How to Grow Hydrangea Bushes

Blue Hydrangea Bush

Hydrangea bushes add a gorgeous spray of color to gardens, landscapes and hedges, delighting gardeners and passersby with large, bright blooms. Hydrangea bushes have flowers ranging from white to pink to blue to crimson and there are dozens of hydrangea varieties. Some gardeners will even tweak the soil composition to influence the color of their flowers. Hydrangea bushes can grow quite large, or they can be pruned every year to keep them on the smaller side. Hydrangeas tend to be pretty hardy once established, making them a great choice for expert horticulturists and new gardeners alike.

Things You'll Need

• Hydrangea bush or young plant
• Sunny location
• Soil
• Compost
• Water
• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Choose a sunny or partially shady location to plant your hydrangea bushes. In warmer climates, a little shade is a good idea, while colder areas should have hydrangeas in full sun.

2. Work the soil, breaking it up with the spade and removing any rocks. Add well-composted organic material and composted manure. In clay soil, add hummus to improve the quality of the soil.

3. Plant hydrangea bushes, packing the soil firmly around the root ball. Add mulch at the base of the bush, and re-mulch every spring. Much helps the soil stay warm in the spring and retain water, and shades the roots in the summer.

4. Water the hydrangea bushes regularly when newly planted. Eventually, after they are fully established, you can taper off the watering and allow them to be watered by natural precipitation.

5. Remove wilted or spent blooms as the bush blooms in mid summer. Removing the old flowers is known as dead-heading and encourages the growth of new blooms.

6. 

   Cut stems of hydrangea blooms to display inside. Cut stems at a slight angle and place in fresh water immediately. Keep in a cool spot to extend the life of the blooms.

7. Prune hydrangea bushes in the late winter or early spring before new growth begins. If the plant suffers winter damage or is to large to maintain, cut it back close to the ground for a smaller bush next season.

Tips & Warnings

• You can propagate your own hydrangea bushes by taking cuttings in the spring.

Resources

• Springhill nursery and garden center
• Gurney's Seed and Nursery