Taking Care of Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are one of the most beautiful and popular shrubs that are found in the garden area and around the home. This blooming bush will produce the most gorgeous flowers from spring to the fall, depending on the type of hydrangea and where the bush is planted.

Hydrangeas require some attention to stay healthy and most of the attention should be given when the bush is first planted. When planted in the right place in the beginning the bush will require less maintenance as the bush becomes established.

When looking for the right spot to plant this beautiful bush, try to locate a place where it will receive as much sun as it does shade. If that's not possible then choose a location with more sunlight then less. The sun will help produce more flowers, while the shade produces more foliage.

Hydrangeas require a lot of watering in the summer, especially if the bush is planted in direct sunlight. If the bush is planted in full sunlight the bush then will need to stay moist at all times. Even though hydrangeas require lots of water, they also need to be planted where the soil will drain well. Over-watering the plant or letting the plant stand in water will harm the roots. The suggested amount of water would be about an inch of water per week, so take into account any rain for the week. If the summer is extremely hot or the plant is in direct sunlight then plan on about two inches of water per week.

One of the more fascinating things about the hydrangea is that it is the soil that will determine what color the flowers will be. A very acidic soil will produce blue flowers, and with lower amount of acidic soil the flowers can be pink or white. To get a deeper color of blue add more fertilizer, along with other nutrients. If you over fertilize the shrub you may end up with the result of a lot of foliage and few flowers.

Hydrangeas don't require a lot of pruning. There are usually three reasons why one would prune their hydrangea bush:

1. The plant is getting too big.
2. The plant produced too many flowers and the bush is flopping over.
3. The cold weather killed the tips of the branches.

Pruning the plant is best after the bush is finished flowering. The other time would be when the cold weather killed the tips, and then you would want to prune the bush in the spring.

With just a little care your hydrangeas will last for years, and will give you some beautiful flowers to enjoy all summer long.