Hydrangeas are a feast for the eyes, but they also need a certain amount of care. My personal tips for watering, fertilizing and cutting can be found here.
Hardly any other plant can be admired in German gardens as often as the hydrangea (Hydrangea). No wonder, because hydrangeas convince with lush flowers in attractive colors and are comparatively easy to care for. If you are looking for a suitable embellishment for your garden, I can warmly recommend hydrangeas. The special thing about the hydrangea is that you can specifically influence the color of the flowers. Before I go into the care of hydrangeas, I would like to introduce you to the biodiversity of hydrangeas.
What types of hydrangeas are there?
As with almost all plants, the biodiversity of hydrangeas is huge. Here is a brief overview of the most popular types:
Garden hydrangea / farmer's hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
| Garden hydrangea / farmer's hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) | |
|---|---|
| Flowering: | June to September |
| Location: | Sun to partial shade |
| Floor: | sandy to loamy |
| Usage: | Flower bed, container planting, cut flower |
Pane Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata)
| Pane Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) | |
|---|---|
| Flowering: | July to October |
| Location: | Sun to Half Shade |
| Floor: | sandy to loamy |
| Usage: | Flower bed, group planting |
Plant Hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata)
| Plant Hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata) | |
|---|---|
| Flowering: | July to October |
| Location: | Sun to Half Shade |
| Floor: | sandy to loamy |
| Usage: | Flower bed, container planting, cut flower |
Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris)
| Climbing Hydrangea(Hydrangea petiolaris) | |
|---|---|
| Flowering: | June to July |
| Location: | sun to shade |
| Floor: | sandy to loamy |
| Usage: | Climbing planting, wall greening |
Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
| Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) | |
|---|---|
| Flowering: | July to August |
| Location: | sun to shade |
| Floor: | sandy to loamy |
| Usage: | Bundle planting, single position |
Velvet Hydrangea (Hydrangea sargentiana)
| Velvet Hydrangea (Hydrangea sargentiana) | |
|---|---|
| Flowering: | July to August |
| Location: | Sun to partial shade |
| Floor: | sandy to loamy |
| Usage: | single position, group planting, underplanting |
It is the growth form, the many different colors and the shape of the flowers that make the differences between the individual hydrangea species and their varieties.
Because each of them has their own unique needs, you should pay close attention to what needs to be considered when purchasing plants. For example, the soil and location must meet special requirements, with most hydrangeas feeling most comfortable in sunny to partially shaded places.
Hydrangea care - 4 tips
As already mentioned, hydrangeas are quite easy to care for, but you can't do without them. What you need to do and when depends mainly on the variety.
Tip 1 - water hydrangeas properly
The most important thing when caring for hydrangeas is watering. Especially in dry and very warm weather, the soil must be kept moist (watering in the morning and in the evening). Once the hydrangeas have dried out, the beauty is gone.
- When watering, make sure that no waterlogging forms, because the hydrangeas are also quite sensitive to this.
- This tip also applies to hydrangeas in pots or tubs, avoid standing water on the bottom!
- When you water the hydrangeas, be careful not to wash the flowers and leaves with the water - risk of powdery mildew!
- The irrigation water for hydrangeas should not be calcareous, it is best to use rainwater thatsaves money too.
Watering hydrangeas on vacation - 2 little tricks for self-watering
Not everyone has a nice neighbor who can take care of the hydrangeas while you're away. There are two simple tricks to ensure that your hydrangeas don't dry out during your vacation etc.
- To protect hydrangeas in the garden or bed from drying out, place a used tub near the plants. Drill tiny little holes and fill the container with water - this way your hydrangeas will be watered drop by drop.
- For pot hydrangeas there is a similar trick: instead of a tub, an empty PET bottle is used here. Unscrew the lid, drill small holes in it, fill the bottle with water and screw the lid back on. Now put the simple self-watering system upside down in the flower pot, your plant will be watered little by little.
Tip 2 - Fertilize hydrangeas - when and how?
Hydrangeas need fertilizer, compared to other plants they are no exception. But here, too, it depends on the variety, because not every hydrangea needs the same care. When buying, look for a product that is rich in nitrogen and low in phosphorus. There are already special fertilizers for hydrangeas, but azalea or rhododendron fertilizers also work (both available from Amazon for less than 10 euros). I advise against blue grain fertilizer.
Potted plants are best fertilized with liquid fertilizer from March to August. For planted specimens and tub hydrangeas, I recommend long-term fertilizer in solid form. Fertilize in spring and early summer.
Tip 3 - Cut hydrangeas - Is that necessary?
Hydrangeas don't actually need pruning, but if the plants get too big for you, you have to use scissors. But be careful, if you cut off too much, you risk the hydrangea not blooming anymore. Almost all varieties are cut in the spring. You can tell the exact time when the hydrangea starts to sprout again and the first buds can be seen. More in the video:
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» Reading tip: Cut hydrangeas - That's how it's done
Tip 4 - Hibernate hydrangeas - Here's how!
Not all hydrangea varieties are winter hardy (make sure when you buy them). This means that they must be protected from frost with garden fleece or brushwood, for example. who the placetakes the hydrangeas inside and overwinters them at 5 - 8 °C. From around February, the hydrangeas are then allowed to go to a warmer place again so that they can slowly sprout. Container plants only survive the winter in a sufficiently large container. The pot should have a good 30 to 40 cm diameter. Here are some examples of hardy hydrangeas:
hardy varieties: Farmer's Hydrangea
You & Me Hydrangea
Bouget Rosé
Kluis Superba
Otaksa
hardy varieties: Hydrangea
Blue Bird
Lanarth White
Santiago
Mirage
A dream with good care: color change of the flowers
With the necessary knowledge, we can observe an impressive feature of the already pretty plants: Depending on the condition of the soil, hydrangeas change the color of their flowers. The pH value of the soil is decisive for the colour. So the buds bloom blue on acidic soil, while pink on neutral soil.
Just try it yourself and influence the color of your hydrangeas. All you have to do is change the pH of the soil with the help of aluminum sulphate. Add 2 tablespoons of aluminum sulphate to the irrigation water and then be amazed at what happens.
Extra Tip:
Once the hydrangeas in your garden are growing and thriving and you really like the color of the plants, you can propagate them later yourself. You can find out how this works in our article: Multiplying hydrangeas.