Gardeners’ World: Monty Don on growing hydrangeas
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Hydrangeas are one of the most beautiful of all perennial shrubs. But these wondrous garden plants are also one of the most often misunderstood when it comes to autumn care. Especially when it comes to the tasks of pruning, fertilising and deadheading spent blooms.
To ensure hydrangeas are kept healthy and are sure to bloom next year the way the plant is pruned is key.
Gardening exerts at This Is My Garden said: “One of the biggest mistakes many gardeners make with hydrangeas revolves around pruning. It is important to know that hydrangeas should not be heavily or even moderately pruned every single season. In fact, they can produce strong blooms for years without ever cutting them back at all.”
Pruning for hydrangeas only needs to occur to keep it well shaped, or after many years of growth in order to keep it manageable. Light pruning for shaping is more than fine to do each season, but mass pruning is simply not necessary on an annual basis, says the pros.
If gardeners do aim to prune their hydrangeas, there are a few things to keep in mind before they begin cutting back. First and foremost, they will need to know what variety of hydrangea they are growing.
This will determine if your hydrangea needs autumn pruning or mid-summer pruning. There are two separate varieties of hydrangeas. One blooms on old wood growth, while the other blooms on new growth.
The experts said: “Varieties that grow on old wood growth bloom in summer. Unfortunately, pruning these in autumn will result in cutting back the growth where the new blooms would be.
“On the other hand, autumn blooming hydrangeas bloom from same season growth. These hydrangeas can be pruned back in autumn after the blooms die back. Next spring, they will then produce the new growth that next autumn’s blooms will appear on.”
One particular type of “pruning” that can be done every year is deadheading spent blooms – especially before the cold of winter settles in.
DON’T MISS
Remove ‘tough’ toilet limescale with 47p ingredient – ‘no scrubbing’ [TIPS]
Jeremy Vine’s quiet life in idyllic London village [INSIGHT]
Britain’s most beautiful places to live in 2022 [COMMENT]
The gardening pros explained: “Deadheading is the practice of removing spent blooms. During the blooming season, removing fading blooms can help new blooms to produce a more robust flower set. But as the season draws to an end, it is important to remove all of the blooms to help the bush better handle winter.”
Many gardeners like to leave the last flush of blooms in place on their hydrangea bushes. The blooms really are a sight to see as a dried flower and that beauty can give a lot of interest through the autumn for sure.
It is, however, a good practice before winter settles in to remove the old blooms. The experts said: “Not only will it help the plant conserve a bit of energy, it also helps avoid damage from heavy snow, ice or winter wind. These can all put pressure on the remaining wood, and often can cause snaps or breaks that damage the bush – and next year’s blooms!”
Now that pruning has been covered, it is time to talk about winterising hydrangeas. How gardeners do this will depend on the climate of their specific location.
The gardening gurus explained: “First, no matter where you live, all hydrangeas can benefit from one thing every autumn – an energising layer of compost. Applying a few inches of compost around the base of your plant not only helps insulate the roots for winter, but slowly adds nutrients that can be used for next year’s growth and blooms.
“No matter if you live in a cold climate, or an area with more moderate winters, hydrangeas will also benefit from a fresh layer of mulch in autumn. Mulch not only insulates the roots of hydrangeas from sudden thaws and freezing, it also helps to retain moisture.”
But how much mulch you apply will all depend on where you live. According to the pros the general rule of thumb is the colder the climate, the more mulch gardeners will need. In areas where the temperatures rarely if ever get below freezing, a few inches of mulch on top of the compost is more than enough to help retain moisture.
However, for those living in a colder climate with winters that have temperatures that drop to zero, a six inch layer is more than adequate and if the climate gets even colder, an eight to 12 inch layer covering around the main base is best for winter protection.
When applying the heavier layers in cooler climates, take back the mulch as spring arrives. This will allow the plant to resume its growth with ease.
However there is one thing to never apply to hydrangeas during autumn and that’s fertiliser. The experts said: “One thing you do not want to do in autumn is apply any additional fertilisers.
“The layer of compost is more than adequate to give the bush a little nutrition before winter. But applying any more power can actually create late season growth that will be vulnerable to winter damage.
“For summer and late summer/autumn blooming hydrangea varieties, fertilising is best done in the early spring.” Use a balanced fertiliser and apply in the early spring just before or as the plant is leafing out.”
Source: Read Full Article