Hip Hop Hydrangeas

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 

  1. Removing damaged or dead canes is the only pruning that must be done for the health of the plant; remove them at any time.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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

  1. Most hydrangeas do not need pruning!
  2. 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.
  3. DON’T ‘shear’ hydrangeas, cut individual canes or branches.
  4. Can remove dead flowers, any time, BUT not necessary.
  5. 5. Can remove dead flowers, any time, BUT not necessary.
  6. 6. Cut out dead canes or branched to the crown anytime. Scratch to make sure its dead.
  7. 7. Cut below any damage as soon as you see it. 
  1. Use ONLY hand pruners or a small hand saw
  2. Cut blooms down to just above a leaf pair for flower arranging anytime,.
  3. DON’T prune October thru February
  4. Remove only 1/3 of wood in one season to rejuvenate.
  5. 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.
  6. If blooms on NEW WOOD, buds form in spring for this season, can prune 1/3 down late winter/early spring before budding.
  7. Blooms on BOTH OLD & NEW WOOD – REPEAT BLOOMER do NOT prune at all.
  8. 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

 

 

PINKSWEET

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 SOILPH 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