Whether you’ve just purchased your first hydrangea or your fiftieth, the next step is putting your blooming bestie in the ground!
When you plant and where you plant will have a long-term effect on your plant, so it’s important to know the right steps and tips to lead to a healthy life for the hydrangea. For planting Endless Summer® Hydrangeas, we like to follow the “Three S” rule: size, sun, soil.
Let’s get into it!
Knowing how big your hydrangea will be at its mature size is a very important first step in planting. This ensures that you will not have to move it later, which can be hard work! Each hydrangea’s sizing will be different. For example, Summer Crush® matures to 2-3 feet tall and wide, while The Original can grow up to 6 feet tall and wide.
When choosing the right spot for your hydrangea, keep the mature size in mind and make sure you won’t be blocking any windows, sight-lines, or planting too closely to neighboring plants. Leaving enough space between plants also ensures for airflow to prevent any disease issues that could arise.
Endless Summer® hydrangeas thrive in full morning sun and dappled afternoon shade. Make sure the spot you choose to plant has access to both of these key things to help your hydrangea bloom like crazy.
Hydrangeas prefer well-drained soil that is rich in nutrients like loam soil. If you’ve got sandy or clay soil, you’ll want to do some amending to make sure your hydrangea thrives in its new home.
To amend soil, add compost to allow for consistent drainage and nutrient retention. Adding gypsum to clay soil can also help break up the weight of the soil. Head to our blog on understanding soil to learn even more.
Once you’ve covered these three steps, you’re ready to plant! Here’s a handy checklist you can follow as you plant to make things easy.
Dig a hole slightly wider than the size of your pot and deep enough that the top of the top is in line with the ground. If the hole you dig is too high, the roots can dry out and if it’s too low, the roots can start to rot.
If the roots are tangled, loosen them with your fingers or a hand tool before planting.
Place the hydrangea into the hole and fill it back up with the soil.
Pack the soil in so there is a well around the base of the plant.
Fill the well with water, let it soak in, and repeat. Check out our blog on watering to learn more.
Most hydrangeas come with fertilizer included in their pot. If they don’t, then feel free to add some fertilizer to help boost bloom production. Head to our blog on fertilizing to learn more about fertilizing and the best times to do it.
Our final tip is to consider timing. Spring and fall are the best times to plant thanks to the milder temperatures. You can still plant in the heat of summer but be extra diligent in remembering to water, so the roots have a better chance to become established.
And that’s it! You’ve planted a hydrangea that will bring joy to your garden for many seasons to come. For even more tips and tricks, be sure to follow us on social media and sign up for our newsletter. Shop the Endless Summer® collection online during our shipping season or utilize our Find a Retailer tool to locate Endless Summer® hydrangeas near you.
