Types of Hydrangeas
HYDRANGEA LEAF SPOTS
I am getting a lot of questions these days about hydrangea leaf spots and unsightly foliage. In most cases, the spots are from an infection by Xanthomonas campestris, or Cercospora which grows from the pathogen Cercospora hydrangeae. I’m also seeing powdery mildew on many other plants, like veggies and perennials that also blemish hydrangeas. You…
Read MoreTransplanting Hydrangeas in Autumn
Autumn is the best time for transplanting your hydrangeas (that means now), unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere.
Read MoreBEAUTIFUL LATE SEASON HYDRANGEAS
You have probably heard hydrangeas described as having a beautiful “antique” season of color, the late season. In most cases, the plants being discussed are big leaf (macrophylla) and mountain (serrata) hydrangeas. But don’t discount the oakleaf (quercifolia) and woodland/smooth (arborescens) hydrangeas. Their flowers also change into other colors. More about them later…
Read MoreFERTILIZING HYDRANGEAS
Now that it is July, it’s time to fertilize your hydrangeas, especially for next year. You should be having a fabulous hydrangea year. The relatively mild winter and forgiving spring is giving all of us a fantastic show. Just about every big leaf hydrangea (macrophylla) is flowering. But don’t be lulled into thinking you can…
Read MoreHYDRANGEA SCALE
I was horrified this past weekend to spot an extensive case of hydrangea scale on my climbing hydrangea (hydrangea ssp. petiolaris). It was an accidental discovery as my original mission was to prune it back. As covered in my book, Success with Hydrangeas, climbing hydrangeas flower on old wood so I knew it had to…
Read MoreHow to Make Hydrangea Bouquets Last
Now is the time to get ready for hydrangea bouquets. Between the mild winter and gradual spring warming, just about all of my big leaf hydrangeas are beginning to show their flowers. If you live in warmer parts of the country, yours are well ahead of this timing. So now I am looking forward to…
Read MoreHYDRANGEA PRUNING: BIG LEAF AND MOUNTAIN PLANTS
It’s finally time to prune your big leaf and mountain hydrangeas. This is in addition to what I wrote in January about hydrangea pruning. At that time I wrote that it was safe to go out and prune your woodland/smooth hydrangeas and your panicle hydrangeas. If you haven’t already done that, get going unless you live…
Read MoreHydrangea Pruning
I am delighted to tell you that I have just confirmed a free virtual upcoming hydrangea pruning talk, Pruning Big Leaf Hydrangeas.
Read MoreHYDRANGEA PRUNING
My apologies for being absent for so long. I have been working on a new hydrangea book about pruning to the exclusion of just about everything else. But I am seeing lots of questions in a variety of formats asking about hydrangea pruning. Clearly, it’s time to open the hydrangea pruning discussion for 2021.
Read MoreHydrangeas and Late Season Color
One of the best features of hydrangeas is that they keep on giving with their late season color. Let me explain.
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