So that your garden hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) grow into magnificent bushes with a dense abundance of flowers, you should give them the best possible start with the right planting.
How do I plant garden hydrangeas correctly?
To optimally plant garden hydrangeas, choose a sunny to light-shady location, loosen the soil and prepare it with green manure and lime. Plant the hydrangeas in spring or autumn, with a planting distance of at least 1.5 meters and ensure adequate watering.
Which location do garden hydrangeas prefer?
Garden hydrangeas prefer a sunny to light-shaded location with predominantly direct sunlight. A sheltered place with light shade (e.g. under taller trees) without direct midday sun is ideal.
In which substrate do garden hydrangeas thrive?
Hardenseas thrive best in acidic to neutral soil. Although alkaline soils are sometimes accepted, you should still try to avoid or reduce high pH values above 7.5. For the popular blue flower color of garden hydrangeas, in addition to a low pH value in the soil, special fertilizer containing aluminum is also necessary.
When is the best time to plant garden hydrangeas?
The ideal planting time for garden hydrangeas is spring until mid-May at the latest, when the ground is open. Container plants (i.e. H. Garden hydrangeas grown in plastic pots) can also be planted during the summer months. In this case, you must water particularly carefully and extensively after planting so that the hydrangea is adequately supplied during the rooting period. Autumn planting is also possible, but should be done as early as possible, at the latest by the end of September. Then the plants have enough time to root until the first frost.
What is the best way to plant garden hydrangeas?
Before planting, it is important to thoroughly loosen the soil by digging it up. In addition, the soil should be prepared the previous autumn if possible with green manure (e.g. Phacelia or wild mustard) and lime. To plant, dig a sufficiently deep hole, which should be about one and a half times the size of the root ball. Also enrich the excavation with mature compost and a handful of horn shavings (€52.00 on Amazon). Any finishing points must be approximately two to three finger-widths below the ground.
What planting distance should be maintained for garden hydrangeas?
When determining planting spacing, you should keep an eye on the growth performance of these shrubs. Garden hydrangeas rarely grow higher than one and a half meters even when they get older, but they form compact, dome-shaped bushes. So give the trees enough space so that they can develop into well-proportioned, even shrubs.
How can I propagate my garden hydrangeas?
Garden hydrangeas are best propagated via planters or summer cuttings.
When do garden hydrangeas bloom?
The main flowering time of all garden hydrangeas is in July; For some, flowering begins as early as mid-June or continues into September. Since the flowers wither in a very decorative way, they overall have a much longer “perceived” bloom time.
Tips & Tricks
You don't need to cut off the dry inflorescences of garden hydrangeas; instead, they are a special decoration in winter, especially when they are covered in hoarfrost.
