As the seasons change, it can be daunting to know what your next steps are in the garden. That’s where we come in! We’ve rounded up all our fall gardening care tips and tricks to help you prep your hydrangeas to survive the winter and bloom, bloom, bloom next spring!
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that fall is the ideal time to get your hydrangeas in the ground. The cooler temps and more frequent rainfall make for the perfect planting conditions. Plus, you can see the full picture of your garden at its peak, instead of adding new plants when things are just waking up in the spring. Check out our Fall Planting Guide for more information.
Fall may bring more rain showers, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely off the hook for watering! Your hydrangeas will still need a good soaking about once every two weeks depending on the level on rainfall in your area.
The most important fall care tip we have for Endless Summer® hydrangeas is to keep the pruners away in the fall. To repeat, DO NOT prune in the fall. Pruning in the fall can stunt the growth of your hydrangea and cause it to not produce blooms in the spring. For even more tips on pruning and when you should do it, head to our Seasonal Pruning Tips blog.
We get it – it can be tempting to help those gorgeous fall blooms along with some fertilizer. However, fertilizing supports new growth which is extremely susceptible to the cold temperatures of winter. The cold can damage that new growth, which damages the hydrangea, meaning you get less blooms next spring. So put that fertilizer away!
Are you looking to move your hydrangea from one spot to another? Or maybe from a container to the landscape? Fall is a great time to accomplish this task. Just make sure to wait until all the leaves have dropped off your hydrangea and it is dormant. You can learn more from our Garden Gab™ on How to Transplant Hydrangeas.
Another aspect of hydrangea care to consider in the fall is preparing your plants to survive the chillier months ahead. Proper winter prep means maximum blooms next spring, so make sure to check out our Garden Gab™ on Protecting Hydrangeas for Winter and our Hydrangea Winter Checklist.
Don’t forget about your blooming friends in containers! Just because they’re not in the ground doesn’t mean these hydrangeas don’t need winter protection as well. To make sure you can enjoy your beautiful containers year after year, our Garden Gab™ covers everything you need to know on How to Prep Container Hydrangeas for Winter.
