Plant hydrangeas are easy to care for and enchant every gardener. We'll show you what you need to know about growing and caring for them.
The plate hydrangea, which originated in Asia, is sometimes overshadowed by the luxuriantly blooming farmer's hydrangea, although it can also come up with a variety of colourful, albeit more filigree, flowers. In the meantime, there are even some quite robust cultivars of the plate hydrangea available in specialist shops, which can easily survive the cold winter months!
A brief introduction to some varieties:
| Type | Special Features |
|---|---|
| Veerle | Very compact, hardy perennial with lilac flowers |
| Grayswood | pink flowers with a white edge that turn to dark red during flowering |
| Rosalba | pink-blue flower, looks very exotic |
| Bluesky | bicolor white-blue flower that turns completely blue in late summer |
| Bluebird | blue flower with purple outer leaves |
| Acuminata | steel blue flowers that attract a lot of attention |
| Tiara | also blue flowers, which turn pink depending on the soil conditions, purple foliage in autumn |
| Intermedia | dark blue flower, which sometimes does not fully color (depending on the soil conditions) |
| Miyama | double calyxes in pink or blue flowering, grows up to 1.5 meters high |
| White | white flowers, tolerates both sun and partial shade |
| Lanarth | also white flowers, blooms from July to September |
Cultivation of the hydrangea
» Site selection:
Plate hydrangeas need a partially shaded to moderately sunny location and particularly nutrient-rich, humus-rich, also slightly acidic soil. When choosing a location, you should also make sure that you plant the hydrangea in a wind-protected place.
» Grow your own plants:
If you don't want to buy any new plants, you can easily grow hydrangeas yourself or propagate your hydrangeas. Do this as follows:
- Take cuttings from plants in late summer.
- Place the cuttings in a glass of water to allow them to root.
- Then put in small pots and grow plants.
- Use outdoors next year, if possible after the Ice Saints.
Tip: Especially the smaller varieties of the plate hydrangea are also ideal for planting in containers!
Care for the plate hydrangea
» casting:
All hydrangeas require a lot of water, which is why you need to water them regularly. On particularly dry days, you should even water twice or three times.
Tip: If you cover the soil around the hydrangea with bark mulch in summer, moisture can be retained for longer.
» Fertilize:
Furthermore, you must fertilize hydrangeas about twice a year with a special hydrangea fertilizer (nitrogen fertilizer that contains little phosphorus) and/or rhododendron fertilizer, azalea fertilizer (almost equivalent alternatives).
Tip: Strong, radiant flowers and a he althy green leaf? In this video you can find out under which conditions the plate hydrangea thrives best.
You can start fertilizing (use slow-release fertiliser) outdoors in spring. All you have to do is work the fertilizer into the soil around the plant. You should then administer such a complete fertilizer application again at the beginning of July. With all fertilizers, however, you must always pay attention to a well-dosed application, otherwise the blue-flowering varieties in particular cannot change color sufficiently and remain pink. (Link tip: Change the color of hydrangeas - Here's how!)
Tip: When planting in tubs, we recommend using a liquid fertilizer.
» Cut:
Every spring you should remove dead and possibly frozen shoots of the plate hydrangea. A general pruning of the plants is not usually necessary, but if necessary you can always carry out a small topiary in the spring.
Tip:
Only ever make minimal topiary cuts, as these can always have a negative effect on the flowering splendor of the plate hydrangea! So if you cut too much, your hydrangeas may not bloom.
» Overwintering:
Although most varieties of hydrangea are considered hardy, you shouldnevertheless, always put on a little winter protection outdoors. You can cover the flowers, for example, with twigs (to protect young shoots from frostbite), pile them up with leaves (which also form natural nutrients when they rot) or cover them with garden fleece (recommended for potted plants).
Plate hydrangeas, which you keep in smaller pots, should be overwintered in a cool, frost-free room.