Smooth Hydrangea Care Learn About Wild Hydrangea Shrubs

Growing Smooth Hydrangeas Choose a location that gets sun in the morning but has some shade during the heat of the afternoon. When you are planting wild hydrangeas, find a spot with well-drained, moist, acidic soil. Work in a few inches of organic compost before planting to enrich the soil.

How do you take care of a smooth hydrangea?

Smooth Hydrangea Care

Most hydrangea arborescens like slightly acidic soil that is nutrient rich. Make sure to plant these in an area that is well drained to prevent root rot. However, the soil does need to be moist. This type of hydrangea does not do well in extended periods without rain.

How do you prune a wild hydrangea?

Pruning in the spring would remove the flower buds, leaving us with a bloomless plant for the year. Instead, big-leaf hydrangeas are pruned in summer, after they finish blooming. To prune, remove up to one-third of the stems each season. Start by removing the weakest shoots, both old and new ones, cutting at the base.

How big do smooth hydrangeas get?

Smooth Hydrangeas typically grow up to 3-6 ft. tall and wide (90-180 cm).

What does wild hydrangea look like?

Wild hydrangea is a hardy, adaptable shrub grown for its large, cloud-like clusters of early summer flowers that start out pale green and turn to white then eventually fade to brown adding winter interest to the landscape.

Are coffee grounds good for hydrangeas?

If you're growing hydrangeas, use coffee grounds to affect their color. Coffee grounds add extra acidity to the soil around hydrangeas. ... Seedlings thrive off the nitrogen content in coffee, so give them a boost by making a natural fertilizer from the grounds.

Is Miracle Gro good for hydrangeas?

Hydrangeas also require fertilization to thrive; however, they don't require special fertilization. All-purpose Miracle-Gro fertilizer is well suited for hydrangeas. ... It's also important to prune hydrangeas after they blossom so that the shrubs can develop next year's flower buds.

Will hydrangeas grow back if cut down?

You can take a more relaxed attitude about pruning if you have hydrangeas that set flower buds on current season wood, like panicle and smooth hydrangeas. ... Even if you cut canes back to ground level during dormancy, the shrubs will grow back and produce blooms in spring.

Should I deadhead hydrangeas?

You should deadhead throughout the blooming season to keep your hydrangeas looking their beast and encourage new flower growth. However, stop deadheading hydrangea shrubs in mid to late fall, leaving any spent blooms in place.

Do I cut back hydrangeas after frost?

These mophead or lacecap hydrangeas traditionally bloom only on old wood. If cut back too hard or to the ground in late winter, there will be no flowers. ... These can be cut (or frozen) to the ground and still bloom through much of the summer. Prune them lightly early in the season to encourage new growth and flowers.

What month do hydrangeas flower?

Shrubs like hydrangeas flower from mid to late summer on the previous year's growth. Mophead and lacecap hydrangeas will bloom satisfactorily with little attention, but regular pruning encourages new, vigorous growth that can produce a better display.

Do Hydrangeas like sun or shade?

In general, for most hydrangeas except the panicle types, plan to give hydrangeas both sun and shade. Morning sun with afternoon shade works beautifully in the South and warmer regions. In these zones, afternoon sun sizzles and can easily fry hydrangeas.

When should you prune hydrangea bush?

Prune in late winter and early spring. Prune as far back as you want right above the first leaf joints. It will grow from that point onward, getting larger each year. Read more about pruning hydrangeas, and learn whether your shrub blooms on old or new growth in “Pruning Hydrangeas” by Janet Carson.

Where do hydrangeas grow naturally?

Hydrangeas grow naturally in eastern Asia, eastern North America and western Central and South America. In the United States, the smooth hydrangea (H. arborescens) is native to the Appalachian Mountains.

Will hydrangeas grow under walnut trees?

Hydrangeas Grow Well Under Walnut Trees.

Are hydrangeas native plants?

Hydrangea (/haɪˈdreɪndʒiə/) common names hydrangea or hortensia, is a genus of 70–75 species of flowering plants native to Asia and the Americas. By far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably Korea, China, and Japan.

Are banana peels good for hydrangeas?

Banana Peels

Their high potassium content reportedly will cause those bushes to go bananas with blooms. Use about only three peels for each bush, snipping them into pieces with kitchen shears first to help them break down quickly.

Are eggshells good for hydrangeas?

Eggshell is good for hydrangeas because it contains calcium, making the plant stronger and growing better.

Will vinegar turn hydrangeas blue?

If the soil has a pH lower than 7.0, hydrangea flowers will typically be blue. ... For each gallon of water in your watering can, add one cup of white distilled vinegar and pour on your hydrangeas. The acidity of the vinegar will turn your pink hydrangeas blue or keep your blue blooms from turning pink.

Is Epsom salt good for hydrangeas?

The short answer is yes it will – Epsom Salts is Magnesium sulfate and Sulfur is the mineral that we apply to the soil to lower the pH. ... This is also the reason that one will find most container grown hydrangeas in a soil-less mix with pink flowers unless they have been given fertilizers containing Aluminum sulfate.

What side of the house do you plant hydrangeas?

It's recommended to plant Hydrangeas on the side of the house that receives adequate light and coolness. Prepare the soil at the left side if much sunlight comes through that side of the house for Hydrangeas. And it's not only hydrangeas that can live beside the house, other plants can as well.

How do I get more blooms on my hydrangea?

How to Get More Smooth Hydrangea Flowers:

Plant smooth hydrangeas in full sun if the soil stays moist. ...
Water them during times of drought, especially during the heat of summer.
Amend the soil with organic matter (such as compost).
Prune stems back in early spring, just before new growth emerges.