The hydrangea is one of the most common species of flowering plants that is popular throughout Asia and the Americas. There are almost 75 flowering plants in the genus and each of them have a beautiful glow and shade, making it an incredibly popular choice for people who want a colorful garden.
This is one of the most diverse species in all of Asia and the Americas, and its popularity is mainly because it fits in so well in many different environments.
Hydrangeas usually grow in shrubs which can reach a height of up to 3 meters. Then, there are some that grow on small trees, and some lianas might be able to reach up to 30 m in height, usually by climbing up different trees.
In most of the hydrangea species, the flowers are generally white, though in most other species, they can be of various colors, ranging from blue to pink to dark purple as well.
Hydrangeas are perhaps well-known because of their gorgeous blooms. These flowers usually bloom during the spring and early summer months. Once the flowers have bloomed, the plant is going to go into recovery and will stop blooming.
Most gardeners become quite frustrated by this because they work all year round to make the plant bloom.
When we talk about their blooming season, you need to understand that hydrangeas of all sorts are going to bloom usually throughout the growing period. Each individual bloom is going to last you for several weeks, and the plant is going to continue blooming again over time to replace the dead flowers.
Many gardeners prune away the old flowers and clean them properly, thus encouraging further growth. So, with conventional care, the hydrangeas are going to stay in bloom throughout spring, and in some parts of the midsummer.
But, you should know that the quality of the bloom also varies. Depending on the amount of care that the plant gets, the quality of the bloom is going to vary.
Most varieties of hydrangeas will begin to bloom during the spring, though some might not bloom until the early summer, where they start producing gorgeous flowers. Certain types of hydrangeas generally bloom on new wood only, whereas other types only bloom on old wood.
But, you should know that there are quite a few ways by which you can maximize the blooming period and make the plant bloom for longer periods of time.
In North America, there are five main types of species. There’s the bigleaf species, the oakleaf, panicle, the climbing, and the smooth species. Depending on the type of species that you have in your garden, the blooming period is going to vary.
For example, the mophead hydrangea blooms from late spring until midsummer. However, reblooming hydrangeas can continue throughout the growing season.
There are quite a few different things that you can do to ensure that your plant continues to bloom throughout its growing season. In the following few paragraphs, we will talk about the proper care required by the hydrangeas, which is going to ensure that the plant blooms consistently.
Pruning
The best thing about hydrangeas is that you can control the number of blooms that your plant receives. You can also control their health, their well-being, and of course, their size.
One of the best things that you can do if you want to keep your plants in prime condition and ensure that they rebloom again and again is to deadhead them properly.
Deadheading is one of the best ways to get the plants to rebloom. Deadheading is an excellent practice that is going to help you with blooming the plant again and again.
Deadheading is going to encourage another blooming cycle and it is also going to improve the appearance of the plant.
Deadheading is the practice of pinching dead flowers and removing them from the shrubs. The concept is quite simple: the plant expends a considerable amount of energy in keeping these dead flowers propped up, and this energy could be spent on new blooms.
The process involves removing the flowers and the stems to ensure that the energy can be diverted to the next growth node.
Pruning the plant all the way down to 12 inches from the ground is a great idea, especially for those hydrangeas that bloom primarily on new wood. By pruning it all the way down, it’s going to help you get rid of all the old wood and it is going to promote new growth.
However, you shouldn’t prune varieties such as the oakleaf hydrangea. It blooms primarily only on old wood, so by pruning the plant all the way down, it’s only going to reduce the flowering.
In some cases, the growth node is going to end up producing even more flowers during the subsequent growing season. Deadheading isn’t a surefire way to get the plant to rebloom.
Instead, it is going to improve the plant and make sure that it is ready to bloom even better in the next season.
However, you need to understand that the chances of reblooming are not as high as most people think. Many people are under the impression that feeding the plant and pruning on a regular basis is going to improve the chances of reblooming. But, that seldom happens. It usually depends on a variety of conditions, as we have discussed.
You should know that there are several varieties of hydrangeas that are known for reblooming and flowering throughout the course of the year. Remontant flowers, as they are called, are incredibly popular throughout the globe.
You can check in with your local gardener to figure out the best varieties to choose from.
Moisture and Sunlight
Hydrangeas require a considerable amount of care. The plant needs to be consistently watered; you need to add water at a rate of at least one inch per week during the growing season.
At least three times in a week, you need to make sure that you provide deep watering to the plant. This is important, and will promote growth in the roots.
Certain varieties, such as the bigleaf or the smooth hydrangea, need a bit more water. But, you should know that almost all of the varieties benefit from an increased amount of moisture.
Ideally, you should consider making use of a soaker hose to water the plant deeply.
Also, you need to make sure that moisture does not fall off on the leaves, so make sure you target only the bottom. Also, you need to make sure that you avoid watering the plant in the night, as that’s going to cause the plant to wilt over time.
This happens because the water is not able to evaporate due to the colder temperatures at night.
Another thing that you can do to improve the bloom of the hydrangeas is to add a bit of mulch. This is going to keep the soil a bit moist and will also provide nutrients that are much-needed by the soil.
Organic mulch, when added properly, is going to break down over time, and it’s going to ensure that the soil gets regular nutrients and also improve the texture of the soil.
You also need to apply fertilizer to your plants from time to time. Fertilizer is very important for the hydrangeas and you should know that each of the varieties have different needs and depending on the timing, the fertilizer is going to benefit them differently.
Ideally, the best thing that you can do is carry out a soil test to figure out when to add fertilizer.
For instance, bigleaf hydrangeas usually require light fertilizer applications during the growing season, which starts in March and ends in June. Oakleaf hydrangeas usually thrive with two light applications in April and June.
On the other hand, you should know that smooth hydrangea plants will need to be fertilized once.
Pests and Diseases
Another thing that you can do is make sure that you choose the right cultivars, especially ones that have resistant properties. Over the passage of time, leaf spots, wilt, and blight might appear on the plants. Powdery mildew is also something that you would have to deal with.
Pests aren’t really attracted to hydrangeas right away, but this can happen when the plant becomes excessively stressed. Some of the pests that you might have to deal with include leaf tiers, aphids, as well as red spider mites.
The best way to defend the plants is to make sure that you care for the plant. As long as you maintain a proper care routine, your plant will do well.
These are just a few things that you should know about properly caring for the hydrangeas. As long as you make sure that the needs of the plant are met, it’s going to do really well and won’t cause any problems for you!
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.