Here are some of the basics with hydrangeas, dandelion. By the way, I am being general in these comments because you do not indicate what hydrangea type & variety you have, what is your USDA
zone or where do you live.
* planting location: in the southern states, your leaves will scorch from the intense summer sun so you need to plant them such that they will get shade starting at around 11am or 12pm. When your plant gets too much sun, you will notice that the leaves in direct contact with the sun will yellow out including the leaf veins (in some cases, the can also turn white-ish or get a bleached out look).
An east facing wall or the east side of a tree will work fine. Planting under trees is fine provided the tree does not have shallow roots that will complete with the hydrangea roots or produce a chemical called jugone (common on black walnut and butternut trees). Hydrangea roots will contain some secondary shallow/thin roots and some anchor roots. You can also plant hydrangeas such that they get dappled sun throughout the whole day. In the northern states, hydrangeas can be planted such that they get full sun because the summer sun is not as intense as it is here in Texas.
Look at the plant label and observe how tall and wide this plant will get 'at maturity'. This is a commencial term that simply means at 10 years (plants do not stop
growing at 10 years of age, mind you, but that is another story). Then make sure that the hydrangea will have space to grow to those dimensions in the place you selected without encroaching on other plants.
* moisture - most hydrangeas originated from the Far East, from areas that receive a lot of rain. Thus, it follows that they will be most happy if you can replicate their original environment. Try to maintain the soil moist -not wet- as best as you can. Adding 3-4" mulch up to the drip line or further will help conserve moisture and will reduce the frequency of your waterings. Always water -but at reduced levels- during winter if the soil does not freeze and it has been dry.
To make sure that you water appropriately, start with the finger method. On a daily basis, check the soil moisture daily (at the same time of the day) for 1-2 weeks. Insert a finger near the base of the plant to a depth of 4". If it feels dry or almost dry then water THE SOIL, NOT THE LEAVES, early in the mornings with 1g of water for a small new hydrangea (1.5g if your soil is sandy). If the soil feels moist, do not water. If the soil feels wet, try to determine the cause as most plants will not like this and can develop root rot. For example, it is normal for the soil to feel wet after the sprinkler has gone off or after it has rained.
Every time that you water, make a note on a wall calendar. After 1-2 weeks then review those notes and determine how often you are watering. Is it every 2 days? 3 days? 4 days? etc? Then set the sprinkler system or drip irrigation to water 1g on that same frequency. If your temperatures change 10-15 degrees (up or down) and stays there then recheck with the finger method again.
Soil: hydrangeas like well draining soil that is acidic but will tolerate some clayness and some alkalinity. Amend the soil when planting if your soil is a little clayish or consider
growing in pots or in raised beds if the soil is very clayish or consists of caliche. Some compost at planting time is a nice thing to add.
If your leaves turn yellow and the veins remain dark green, the soil has become too alkaline and must be amended. This is called iron chlorosis. You can apply liquid chelated products sold at almost all nurseries, green sand, garden sulphur, iron sulphate or aluminum sulphate (if you do not have azaleas or rhodies nearby because these two are "allergic" to aluminum sulphate in large quantities). These products do not work fast/overnight but they will control the iron chlorosis. My soil is naturally alkaline so I amend the soil in
spring with one of these products.
Fertilize: plants in stress should never be fertilized. Hydrangeas are easy in this department because they do not require much food. If your soil has no defficiencies, you could forget to fertilize for a year and not notice the difference.
In general, fertilize once in the northern states (June) and twice in the southern states (May and July). A half a cup or cup of compost, manure or cottonseed meal will work for each application. You can also use a general-purpose slow-release chemical fertilizer according to the label amounts. But that is it.
You can also use weak fertilizers like coffee grounds, liquid seaweed and liquid fish during the
growing season. But stop all fertilizer in August or thereabouts in order to make sure that the plant goes dormant when winter approaches.
Pruning: if you have selected a planting location where the shrub can grow, this should be something done very few times in the life of a hydrangea. Without knowing where you live & the type and variety of hydrangea, I can only suggest that pruning be done right after the plant has bloomed but before the month of July.
Does this help you, dandelion?
Luis
