Struggling with your Hydrangea? Here's what it really needs to thrive
Just getting started with Hydrangeas? This easy-to-follow guide covers everything beginners need to know—how much sun and water they need, the best soil for big blooms, and simple tips to avoid common mistakes.
Looking for that one plant that gives your entire garden a color boost? You can't go wrong with Hydrangea! Hydrangeas are medium to large plants with large green leaves that grow bright-colored flowers in the summer.
It's one of my favorite outdoor plants, because it's low-maintenance, comes back year after year, and It's one of those plants that'll fill in empty spots in your garden quite quickly.
In this plant care guide, we're going to look at what your Hydrangea really needs to thrive in your garden. These are the topics we'll cover:
Let's start with the most important thing to get right when it comes to helping your Hydrangea thrive: Sunlight.
Sunlight for your Hydrangea
Sunlight is very important for your Hydrangea and if you get this right, taking care of your plant will be a breeze. Ideally, you place your Hydrangea in a spot that gets bright sunlight in the morning, but is shaded during the afternoon.
Hydrangea is a plant that likes sunlight, but also wilts quite quickly if it's planted in the full sun in the afternoon. This is especially true if you live in a warmer climate, or it's the summer.
Your Hydrangea is a flowering plant, so it absolutely needs sunlight to have enough energy to grow these flowers. Without the sunlight, your plant will have smaller flowers and leggy growth.
So the perfect spot for your Hydrangea is a spot that gets direct sunlight in the morning and is in (partial) shade for the rest of the day.
Watering your Hydrangea
When you've placed your Hydrangea in the right spot, the second most important part of its care is watering it. If you live in a wet climate like me (North-Western Europe), you won't really have to think about this step until the summer.
If it doesn't rain every few days, you'll have to make sure you keep the soil moist at all times by manually watering your garden. This is very important, especially when your Hydrangea is blooming.
In the summer, when it's warm and dry, make sure to water your Hydrangea 2-3 times per week. It's best to water it early in the morning or in the evening. If you water your plants during the afternoon in the summer, most of the moisture will evaporate quickly, before your plant can use it.
If you want to provide your Hydrangea with the ideal growing conditions, you should consider mulching around the base of your plant. This traps the moisture in the soil, so it doesn't evaporate, and it keeps the soil cooler. Mulching isn't just nice for your Hydrangea, but also makes the plant a lot less work for you. Win-win!
Where Hydrangeas grow best
To figure out how much work Hydrangea is in your garden, it's a good idea to look a bit closer at where these amazing plants come from.
Hydrangeas are native to Asia and the Americas, especially Japan, China, and Korea, with some species also found in North and South America. They thrive in climates with mild summers and winters, and they grow best in moderate to high humidity.
Most Hydrangea varieties grow best in USDA hardiness zones 5–9, so there is a good chance this plant will grow in your garden without any problems.
The ideal soil for your Hydrangea
You've already learned that the soil should be consistently moist for your Hydrangea to be thriving. One important part of that is using soil that holds moisture well, drains excess moisture to prevent root rot, and soil that stays nice and airy.
Your Hydrangea is a flowering plant, meaning it needs a lot of nutrients, so it's also important to use soil that is rich in organic material. Sandy soils won't work, as they are nutrient-poor and drain moisture too quickly.
The soil in your garden is likely already quite good for your Hydrangea, but if you're creating new garden patches, you might want to combine 1/2 general soil with some 1/4 coconut fibers and 1/4 perlite to create the ideal growing conditions.
Fertilizing your Hydrangea
If you're growing your Hydrangea outdoors, and you live in a climate that your plant naturally thrives in, you might not have to think about fertilizing too much. The weather will take care of most of the nutrients your plant will need.
However, that doesn't mean you can't offer your plant a helping hand. You can help your plant grow more/large flowers by fertilizing it once in early spring and once again at the beginning of summer.
Since you'll only want to fertilize your Hydrangea twice per year, you should use a balanced, slow-release fertilizer. Something like NPK 10-10-10 works well for these plants.
Keep in mind that you can overfertilize your Hydrangea, so stick to doing so twice per year. When you overfertilize your plant, it'll grow a lot of leaves, but not as many flowers.
Pruning your Hydrangea
At the end of the growing season, when the flowers and leaves die off, it's time to prune your Hydrangea. This step is optional, but I highly recommend it.
First, you'll need to figure out if your species of hydrangea blooms on old wood (last year's growth) or new wood (this year's growth). You can tell the difference by looking at the plant during the growing season. Is the stem green? Your species likely grows on new wood, is it brown? Your species likely grows on old wood.
New wood, this year's growth
If your Hydrangea blooms on new wood, you can cut off any dried out, dead, stems. For my Hydrangea, it means I'm cutting it almost down to the ground. During the winter, this plant will almost completely die off, before it starts growing again in the spring. You can trim however much you like, because the buds for the flowers all grow next year.
Old wood, last year's growth
If your Hydrangea blooms on old wood, make sure to only trim the dead wood off and lightly shape your plant. Your plant will have new buds on existing stems, so trimming them off, will mean your plant doesn't bloom the following year.
Conclusion
Hydrangeas might seem a bit difficult at first, but once you understand their basic needs, like the right amount of sun, water, and when (or if!) to prune, they’re surprisingly easy to care for. Whether you're growing them in a pot or directly in the garden, giving them the right conditions will reward you with beautiful blooms year after year.
Thank you for reading this post! I hope it helps you to keep your plants healthy and beautiful! If you're looking for more guides on specific plants, you can always request a plant guide to get a guide for the plant you have trouble with.
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