Photo Credit: Getty Images. John S Lander/Contributor.
Hydrangeas is a beautiful flower group, but sometimes it can be hard to get the best out of them if they aren’t properly cared for. Take a quick listen to Pat explaining the differences, the care needed, and actions you can take this month to get that beautiful color they are known for.
To recap, we talked exclusively about the two most common hydrangeas found in Indiana: macrophyllas and paniculatas.
Paniculata
This type of hydrangea is typically white and flourishes fairly easy. This is a great beginner flower to start with. They aren’t too picky about the sun and afternoon heat is actually okay for them (unlike others) so if placement becomes an issue for most flowers you get try these!
Tip: Get the best bloom from your paniculatas, prune in the early spring.
Macrophylla
Almost everyone is a huge fan of these pink/blue flowers. A big misconception however is that these flowers are shade plants. False! They need morning sun to flourish, but you also have to be cautious because they hate afternoon sun. The best placement is on the east side of your yard/house.
Tip: If you see foliage and no blooms that is a sign the flower is getting too much shade. If they are folding down they have too much sun and are beginning to burn.
The best time to prune these hydrangeas is actually right now, late summer. If you trim in fall or early spring you run the risk of cutting a lot of the color off.
Here in the Midwest most want our macrophyllas blue instead of the pink. How do you achieve that beautiful bright blue? It’s in the fertilizer, aluminum sulfate or Soil Acidifier to be exact. Add this to the soil to acidify and watch them flourish into the blue of your dreams. You by no means have to add this! You can just fertilize as is, they will turn or remain pink due to our Indiana soil.
Fun fact: On the East Coast they have acidic soil so their macrophyllas are naturally blue, but they want them pink. While most people in the Midwest want their naturally pink flowers to be blue (go figure!)
CHECK OUT for yourself how you can make your hydrangeas grow faster!
For more Home and Garden tips tune in every Saturday, 9am-1pm on WIBC.
