A hydrangea is a beautiful flowering shrub that can be grown in a container. The hydrangea, which is also called the mophead, lacecap and hortensia, has large leaves and white or pink flowers. It is a popular landscaping plant because it blooms in the summer and fall.
How To Care For A Hydrangea In A Pot
Here is the complete process explained in detail on how to care for a hydrangea in a pot:
Step 1:
1. Clean the pot with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water, and rinse it well.
Step 2:
2. Use a garden hose to thoroughly soak the soil in the pot.
Step 3:
3. Mix together equal parts peat moss and loam soil, moisten it and fill the pot about half full with this mixture.
Step 4:
4. Plant the hydrangea in the center of this new soil mixture, adding more soil as needed until you have filled up to within an inch or two of the top of the container.
Step 5:
5. Water well so that water runs out of drainage holes in bottom of container or until water drains freely from holes at bottom of container when you lift it up by its handle after watering is completed.
Tips for How To Care For A Hydrangea In A Pot
Here are 5 things to take care of with respect to how to care for a hydrangea in a pot:
1. The soil should be moist, but not wet. You should water the plant when the top 2 inches of soil is dry to the touch.
2. Fertilize your hydrangea every 2-3 weeks in the spring and summer with a balanced fertilizer that contains magnesium. This will help keep your hydrangea healthy and growing strong!
3. Apply a mulch around the base of your plant to help retain moisture and keep weeds away. Don’t apply too much though or you could end up drowning your plant!
4. Prune back any dead or dying stems as soon as you notice them so that it doesn’t spread to other parts of the plant!
5. Make sure to remove any fallen leaves from around the base of your plant so that they don’t rot and cause problems for your hydrangea!
FAQs
Interesting Facts About Hydrangea
Here are 5 things you should know about hydrangea:
1. Hydrangea is a genus of flowering plants that contains about 70 species.
2. It is native to Asia, but it has been widely cultivated in the United States since the mid-1800s. Today, hydrangeas are grown commercially in the southern U.S., and they are also found in many public gardens and parks throughout the country.
3. Hydrangea comes from two Greek words meaning “water vessel” or “water jar” because of its ability to hold water in its leaves and stems. This characteristic earned it another name: oakleaf hydrangea, which describes its leaves’ resemblance to an oak leaf when young and small (oakleaf hydrangeas are actually members of the hortensia family).
4. The flowers of some hydrangeas can be blue, pink or white, while others have colored bracts instead of flowers (bracts are modified leaves that surround flower parts). Many gardeners prefer cultivars with bracted flowers because they last longer than bloomed flowers and don’t require deadheading (removing spent blooms). Some popular cultivars include Annabelle™ Blueberry Pie™, Endless Summer® Bluebird® and Pink Pincushion® White Knight™.
5. Most hydrangeas grow best in full sun with moist soil that drains well; however, some varieties tolerate partial shade or dry conditions better than others do — ask your local independent retailer for a recommendation!
There are two schools of thought on this. One says yes, they do well in pots and can be moved around your garden as you wish. The other school says no, they don’t do well in pots and the roots need to be able to spread out. If you have a small yard or live in an apartment, I would say that it is worth trying one in a pot.
I have had good luck with hydrangeas in pots but I wouldn’t keep them there for more than three years. After that, transplant them into the ground or give them away to someone who has a bigger yard. It seems that when they are growing in pots, the color of their blooms is not as intense as when they are planted directly into the ground.
How do I prune my hydrangea?
Hydrangeas will bloom better if you prune them back after flowering time and before growth starts again. You should prune by one-third every year after flowering until you get rid of all the old wood and then start over again with new growth from the base of the plant. You can also cut off dead branches during the winter months when it is easier to see what needs to be done.
If you have a potted hydrangea and it is dying, it could be due to a variety of reasons. It may have been planted in the wrong type of soil or in too much sun. The plant may not be getting enough water during times of drought. It could also be that there is something wrong with your soil.
What can you do about it?
If your plant is wilting, check the soil to see if it needs more water. If the soil is dry and you need to add more water, do so immediately. If the problem has been going on for a while, try repotting your hydrangea into fresh soil and then give it plenty of water. This should help revive your plant as long as there are no other issues causing its death.
Hydrangeas are shade loving plants. In order to bloom, they need at least four hours of shade each day. If you don’t have the right amount of shade in your yard, consider planting it in a shadier area of your garden or under a tree.
What kind of soil do hydrangeas like?
Hydrangeas prefer well-draining soil with a pH between 6 and 7.5. A good way to check if your soil is good for growing hydrangeas is by digging a hole about 12 inches deep and filling it with water. If the water drains out within 24 hours, then you have good drainage for hydrangeas! If the water doesn’t drain out within 24 hours, then you should add some organic matter to help improve drainage. You can also plant them in raised beds or containers so that they will drain more quickly than in the ground.
How much sunlight do hydrangeas need?
Hydrangeas need at least 4 hours of sun per day to bloom well and flower prolifically throughout the summer months. You can place them in part sun if you only have 2-3 hours of sun per day, but be aware that blooms may be smaller than those grown in full sun.