Instructions for How to Plant Hydrangeas

Hydrangea bushes are colorful in landscaping.

Hydrangea bushes have long been a favorite of gardeners, particularly in old-fashioned landscaping. More recently, hydrangeas plants have become trendy and stylish for modern landscaping, partly because of new varieties developed for colder northern climates and a wider selection of blossom colors. When choosing a hydrangea bush for your yard, select a hydrangea variety that is suited for your USDA hardiness zone. The location in your landscape for your hydrangea should receive morning sun with afternoon shade, especially in hotter, Southern climates. The soil you plant your hydrangea in should be fertile and well-draining. Plan to plant your hydrangea after any threat of frost has passed in the late spring, early summer, or in the autumn, as the hydrangea leaves fall and the bush goes into dormancy.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Compost, organic material
• Water
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Dig a hole with a shovel at the selected location for your hydrangea bush. The hole needs to be as deep as the pot your hydrangea is now in, and twice as wide as the pot, or root ball. The soil you remove from the hole should be broken up, placed in a pile near the hole, or placed in a wheelbarrow.

2. Spread 1 inch of compost or decomposed organic material, like leaves or grass, on top of the soil pile you removed from the hole. With a shovel, mix the compost into the soil. This will add nutrients to the planting soil and help water drainage. If your soil is heavy clay, use 2 to 3 inches of compost to mix into the soil.

3. Remove the hydrangea from the pot it is in. Carefully loosen the root ball and any knotted or curled roots.

4. Set the hydrangea root ball in the center of the hole and begin filling in around the roots and filling the hole with the amended soil you prepared. When the hole is half to two-thirds filled, pat down the soil gently and water the soil to get good contact with the soil and roots. Allow the water to drain, then continue to fill the hole with the amended soil until it is level with the soil surface. Pat the soil down again when you are finished.

5. Water your newly planted hydrangea thoroughly to eliminate any air pockets that may be in the soil. Add 2 inches of organic mulch over the soil surface around your hydrangea to help keep the soil moist and weeds down.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant your hydrangea where the soil will stay moist, not soggy, consistently. Hydrangeas need lots of water to grow and produce blooms.

• Avoid planting your hydrangea under trees because the tree roots will compete with the hydrangea for water and it may be too shady for the plant to thrive and bloom.

• It is important that you do not plant the root ball of your hydrangea too deep. The root ball should be be planted only as deep as it was in the container you purchased it in. Hydrangeas that are planted too deep may not bloom.

References

• Alabama A&M University: Hydrangeas
• National Gardening Association: Hydrangeas