What you will need:

Hydrangea Shrub, Compost, Garden Fork and a Shovel

Planting Instructions:

1. Dig a hole twice as wide and as deep as the shrub’s rootball. Break up soil in the hole with a garden fork and mix in a 1 inch layer of compost

2. Remove the Big-leaf Hydrangea from its original container, carefully loosening the soil around the outside of the rootball

3. Set the Hydrangea in the hole so that the base of the shrub’s stem sits at ground level. Add soil to raise the shrub as necessary

4. Fill with soil, gently packing around the roots to eliminate any air pockets. Water thoroughly and mulch well with compost

In Late Summer, after blooming, prune stems that bore flowers to just above nearest outward facing bud. Leave new shoots uncut.

TIP:  You can alter the color of blue and pink Hydrangeas by changing soil acidity. Add aluminum sulfate for blue blooms, and lime for pink.

Pruning Instructions:

When to prune is mostly a matter of convenience. We have pruned both in the fall and early spring and had good results either way. It does seem that the later and the more harshly you prune that fewer flower blooms can be expected the next season. this is because most hydrangeas bloom on 'old' wood. With young plants, be sure to prune enough growth to form them into a good 'shape' and no more. This is generally 10 to 20 percent of the growth. The paniculata and Arborescens varieties bloom on new wood so you may cut them for size in the spring,.

You may prune in the fall after blooming or in the spring after the hard frosts are over. Remember, the later you prune and the More drastically you prune, the fewer blooms you’ll have. Prune to the first leave node of this years growth.

Cut 1/2‘ to 1’ above a budding node at a 45 Degree angle. These buds will be the new leaves and blooms of your hydrangea. If you live in an area that is prone to spring frost, protect these buds with bed sheets or frost cloth (a light felt) on nights that frost is expected.

Established hydrangeas tend to have branches that die back every year. These are completely woody branches inside the hydrangea. Cut up to a dozen of these branches down to the ground to spur new growth at the base.

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