How to Get Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are dramatic blooming shrubs that come in dozens of varieties and are readily available at garden centers, home improvement stores and from plants dealers online. You can buy hydrangeas as plants or seeds, or by planting cuttings from a favorite hydrangea in a friend´s or neighbor's garden. Hydrangeas grow in hues of white to pink to deep cornflower blue and have different bloom styles including lacecap, mophead and panicle form with correspondingly unique foliage. Their color can be altered by managing the pH level of the planting soil. The more acid the soil the more blue your blooms will be, the more alkaline the soil the pinker your hydrangeas will be and neutral soils produce the dominant creamy white blooms. Choose a favorite and get planting.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hydrangea plants, seeds or cuttings Rooting hormone Mature hydrangea bloom and plastic bag Rich, well-drained soil Water Grow pots Partial shade

1. Purchase one or more healthy hydrangea plants at your local garden center, home improvement center or online specialty retailer.

2. Plant mature or young hydrangeas in rich, well-drained soil in containers or in the ground. Allow for at least a foot of soil to surround the root ball on all sides. This soil expanse may have to be shrunk slightly for hydrangeas in containers but can be balanced with an extra dose of fertilizer and careful watering.

3. Harvest a green stem cutting from a favorite mature hydrangea plant of at least five inches in length including several leaf axils. Cut the stem on the bias with clean sharp secateurs or a knife. Dip the bottom end into rooting hormone powder. Fill the pots with the mix up to the top rim and water them down until thoroughly wet through to the bottom. Stick the cutting with the root hormone end into the potting soil pushing in at least a few inches but not hitting the bottom.

4. Order hydrangea seeds from a reputable retailer or harvest your own seed in the fall. Take a dried hydrangea bloom head and place it in a plastic bag, seal it closed and shake the bag violently to release the fine seeds which look like very fine sand. Remove the bloom and any other non-seed debris. Seeds can be scattered onto moist soil in grow pots and in a sunny location and kept moist. They should germinate in a few weeks.

References

• National Arboretum Site pages on Hydrangeas
• White Flower Farms large Hydrangea plant collection

Resources

• White Flower Farms Hydrangea plant collection online
• Wildflower Seed purveyor selling Hydrangea seed