It’s Nature’s Way — Andi Ross
Artistic & Ecological Garden & Landscape Designer, Private Garden Coach, Educator, Speaker
Hip Hip Hydrangeas! ID & Maintenance
IDENTIFY BY BLOOMS TYPES:
MOP HEADS – Smooth Hydrangea* or Bigleaf (French) Hydrangea
LACE CAPS – Bigleaf French) Hydrangea or Mountain Hydrangea
CONE SHAPED – Panicle Hydrangea or Oakleaf Hydrangea*
LOOSE CAP – Climbing Hydrangea or Japanese (false) Hydrangea vine
PRUNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR EACH TYPE
ALL HYDRANGEA: “MUST DO” PRUNING
- Removing damaged or dead canes is the only pruning that must be done for the health of the plant; remove them at any time.
- When your shrub is very old, sometimes the canes get crowded. If so, 1/3 of the canes can be removed to rejuvenate the shrub, especially remove crossing canes.
- Dead blooms can be removed at any time, but don’t have to be
* Native to USA
MOP HEADS:
Smooth Hydrangea* – bloom on new wood; can be pruned in the late winter/early spring
Bigleaf (French) Hydrangea – bloom on old wood; can be pruned after they bloom
LACE CAPS:
Bigleaf (French) Hydrangea – bloom on old wood; can be pruned after they bloom
Mountain Hydrangea – bloom on old wood; can be pruned after they bloom
CONE SHAPED:
Panicle Hydrangea – bloom on new wood; can be pruned in the late winter/early spring
Oakleaf Hydrangea* – bloom on old wood; can be pruned after they bloom
LOOSE CAP:
Climbing Hydrangea & Japenese (false) Hydrangea vine – All climbing hydrangeas can be pruned after they bloom; they bloom on old wood.
All Repeat Blooming (reblooming) Hydrangeas – bloom on both new & old wood; do not need pruning – unless they are very old & too dense & have crossing branches or canes that rub.
PRUNING SUMMARY
- Most hydrangeas do not need pruning!
- Prune ONLY to control shape Prune for size IF NECESSARY not more than every few years. If too tall for spot, then move it and replace with a smaller cultivar.
- DON’T ‘shear’ hydrangeas, cut individual canes or branches.
- Can remove dead flowers, any time, BUT not necessary.
- 5. Can remove dead flowers, any time, BUT not necessary.
- 6. Cut out dead canes or branched to the crown anytime. Scratch to make sure its dead.
- 7. Cut below any damage as soon as you see it.
- Use ONLY hand pruners or a small hand saw
- Cut blooms down to just above a leaf pair for flower arranging anytime,.
- DON’T prune October thru February
- Remove only 1/3 of wood in one season to rejuvenate.
- If blooms on OLD WOOD, then prune right after blooming – buds form in late summer for next season, BUT not more than 1/3 down to keep the woody structure.
- If blooms on NEW WOOD, buds form in spring for this season, can prune 1/3 down late winter/early spring before budding.
- Blooms on BOTH OLD & NEW WOOD – REPEAT BLOOMER do NOT prune at all.
- REMEMBER: Don’t cut off buds on old wood cultivars in the fall !!
DON’T FORGET TO WATER!!!!!
Hip Hip Hydrangeas! Cultivars
Species Available in NE Garden Centers
LATIN COMMON
*Hydrangea arborescens Smooth Hydrangea
*Hydrangea quercifolia Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla Bigleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata Panicle Hydrangea
Hydrangea serrata Mountain Hydrangea
Hydrangea Anomala Petiolaris Climbing Hydrangea
Schizophragma hydrangenoides Japanese Hydrangea vine
* USA Native
*Hydrangea arborescens – Smooth Hydrangea ARBORESCENS CULTIVARS:
Annabelle Lil’ Annie new Invinciball® Lime Rickey new
*Hydrangea quercifolia – Oakleaf Hydrangea OAKLEAF CULTIVARS:
Snow Flake Ruby Slippersnew
Snow Queen
Munchkin Little Honey™ new
Hydrangea paniculata – Panicle Hydrangea PANICLE CULTIVARS:
Pee Gee & Little Lamb Pinky Winky & Vanilla Strawberry™ new
Limelight & Little Lime Bobo™ Dwarf new
Quickfire hydrangea & Little Quckfire™ new
Hydrangea serrata – Mountain Hydrangea SERRATA CULTIVARS:
Blue Billows
Tuff Stuff, Tiny Tuff Stuff, Red Tuff Stuff new
CLIMBING HYDRANGEA CULTIVARS:
Hydrangea anomala petiolaris – Climbing Hydrangea Miranda & Firefly
Schizophragma hydrangenoides – Japenese Hydrangea vine Moonlight & Roseum
Hydrangea macrophylla – Bigleaf/French Hydrangea MOP HEAD CULTIVARS:
[Nikko Blue] zone 6
Nantucket Blue new Endless Summer® BoomStruck® new
Endless Summer® The Original Let’s Dance® Blue Jangles ne
MANAGING HYDRANGEA COLOR
Color can be changed only on some hydrangea cultivars. Mostly bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea Macrophylla) cultivars, both mop head and lace cap varieties, can be turned pink to purple to blue or blue to purple to pink. No true white hydrangeas can be turned pink blue or purple.
BLUE (easier) – SOUR
ACID SOIL – PH 5.5 and below Add ORGANIC MATTER: compost, ground coffee, crushed, eggs, ground citrus peals, pine needles, pine bark, (rusty iron nails).
OR add ALUMINUM SULFATE:
1 TB/1 gallon water
OR add FERTILIZER for acid loving plants ie. HOLLYTONE
PINK – SWEET
ALKALINE SOIL – PH 6.5 and above
Add WOOD ASH
OR Add DOLOMITIC LIME
OR Add FERTILIZER with high phospherus
– to blocks Aluminum
PURPLE – NEUTRAL SOIL– PH 5.5-6
Handout 2019
Page 4 of 4
HOW TO TEST SOIL FOR ACIDITY:
- In jar with 1/4 cup of soil add distilled water to make mud
- Start sprinkling baking soda on mixture
- If the mixture bubbles, then your soil is acidic
- If no bubbles then
- In another jar with 1/4 cup of soil add distilled water to make mud
- Start adding white vinegar to mixture
- If the mixture bubbles, then your soil is alkaline
- If no bubbles in either case, your soil is neutral
**Hip Hip Hydrangeas! Part 2: Showcases all cultivars available in our garden centers for our climate; including each cultivar’s attributes, problems, solutions, mature sizing, preferred conditions and more. Also includes a sneak peek at new cultivars coming in the next few years. If you are interested, please contact your program chair.
YOUR NOTES:
Andi Ross It’s Nature’s Way 978-465-2585 www.itsnaturesway.com argardentalks@gmail.com
