Filigree in appearance, plate hydrangeas boast mostly two-tone flowers throughout the summer. Find out here compact answers to previously unanswered questions about the correct handling of these enchantingly beautiful flowering trees.
How do you properly care for a hydrangea?
The plate hydrangea impresses with its two-tone flowers and graceful stature. Optimal care includes regular watering with lime-free water, fertilizing from March to September and pruning in spring. The ideal location is partially shaded, protected from the wind and offers sufficient water supply.
Planting plate hydrangeas correctly
Before you start preparing the soil, place the root ball in a container with lime-free water. In the meantime, loosen the soil deeply with the rake to remove stones and roots. The finer the clod, the quicker the flat-rooted plant gains a foothold in the location. This is how it continues:
- The planting pit has twice the volume of the root ball
- Enrich half of the excavation with rhododendron soil and compost
- Unpot the hydrangea and plant it as deep as in the container
- Water and spread a 3-5 centimeter high layer of mulch
Plate hydrangeas love to be mulched with fern leaves, leaves, grass clippings or coniferous compost. In this way, the soil stays moist longer and receives an additional portion of valuable nutrients.
Care tips
With the following care program you can encourage a hydrangea to produce abundant flowers and vital growth.
- If the substrate dries, water with lime-free water
- Water in the morning and evening during hot summer days
- Fertilize from March with acidic compost, natural fertilizer or special hydrangea fertilizer
- Do not fertilize from the end of August/beginning of September
- In winter, pile up with leaves and brushwood, protect the buds with jute or a felt cap
In early spring, thin out the shrub thoroughly and remove all 5-year-old branches to rejuvenate it. Cut off the withered flower heads.read more
Which location is suitable?
Choose a location with partial shade and in a position that is as sheltered from the wind as possible. The hydrangea finds ideal conditions under the canopy of tall deciduous plants. In sunny locations, ensure there is sufficient water supply.read more
The correct planting distance
If the planting distance corresponds to half the growth width, you can't go wrong. This applies to group cultivation. If the hydrangea acts as a decorative fence in a hedge, pay attention to the required distance from the neighbor. If you stick to this rule of thumb, there won't be any trouble: height in centimeters minus 130 gives you the limit distance.
What soil does the plant need?
The perfect soil for hydrangeas is nutrient-rich, fresh-moist, humus-rich and has an acidic pH value of 4.0 to 5.5. Choose a commercially available rhododendron soil as the container substrate and optimize it with compost and lava granules.
What is the best time to plant?
The hydrangea is planted twice a year: in spring from April to May and autumn from late August to early October. Hydrangeas should only not be planted during hot, dry summer days and when the ground is frozen.
When is flowering time?
Look forward to a summery flowering period from June to October for your hydrangea. If the weather is mild, the flowering lasts until November.
Cut hydrangea correctly
Since a plate hydrangea produces its flowers the previous year, it is important to exercise caution when pruning. How to do it right:
- In March/April just cut off the withered flower heads
- Do not cut deeper than the next strong bud
- Thin out the entire bush
Pruning on the new variety 'Endless Summer Twist-n-Shout' is more flexible. Since this hydrangea blooms on the previous year's and this year's wood, it can exceptionally tolerate a more extensive topiary in spring.read more
Water plate hydrangea
If you water your hydrangea too rarely, you will feel its displeasure as it throws off flowers and leaves indignantly. The ornamental tree will look good to you if you water it like this:
- Water regularly and thoroughly without causing waterlogging
- Use soft rainwater or decalcified tap water
- Do not water the flowering bush from above
Check the substrate in the bed and pot daily using a thumb test. Once the surface of the soil has dried, water it. In summer this may be necessary twice a day, in the early morning and in the evening.
Fertilize plate hydrangeas properly
Fertilize a hydrangea every 14 days from March to September with acidic coniferous or leaf compost, to which you add horn shavings (€52.00 at Amazon). Providing nutrients with special long-term hydrangea fertilizers is less time-consuming. A single dose in March is enough to cover the energy requirements for the entire season.
Wintering
Although a hydrangea is hardy, you can be on the safe side with these precautions when overwintering in the bed:
- Before the first frost, pile up a thick layer of leaf mold and cover with conifers
- Protect the branches with reed mats, jute ribbons or a felt cap
In the pot, you should ideally carry the hydrangea to a bright, cool winter quarters. Temperatures here should be around 5 degrees Celsius.
Propagate plate hydrangea
The propagation of hydrangeas has the best prospects if you use one of the following methods:
- Division of the rootstock in spring or autumn, while the sap is dormant
- Cut cuttings during the summer, place them in a lean substrate and care for them until next year
- Pull the sinker to the ground, bury the middle part and let it root
read more
How do I transplant correctly?
Transplanting a hydrangea is possible in spring or autumn. The ornamental shrub should be in a state of dormancy so that the stress does not affect it too much. A week or two before the appointment, cut off the roots all around and water repeatedly so that a lush fine root system can develop. This way you can proceed professionally on the day of transplanting:
- Loose the root ball and lift it out of the ground
- Maintain the previous planting depth at the new location
- Water abundantly and mulch with leaf compost
Plate hydrangea in a pot
Thanks to its graceful stature, the potted hydrangea creates a picturesque picture on the balcony. If you choose a container with a volume of at least 20 liters, the shrub will happily spread its roots here. Drainage above the water drain is essential. To do this, use inorganic material, such as pottery shards or expanded clay. As a substrate, we recommend compost-based ericaceous soil, enriched with a handful of lava granules for optimal permeability.
How does a hydrangea keep its blue color?
The blue color of a plate hydrangea is due to horticultural artistry, as Mother Nature did not have this tone for hydrangeas. To ensure blue coloration for the entire flowering period, a low pH of the substrate of 4.0 to a maximum of 5.0 is required. This is how it works in the bed and in the pot:
- Use a special preparation with blue dye as fertilizer, such as Norax hydrangea fertilizer with deep blue dye
- Supplement an organic fertilizer with 20-60 grams of alum from the pharmacy from March to July
The most beautiful varieties
- Blue tit: light blue disc flowers with a diameter of 10 cm from June to September; Growth height 100-130 cm
- Lanarth White: bicolor hydrangea beauty with white and pink flowers; Growth height 90-120 cm
- Pheasant: spectacular hydrangea with purple-red flowers and a broad, bushy habit: height 100-130 cm
- Mariesii Perfecta: the graceful variety impresses with delicate pink flowers; Growth height 100-130 cm
