Hydrangeas as Cut Flowers

Hydrangea Bouquet Revived

Hydrangeas as cut flowers are perfect if you are feeling hydrangea-starved. That describes me a week or two ago. Then we had two consecutive days of temps in the 60s. That gave me a terminal case of spring fever! But I knew enough not to rush out and start playing with my hydrangeas. Living in…

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Deer Damage on Hydrangeas in Winter

Deer tracks in snow

This is the time of year to be alert to deer damage on hydrangeas. The winter weather pattern of deep cold, snow, and ice storms has made it increasingly difficult for them to get around and find food sources to sustain life. Deer tracks are the obvious tip off so here’s what to look for.

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Preparing Hydrangeas for Winter

DIY shrub cover from discarded pallets

We have had a few nights where the temps have dropped into the high 30s, a sobering reminder that it’s time for preparing hydrangeas for winter. Specifically, time to wrap some of my bigleaf (macrophyllas) and mountain (serratas) hydrangeas. Those that aren’t planted in protected locations as I described in my other blog posts, HERE and…

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Hydrangea Leaf Spots

Leaf spots on hydrangea

On my recent garden visits, I’ve noted an abundance of unsightly foliage and hydrangea leaf spots. They can be bacterial leaf spot from an infection by Xanthomonas campestris, or Cercospora which grows from the pathogen Cercospora hydrangeae. I’m also seeing powdery mildew on many plants. You can thank Erysiphe friesii var. friesii (formerly Microsphaera friesii).…

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Hydrangea Care For July – Part Two

Big leaf hydrangea needs to be pinch pruned

Hard to believe we are past mid-July – already! NOW is the time to deal with the last bit of mid-season hydrangea care for July, ideally by August 1. JULY HYDRANGEA CARE: PINCH PRUNE Hydrangea care in July involves “pinch pruning” any of your hydrangeas that flower on old wood. What’s the science behind this?…

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Hydrangea Care For July

Leaf of an Oak Leaf Hydrangea

If your garden is anything like mine, right about now insects and disease start rearing their ugly heads  signaling time for hydrangea care. In most cases, they show up as a result of cultural conditions. We had a very wet and cool spring and things have finally begun to dry out. But all that rain…

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2019 Winter Impact on Hydrangeas

Weather chart showing extremely low winter temperatures

Time to report on 2019 winter impact on hydrangeas. In early May, I went out to my Zone 5 garden to see what the past winter had done to my hydrangeas that bloom on old wood: big leaf (macrophylla) and mountain hydrangea (serrata). I also checked on the oak leaf (quercifolia) and climbing (petiolaris) hydrangeas I grow. 

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Pruning Your Old Wood Hydrangeas

Is it time to prune this big leaf hydrangea or time to wait?

Pruning your old wood hydrangeas may be possible now. But not all of them which is a source of much confusion.Which ones should you examine for this task? Your old wood plants include big leaf hydrangeas (macrophylla), mountain hydrangeas (serrata), oak leaf hydrangeas (quercifolia),  and climbing hydrangeas (petiolaris). Even if your plant is a rebloomer…

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Hydrangea Pruning: ‘Annabelle’ and ‘Limelight’

Annabelle hydrangea before spring pruning

Hydrangea pruning of  ‘Annabelle’ and ‘Limelight’ is the order of the day in my April Connecticut garden. They both flower on the growth they will put on this year, better known as “new wood.” In hydrangea-land, those new wood plants are woodland/smooth hydrangea arborescens like ‘Annabelle’, or for example any plant that has Incrediball® or…

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Get Ready For Hydrangea Pruning

Hydrangea being pruned

It’s just about time to engage in a gardener’s spring ritual and get ready for hydrangea pruning. We have had a few teaser days of 50 degrees but where I live in Connecticut the footing hasn’t been safe enough to go out and do much. But it has been a good time to get things…

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