A friend gave me this hydrangea in a pot at the beginning of the season. It's been sitting on Ed's back porch looking pretty. The flowers started out lavender, but over the last several months he turned the color you see in the picture. I think I want to plant it now...it shouldn't sit in that pot too much longer probably, right? I figure I need to get it in the ground while it's still warm, give it a chance to take hold before it starts getting cold. Can you give me some input/advice for where to plant it. I don't have a clue what their sun requirements are, or any other things about how best to plant them. Any input would be appreciated.
Hydrangea macrophylla (Bigleaf Hydrangea, Mophead Hydrangea) The above link should give you some good information from members who are growing them.
Thanks toni. My problem with that info is that it's a bit inconclusive. For example, under sun exposure....it says full sun, partial sun, full shade. That doesn't help me to know where to plant this one.
That means that members are growing it in all three sun situations depending on where they live. Down here I would go for morning sun to full shade because of our intense summer heat but up north they can grow it in full sun either all day or afternoon...so pretty much you have to plant where it is best for your area. To be on the safe side I would put it on the east side of your house if possible, see if how it does for a year or two then move it if necessary.
I have one hydrangea that is planted in full hot sun 24/7 and it does quite well. Rewarded me recently with love bright blue flowers. I have two other hydrangeas that are planted in semi-shade and they're thriving too. Overall I think they're fairly hardy and adaptable. I guess if I had any advice I'd say protect from full super hot intense summer afternoon sun.
OK so I finally got this hydrangea out of its pot, and planted it on the east side of the house. Hopefully it will do OK there, but as someone suggested, if it doesn't I can always replant it. I did notice something though, but not till after it was in the ground. I noticed that there were a whole bunch of tiny new little shoots coming up from the base, right near the soil line. I love that there's all that obvious new growth, but I'm confused about why it's happening, I mean, right now, so close to the end of the season. Hydrangea go dormant over the winter don't they? And also, wondering if I should have put it through such a big change as a replanting with all those new babies just starting. Have I screwed up?
The growth is happening because you have a healthy, happy plant, just cover it with a good layer of mulch this winter and the buds should do just fine. And no you have not screwed up. Plants are pretty forgiving for the most part, they have to be cause there are all us humans messing around with them.
Toni thanks! I can breathe a sigh of relief then. When you say cover with a good layer of mulch, you mean just the root area right? The soil around where I planted it, rather than mounding it up so that those buds are covered?
Cover the buds too that should keep them from getting frosted or frozen. If they do get damaged by the winter, don't worry the roots will send up replacements when the temperatures warm up.
