Search

Don’t Make These Hydrangea Planting Mistakes That You’ll Regret

Table of Contents

Are you tired of plants that require constant attention? Then you are a lazy gardener like me. That’s why I love hydrangeas. They are perennial flowering shrubs that practically grow on autopilot once established, producing gorgeous blooms year after year. But there’s a catch. There are planting requirements that you need to get right. Otherwise, you may not see the results you’re hoping for.

In this article, I’ll go over the top hydrangea planting mistakes to avoid so you can enjoy a stunning garden with minimal effort.

Too Much Sun

Hydrangeas planting mistakes. Number one. I chose to make it number one because Hydrangeas are shade-loving plants, but there’s a balance. While they don’t do well if it’s too sunny, they also won’t do well if there’s too much shade. If you plant them where there is too much sun, they’ll wilt and will need more care. You really can’t be a lazy gardener if you plant your hydrangea in a spot with too much sun. That’s because you’ll need to water it more frequently.

To get the best out of your hydrangeas, aim to plant them in a location that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. However, if you live in the South, you’ll need to give them more shade. If you’re in the northeast, like me here in Connecticut, a little bit of sun will do them good. Try to find a spot where hydrangeas will get four to six hours of sun. Just remember, if you plant them in a super shady area, they will not thrive and bloom as well.

Pruning Mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes gardeners make is pruning their hydrangeas incorrectly. First of all, hydrangeas don’t really require pruning, since they’ll do just fine and bloom the following year without any pruning. But if you do want to tidy them up a bit, you need to be extremely careful when pruning.

It’s important not to cut off the buds since these are the flowers for next year. If you accidentally cut them off, you won’t have any flowers the following year. Trust me, I learned this the hard way when I pruned off all the buds and my hydrangeas did not flower the following year. To be honest, my advice is to not even bother pruning hydrangeas. Leave them alone. You might accidentally cut off the flower buds. When it comes to hydrangeas, it’s best to be a lazy gardener and let them be. Learn Everything about Hydrangeas.

Over Fertilizing

Image of Over Fertilizing

 Another mistake that gardeners make is they over-fertilize their hydrangeas. If you’re fertilizing your hydrangeas every week, that’s really excessive and it’s actually bad for your plant. All you really need to do is fertilize your hydrangeas twice a year. Once in the spring and another time in mid-July when your hydrangeas are in full bloom. If you forget to fertilize, don’t worry. To be honest, I’ve been guilty of forgetting to fertilize my hydrangeas and my hydrangeas still bloomed nicely.

Over Watering

Overwatering your hydrangeas is a common mistake. They don’t really need a lot of water to thrive. In fact, too much water can lead to root rot. It can also lead to fewer blooms and yellowing leaves. If it’s been raining a lot, don’t water too much. Once a week should be fine.

But if there’s a heat wave, then you can increase your watering frequency to a few times a week. It really depends on where you live and the weather. But the key is to do less watering. If you’re unsure, less water is better than more.

Under Watering

When it comes to hydrangeas, not watering enough is also an issue. I’ve been guilty of that. I find that once a week watering is enough. But if there’s a drought, I need to increase it to a few times a week or even every day. Otherwise, I start to see my hydrangeas droop and look wilted and they won’t flower as much. I had one summer where I was just too busy working and traveling and rarely watered my hydrangeas. It thrived, but it didn’t flower. The blooms were sparse. The following year, I watered my hydrangeas once a week without skipping a week and they bloomed nicely. Of course, if you live in the south where summers are really hot, you won’t be able to get away with watering.

You need to experiment and see what works for you and find the optimal watering frequency for your hydrangeas. The nice thing about growing hydrangeas is they are forgiving. It’s really hard to kill hydrangeas.

Cold

Don’t plant hydrangeas where it’s too cold. If you live in USDA zones one and two, which is basically Alaska, that’s way too cold for your hydrangeas. It won’t survive.

Planting

Image of Planting

Planting your hydrangeas under a tree. Many people make the mistake of planting their hydrangeas under trees thinking that it’s okay since hydrangeas like shade, but planting your hydrangeas directly under a tree can result in it not growing as well. This is because it has to compete with the roots of the tree for water and it also won’t get enough sunlight because it’s getting too much shade under the tree.

It will still live but you’ll end up with a hydrangea plant that might not bloom and will look weak. That’s why it’s best to avoid planting your hydrangeas under trees and instead choose a location that provides adequate sunlight and water.

Wrong pH

Although this is a minor mistake, you do need to get the soil pH right for your hydrangeas to grow nicely. It’s quite sensitive to the soil pH level. If you have blue hydrangeas, plant it in acidic soil and you’ll get beautiful blue flowers. If you have pink hydrangeas, it’s best to plant it in alkaline soil. But of course, if you don’t get the pH right, your hydrangeas will do just fine. It’s a very forgiving plant. That’s why I love it for lazy gardeners like us.

Poor Soil Drainage

Hydrangeas are happiest in well-draining soil. If you plant them in heavy clay soil, they may not grow as well because of the poor drainage. To improve the soil, you can add gypsum. But if you’re not sure what type of soil you have, don’t worry. Your hydrangeas will still live and bloom beautifully, just not to their optimal level.

Plant the Correct Hydrangea Variety

If you want your hydrangeas to do well with little to no effort on your part, you should start off with the right type of hydrangeas. Although hydrangeas are pretty versatile and can survive in zones 3 to 9, you should still plant the variety of hydrangeas that do best in your zone. For example, if you live in zones 3 to 4, you should plant hydrangeas that are tolerant to the cold. The best are the hydrangeas that grow on new wood, so there’s no need to worry about the freezing winter killing off the flower buds. The best is to plant panicle hydrangeas. 

Annable hydrangeas will do well in zones 3 to 4. Zones 3 to 4 are the northern midwest states such as North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Montana. For zone 5, which covers parts of New York, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont, you have more options. Oakleaf hydrangeas are a good one to plant there. In zone 6, the best is to plant panicle hydrangeas. Zone 6 includes the midwest states such as Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and Kansas.

And in Zone 7, and neighboring states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and Tennessee, bigleaf hydrangeas do well. In zone 8, which includes the Carolinas, Georgia, and Texas, bigleaf hydrangea will grow beautifully there. Smooth and oakleaf hydrangeas will also do well in zone 8. For zone 9 in Florida and California, you need hydrangeas that can tolerate hot weather. Oakleaf, bigleaf, and smooth hydrangeas will grow well, but you’ll have to water them more frequently in zone 9 for them to bloom nicely.

Conclusion

If you found this article helpful, please give it a review and share it with your friends. Stay in touch with us for more fantastic gardening tips and outdoor inspiration. Your questions and thoughts are always welcome, so feel free to leave a comment below.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Want to keep up with our blog?

Get our most valuable tips right inside your inbox, once per month!

Related Posts

FRUITS & VEGETABLES, GARDENING, Uncategorized
Scroll to Top