounds to the soil. The coffee grounds make the soil more acidic, allowing the hydrangea to more easily absorb aluminum. In addition, fruit peels, lawn clippings, peat moss and pine needles, are thought to have a similar effect.
Should I Cut Off Brown Hydrangea Leaves? The short answer is, “it depends.” While damage to leaves is unsightly, they can and will recover if you identify the problem and implement the solution early enough. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend removing leaves when they are 50% brown or higher.
Potted hydrangeas overwinter best in a garage or basem*nt where the temperature stays cool but doesn't freeze. The plants will go dormant, but you'll still need to water the pots occasionally, about once a month, to keep the roots moist, until spring.
Will dried out hydrangeas grow back?
Don't get discouraged by dried leaves.
If your hydrangea has foliage that is brown and crisp, don't fret—de Corral says this doesn't mean they're past the point of recovery. "Start your new watering schedule as outlined above, and after a few days you should see new budding appear," she says.
A 2-3” layer of mulch around the base will help keep the moisture in as well but remember, no “volcano” mulching (where you pile the mulch higher up next stem). Mulching around your hydrangea will encourage deep roots to develop, adding to winter hardiness.
When digging a hydrangea to transplant, dig up as much of the rootball as possible. Since the roots are fibrous and form a ball filled with soil, the plant may be VERY heavy, so you might want to get some help with this. Replant the hydrangea in an area that is shaded during the afternoon.
For best results when planting hydrangeas, follow these steps: Create a hole twice as wide as the plant's root system, and about six inches deeper than the plant's pot. Break up the soil a bit before you plant to help the roots easily establish themselves.
Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood do not need pruning and are better off for it. If you leave them alone, they'll bloom more profusely the next season. But go ahead and gently thin or deadhead. Just remember new growth may come, but that new growth will be without blooms next season.
Hydrangeas that bloom on new wood can be safely pruned in late fall once the plants have gone dormant or in early spring. Next year's flower buds won't be formed until late spring the same year they bloom, so there is no risk of removing the buds if you prune in fall or spring.
Wait until Spring to prune hydrangeas
While some plants bloom on new growth, others primarily set flower buds on old wood. Regardless, it is best to wait to prune all hydrangeas until spring. In the fall, hydrangeas (and all trees and shrubs) are in the process of going dormant.
In late winter or early spring, these shrubs can be cut all the way back to the ground. Smooth hydrangeas will produce much larger blooms if pruned hard like this each year, but many gardeners opt for smaller blooms on sturdier stems.
Many people think that you need a shady garden in order to grow hydrangeas. While that is true for some varieties, some hydrangeas thrive in sunny spots and even need full sun to develop into the fullest plants and the brightest blooms.
But many gardeners wonder, “Do deer eat hydrangeas?” Unfortunately, deer tend to love these billowy plants as much as we do. Although not browsed as heavily as hostas, hydrangeas do frequently get “pruned” by deer and usually just as they are about to bloom.
Is it OK to put Miracle Grow on hydrangeas?
Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Blooms Nutrition
This is an all-purpose blossom booster that's suitable for use on a wide variety of perennial and annual blooming plants, including hydrangeas.
Avoid feeding hydrangeas after August, especially in regions with cold winters. A slow-release plant food works well. For best results, try Miracle-Gro® Shake 'n Feed® Flowering Trees & Shrubs Plant Food, which feeds for up to 3 months.
A pH of 7 is neutral, and household vinegar has a pH of around 2.4 (which is quite acidic). The theory is, applying diluted vinegar to the soil will lower the pH enough to change the color of your hydrangea blooms. This strategy will make the soil more acidic, but not for long!
Panicle hydrangea are considered the most cold hardy of the species. They are reliable shrubs or small trees that require minimal fuss for success.
Yellow or Brown Leaves
When a hydrangea has been overwatered, one of the most obvious signs is yellow or brown mushy leaves. Touch your hydrangea's leaves just to make sure – dry leaves can be a sign of underwatering, so feeling them will help you tell the difference.
Oakleaf varieties are the easiest type of hydrangeas for beginners to grow. Why are oakleaf hydrangeas so easy? They aren't picky! Oakleaf hydrangeas can tolerate colder weather, handle more sun, withstand drought, are more disease/pest resistant and grow in sandy soil better than other hydrangeas.
Prune in early spring, just as leaves are beginning to show. Cut branches back by one-half to one-third, cutting just above a node. Next, remove any weak or spindly branches.
Gather up your autumn leaves, shred them if you've got time, and perhaps add in some coffee grounds for a bit of nitrogen. Then just let them compost into a fine, dark, natural plant food that's full of balanced nutrients for your hydrangeas.
The primary reasons hydrangeas don't bloom are incorrect pruning, bud damage due to winter and/or early spring weather, location and too much fertilizer. Hydrangea varieties can be of the type that blooms on old wood, new wood or both. Old wood is the current year's growth and new wood is next year's (spring) growth.
Prune back stems to just above a fat bud — called a heading cut — in fall, late winter or spring. These plants have conical-shaped flower heads. I recommend leaving the dry, tan flower heads on the plant to provide some winter interest in your landscape, so I wait to prune these until late winter or spring.
What happens if I don't deadhead hydrangeas?
No significant damage or harm will be done to the plant if you don't deadhead your hydrangeas. However, you may limit the growth of the flowers. Without going through the deadheading process, hydrangeas will not produce as many flowers and the few produced may not grow as big to their full potential.
Best Fertilizer For Hydrangeas
Organic, slow-release fertilizers for roses (such as a 15-10-10, or 10-5-5 formula) work well on hydrangeas, giving the plants the nutrients they need to increase the size and quantity of their blooms.
Panicle hydrangeas from Proven Winners are the most reliably blooming, low maintenance, hardy hydrangeas you can grow. Since they bloom on new growth each summer, there is no chance for the flower buds to be damaged by winter cold because they simply haven't been formed yet.
It is easy to grow these hydrangeas because they bloom every year regardless of how they are cared for or treated. They can be pruned to the ground in the fall and they will emerge in the spring with bountiful blooms.
The hydrangea is a perennial flower that blooms from mid-summer to late fall. They come back year after year and require regular pruning and fertilization for best results. Hydrangeas can thrive in both full sun or partial shade.
Many people ask whether hydrangeas are annuals or perennials. Hydrangeas are perennial woody ornamental shrubs as they live for many years, provided you choose the correct type of hydrangea for your growing environment.
Hydrangeas are long-lived shrubs, sometimes living for up to 50 years if properly cared for. They enjoy morning sun but afternoon shade, and they need frequent watering during the growing season.
With proper timing and basic propagation techniques, you can grow new hydrangeas from simple stem cuttings. Just follow these steps to multiply your hydrangeas and their breathtaking blooms: Time hydrangea cuttings for optimal results. Gather your tools before you start.
- Bloom on both old and new wood.
- Flowers can be pink or blue.
- Cold hardy.
- Long blooming period from summer to fall.
- Can be grown in a container.
- Prefer partial shade in warmer climates.
What happens if you don't prune hydrangeas? If you don't prune hydrangeas then they can eventually resemble a tangled mass of woody stems, and the flowers will become smaller and less showy. If your hydrangeas are not blooming, lack of pruning is often a reason.
Should you cut hydrangeas down to the ground?
To get bigger flowers, cut them all the way back
In late winter or early spring, these shrubs can be cut all the way back to the ground. Smooth hydrangeas will produce much larger blooms if pruned hard like this each year, but many gardeners opt for smaller blooms on sturdier stems.
In addition to encouraging hydrangeas to produce more flowers, pruning these shrubs each year helps keep them healthy if they get damaged by weather and allows you to shape them however you like.
*We don't recommend oakleaf hydrangeas because they don't often look their best when grown in a container. They flourish when planted in the ground. But if you enjoy the look, go for it!
Potted hydrangeas overwinter best in a garage or basem*nt where the temperature stays cool but doesn't freeze. The plants will go dormant, but you'll still need to water the pots occasionally, about once a month, to keep the roots moist, until spring.
Temperature requirements
When actively blooming, they will remain in the best condition if kept cool, around 50-60 degrees. During the rest period in fall and early winter, they should be kept around 45 degrees.
You should deadhead throughout the blooming season to keep your hydrangeas looking their beast and encourage new flower growth. However, stop deadheading hydrangea shrubs in mid to late fall, leaving any spent blooms in place.
