The hydrangea macrophylla is native to Japan, China and Korea. It is a large shrub that can grow up to 10 feet tall. The plant has green leaves with oval shape, the leaf edges are serrated and the veins are prominent.
How To Care For Hydrangea Macrophylla
Here is the complete process explained in detail on how to care for hydrangea macrophylla:
1. Keep the soil evenly moist, but not soggy.
Water until it begins to drain out of the bottom of the pot or container. Then wait a few days before watering again, so that the soil can dry out slightly between waterings.
Step 2:
2. Feed your plant once a month in spring and summer with a balanced (10-10-10) fertilizer diluted to half strength.
Step 3:
3. Remove spent flowers as they fade to encourage more blooming.
Step 4:
4. Prune hydrangeas after flowering to shape them and keep them from getting too leggy (tall and thin). Use loppers or pruning shears to remove any dead or damaged wood on the plant, including branches that cross over each other or rub against each other when the plant is moved or shaken by wind or rain.
Cut back any stems that are growing outward at an angle instead of up toward the sky, and cut away any stems that have grown straight up from the base of the plant, then grown horizontally along the ground for several feet and sprouted new shoots upward from their bases — these are called “suckers” and should be removed immediately because they will steal energy away from your hydrangea’s main stem if left unchecked.
Cutting Back Hydrangea Shrubs
Hydrangeas need some form of pruning throughout their lives for optimum health: When you first bring a hydrangea home from a nursery, you’ll want to cut it back quite severely so it will fit into its new home without crowding out nearby plants; this initial pruning can be done with hedge shears or heavy duty pruning shears (see Tools for Plant Care).
You may also need to do this type of drastic cutting back every few years as your hydrangea continues to grow in height and width; this type of maintenance pruning should be done in early spring using hedge shears or heavy duty pruning shears (see Tools for Plant Care). If you don’t have access to hedge shears or heavy duty pruners, you can use loppers instead; just make sure they’re designed for cutting thick branches rather than small twigs (see Tools for Plant Care).
After your first major cutting back, you’ll probably only need annual maintenance cuts during which you’ll remove dead woody growth at its base (this is known as “deadheading”), thin out long stems so they aren’t crowded together, and remove suckers that sprout around the base of your plant’s rootstock (these are shoots that grow out from roots — see How To Prune Roses above).
This type of maintenance work is best done with hand pruners such as bypass loppers (see Tools for Plant Care); if you don’t have bypass loppers, try using regular household scissors instead but keep in mind that this method can take much longer than using proper gardening tools!
Finally, if your hydrangea shrub has become very tall over time due to lack of annual maintenance cuts and has begun shading nearby plants in your garden bed, then it’s time to take drastic action: First cut off all dead woody growth on top at its base using hand loppers; then wait one year before doing another major cutting back on top — this extra time allows all those dormant buds near the base of your shrub time to develop into new shoots which will help fill out your shrub once again!
If you’re dealing with an extremely large shrub that won’t fit into its original planting hole when it’s been cut down after one year’s rest period, divide it into two smaller plants by digging up one side while leaving the other side undisturbed; then repot both halves separately after dividing them apart!
Tips for How To Care For Hydrangea Macrophylla
Here are 5 things to take care of with respect to how to care for hydrangea macrophylla:
1. You should avoid using a fertilizer that has high amounts of nitrogen. This will only cause your hydrangea to produce leaves and not flowers! It is recommended that you use a fertilizer that has a higher amount of potassium instead.
2. Another option is to use a rose food, which contains some fertilizer already in it. This will help your hydrangea grow better and produce more flowers for you!
3. Make sure that you water the soil once every 7 days or so, but don’t over-water it! The soil should be moist, not wet! Also make sure that the soil doesn’t dry out for too long between watering cycles because this can also cause problems with your hydrangea’s growth.
4. If you are growing your hydrangea in a pot, make sure to repot it every year or two so it stays healthy and grows well! If you are growing it in the ground, make sure to add compost around its roots at least once every 2 years (or even more often if possible). This will help keep the soil healthy for your plant and enable it to grow well and produce lots of beautiful flowers for you!
5. When trimming off leaves or branches, try not to cut them too short as this can damage their ability to heal themselves if they get injured in any way later on down the road (and they will!). Try cutting them at least an inch below where they were originally attached to the stem instead of right at that point so as not to harm them further if they do get injured later on down the road (and they probably will!).
FAQs
Interesting Facts About Hydrangea
Here are 5 things you should know about hydrangea:
1. Hydrangea is a member of the genus Hydrangea, which consists of about 35 species. The most common hydrangeas in the United States are H. macrophylla and H. arborescens.
2. Hydrangea is a perennial shrub that grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8, depending on the variety and cultivar (or strain).
3. In late spring or early summer, hydrangeas produce large flower clusters that resemble flowers with petals made of overlapping white, pink or blue-violet leaves with centers made up of many small flowers called florets. This is known as a cyme inflorescence, which is typical for members of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). A single hydrangea plant can produce multiple flower heads that range from 4 inches to 5 feet across and weigh up to 10 pounds each!
4. The name “hydrangea” comes from the Greek words “hydro,” meaning water, and “angio,” meaning vessel or container, referring to how these plants hold water in their stems when they’re cut back after flowering. If you cut an unopened hydrangea flower head off at ground level before it opens,
it will continue to bloom for several weeks indoors in a vase filled with water instead of opening up into a bouquet! You can also use this trick to keep your flowers looking fresh longer if you live in an area where they don’t last long outdoors due to low humidity or high temperatures during summertime heat waves (like I do here in South Florida!).
5. Hydrangeas are native to Japan and China but have been cultivated around the world for centuries for their beautiful blooms and colorful foliage year-round — not just during springtime! In fact, some varieties are so cold hardy that they’ll even grow wild along roadsides in northern parts of North America!
This is a vigorous and well-behaved shrub. It will flower on old wood as well as young, so it’s not necessary to prune it back in spring. In fact, if you do deadhead your hydrangea, you may be cutting off the next year’s flowers.
Cut back the hydrangea to about 8 inches above the ground. Remove all leaves and twigs from last year. Apply a layer of mulch around the base of your shrub. If you live in a cold climate, apply a layer of winter protection over the mulch (use burlap or straw).
How do you prune a macrophylla hydrangea?
Macrophylla is not as fussy as some of its cousins when it comes to pruning. However, it can be easily grown into a tree form if pruned properly. Prune after flowering to remove old flower heads and deadwood. You can also remove some of the older branches to make room for new growth on young plants. Trim off any crossing or rubbing branches that may rub against each other during heavy winds or storms.
Hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs. They require little pruning, but you may want to do some light pruning in the spring if you want to encourage new growth and a fuller shape. Prune after flowering is complete, taking out any dead or damaged wood. The most common reason for pruning hydrangea is to remove old branches that are no longer producing blooms or have become unsightly. Prune back to healthy wood and avoid cutting into the old wood of the stem as this can cause the plant to die back.
How do I prune Hydrangea macrophylla?
Cut back by one-third or more of the plant’s height in early spring before new growth begins. You can also cut off all of the old stems at ground level in late fall, which will stimulate new growth from buds lower on the plant in spring.
What is the best way to prune a Hydrangea macrophylla?
Prune after flowering in late summer or early fall. Cut back the stems by one-third, and remove old flowerheads. Pruning will help control the size of your plant and promote new growth. Do not prune Hydrangeas in spring when leaves are emerging, as this can cause bleeding on the stems. If you have dead branches or need to remove large sections of the shrub, do so in winter while it is dormant. Remove any suckers that appear at the base of your plant. Suckers are shoots that grow from below ground level and are often a sign that your plant has been stressed by too much shade, lack of water or poor drainage.