However, if you want to grow a hydrangea shrub in your yard, you need to know how to care for it. They are not hard to grow but they do require some special attention. In this article we will discuss how to care for a hydrangea tree and keep it healthy and beautiful for years.
How To Care For A Hydrangea Tree
Here is the complete process explained in detail on how to care for a hydrangea tree:
1. Watering it is the most important thing to do.
Hydrangea trees are drought tolerant, but they will grow faster and fuller if you water them regularly. Water whenever the top inch of soil is dry, which can be every few days in hot weather or less often in cool weather. You can tell when it’s time to water because the leaves will droop slightly and turn a dull green color.
Step 2:
2. Fertilize your hydrangea tree in early spring and again in early fall using an all-purpose fertilizer that contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK).
Use a slow-release type of fertilizer so it will last longer between applications. Follow the directions on the package for application rates based on how large your tree is at planting time.
Step 3:
3. Prune your hydrangea tree lightly after blooming season each year to keep it healthy and growing vigorously. In the fall, remove damaged or diseased wood as well as any dead branches from previous years before winter sets in.
4. Planting Your Roses Or Hydrangeas
Now that you have pruned your roses or hydrangeas, you can plant them! To make this process easier, follow these steps:
Step 1: Digging The Hole And Adding A Mulch Layer
Start by digging a hole that is twice as wide as the rootball of your rose bush or shrub and just deep enough so that its base sits at ground level once you plant it into place (see illustration below). If you’re planting multiple bushes together, dig one hole for each plant instead of digging several holes at once.
This will help prevent compacted soil around each individual rootball where it meets with other plants’ roots later on down the road! Once you’ve dug a hole for each plant, fill it with compost or manure to create a nutrient-rich mulch layer at least 6 inches thick around each plant’s rootball (see illustration below). This will help prevent weed growth while also providing nutrients for your new plants over time!
Step 2: Planting Your Rose Bush Or Shrub Into Place
Once you’ve finished digging holes for each rose bush or shrub you want to plant, use your shovel to gently lift up each rootball from its pot and place it into its own hole in preparation for planting (see illustration below). Make sure that there are no leaves sticking out from underneath the rootball!
If there are some left behind inside of the pot after removing all of them from outside of it, simply cut them off with some scissors before placing the rootball into its hole in order to avoid damaging any new roots coming out from beneath them during planting! When placing your newly potted rose bush or shrub into its own hole, set it back down so that its base sits directly within where you created a 6 inch deep mulch layer around its bottom perimeter earlier on (see illustration below)!
Fill any gaps between its base and where the mulch layer ends with more compost if necessary before patting down the mulch layer around its base firmly with your hands until only about an inch remains above ground level around all sides of both plants’ bases (see illustration below)!
This will ensure that there is plenty of room within this gap between their roots and surrounding soil layers for air circulation while also helping both plants become established quickly by reducing competition against one another for nutrients found within this space over time!
Next cover over this gap between their bases and surrounding mulch layers entirely by adding some more compost onto top of this area until only about 1/2 inch remains above ground level above all sides of both plants’ bases (see illustration below)! Finally add any remaining mulch evenly throughout their entire exposed soil surface area using whatever type(s) work best for what type(s) of mulching materials are available to you right now!
Try not to pile too much mulch onto either plant’s base though because doing so may cause problems such as fungal infections due to too much moisture retention around their roots over time! Remember too that even though we added manure earlier on here we still need to add more compost onto top of our newly planted roses’ soil surface area here because we only added manure deeper down within their surrounding soil layers earlier on instead!
Be sure not to put any rocks or stones anywhere near either plant’s base though because doing so could potentially damage either one’s roots later on due to abrasion against those hard objects when walking across their gardens later on down the road!!
If needed however feel free to use gravel instead since gravel won’t cause any damage like rocks might if they were used instead!! Either way try not to use anything larger than pebbles though since those would likely cause damage too if used instead!!
Tips for How To Care For A Hydrangea Tree
Here are 5 things to take care of with respect to how to care for a hydrangea tree:
1. Keep your hydrangea tree in a cool, shady area and well-watered.
2. Don’t let the soil dry out completely or you will risk damaging the roots of the plant.
3. If you are caring for more than one hydrangea tree, don’t let them touch each other because they will grow into each other and become tangled up in their branches!
4. Be sure to fertilize your plant with a water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks during the growing season (March – September). You can use a slow-release fertilizer if you prefer, but it is not necessary for this plant to survive.
5. Prune off damaged or dead branches as needed throughout the year.
Interesting Facts About Hydrangea
Here are 5 things you should know about hydrangea:
1. Hydrangea are NOT blue:
The most common hydrangea in the U.S is the mophead. The mophead hydrangea blooms on old wood and new wood. Because of this, it can bloom any time of year, but it blooms best in the spring and summer when new growth is present. The flowers are large and white with a blue-ish tint to them (hence the name “hydrangea”). However, they do not have blue flowers!
2. Hydrangea are NOT native to the United States:
Hydrangea was brought to America from Asia by French botanist Andre Michaux in 1785. It was first introduced as an ornamental shrub at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello garden in 1817. It has since become one of our most popular flowering shrubs due to its hardiness and ease of care.
3. There are more than 100 species of hydrangeas:
There are over 100 species of hydrangeas worldwide, with about 20 different species found growing wild in North America alone! They grow naturally from Canada down through Mexico into Central America and South America as well as New Zealand, Australia, Africa and parts of Europe (including the British Isles). In fact, there is even a rare black variety that grows only on high peaks in Japan! It is called Hydrangea quercifolia or oakleaf hydrangea because its leaves resemble those of oak trees.) You can see some pictures here: Oakleaf Hydrangea Pictures
FAQs
The answer is both yes and no. The best time to deadhead a hydrangea is when it’s not blooming. This is the time to prune your hydrangea if you want to keep it small, or if you want to promote more branching at the base of the plant.
However, if the hydrangea is in bloom, leave all those flowers on the tree. They will die back naturally as they age and you will get new growth from them. So don’t be tempted to cut off those flowers! You can even let a few of them go to seed and then collect them for next year’s planting.
How do I know when my hydrangea needs pruning?
Hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs that grow well in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9, depending on variety (see our zone map). Hydrangeas have a dormant period during winter months when they are not actively growing but still need some protection from extreme cold and freezing temperatures.
During this time they should be kept moist but not wet. In springtime, after danger of frost has passed and before new growth appears, prune your hydrangea shrub by cutting out any dead or diseased wood along with any stems that are crossing over each other or growing into unwanted areas of your landscape design. If you have an older plant that has been neglected for several years, removing one-third of its overall size may
How to prune a hydrangea?
Hydrangea pruning is not difficult, but it requires some attention. The best time to trim your hydrangea shrub is in the late winter or early spring. This will give you plenty of time for the plant to heal before the summer heat arrives. You can also prune your hydrangea in the fall, right after it stops blooming. However, if you wait this long, it may be harder for the plant to recover and you may need to use a fertilizer that has phosphorus as well as nitrogen.
If you are new to hydrantgea pruning, start by removing all of the dead wood from last year’s growth. In addition, remove any branches that are crossing over each other or growing inward toward the center of the bush. This will help keep your shrub healthy and attractive and will allow more light into your garden.
Take care not to cut off any branches that have flowers or leaves on them because these can produce seeds for next year’s blooms. Once you have trimmed out all of the dead wood and crossed branches, take a step back and look at how your shrub looks overall.
If there are any obvious gaps or bare spots in your shrubbery, now is an excellent time to fill them with new growth from one of your healthy branches.
The best time to prune a hydrangea tree is in late winter or early spring. The best place to prune a hydrangea tree is at the base of the plant. Pruning a hydrangea tree too hard can kill it. If you are going to prune your hydrangea tree, do not cut off more than one-third of the plant at any one time.
How do I fertilize my hydrangea?
Fertilize your hydrangea with a water-soluble fertilizer that contains an even ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium every three weeks during the growing season. Stop fertilizing your hydrangea when it starts showing fall color.