Hydrangea Advice

karlitob

Hi all

Had Hydrangea Annabelle planted last July. Can I ask what the advice would be for them this month. Should I leave them alone? Should I give them feed? Should I cut them?? Many thanks.

Ms2011

Give the bark on one of the stems near the ground a scrape and see if there is green underneath because those Hydrangeas look a little dead and I'm not seeing any buds about to burst which they usually would around now.

If they are still alive don't prune until after St. Patrick's Day and I would mulch them rather than feed them after pruning.

karlitob

Hi

Thanks for reply.

Yeah - there are buds on them and there is green underneath the stems. But I agree - they don’t look healthy.

That was new soil that was put in. Not sure of the quality used. Would enriching the soil be an option? Manure?

Thanks.

Ms2011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784582#Comment_121784582

Something as simple are grass clipping or leaf mulch is really good around Hydrangeas.

I have neutral soil so I use bark chippings or pine needles to increase the acidity to get blue instead of pink flower.

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784582#Comment_121784582

Annabelles are different to normal Hydrangeas, i treat them as semi herbaceous, in that i chop them to the ground each Winter, they grow and flower on the same season's growth.

Pull all that hairy bitter cress, the green rosette stuff, as it flowers and seeds in Spring and you'll have a sea of it before you know it.

cobham

My Annabelles are not sprouting buds yet. I would prune back some of the lengthy shoots to tidy up and have a clear out of the weeks growing at base before they get too well established. A top dressing of bark would be no harm to keep weeds in check and keep moisture in soil and a general feed in a month. I have chicken pellets that I throw about a couple of times a year. Your plants are quite near the wall.... you will need to keep an eye out if the summer is hot/dry as they like moisture.

looksee

Agreed, some of the hydrangeas are still totally dead looking and will be for a month or two, others have buds breaking. I'd certainly thin out that thicket of branches and shorten some of them.

karlitob

Thanks for all that.

Yes, that’s where the landscape company put them. It’s a large garden and these were expensive. I was told they couldn’t be killed. That side of the garden is exposed and in full light. The other side did better alright.

So advice is

• cut away the spindly looking and stuff
• prune the rest of the stuff down a bit (including the bits with buds?).

• Do I add chicken feed now? Chicken feed went under each root when it was planted.

Are they salvageable? I really hope so - it was expensive and I really like them. We did up the garden last year and I really want these to be the feature.

cobham

Oh no not supposed to be in sunny spot! And not against that wall, they will not thrive. Do best in semi shade, damp. I suggest try to relocate in next few weeks to better position if possible. I scatter chicken pellets about when growth gets going and maybe again if I remember later in the year. Yes they are expensive but you could take cuttings.

looksee

I have several hydrangeas, different varieties including a paniculata Limelight and a Sundae Fraise, planted over the last 3 years or so, in a sunny hotspot that also is very exposed to strong winds, and they are doing well.

phormium

I actually pruned my Annabelle hydrangeas yesterday, cut them down to about a foot from the ground. All mine are in a very shaded spot, they get a bit of late evening sun only, most hydrangeas do best in damp shady spots, some do fine in sun and I have a few in pots that get full sun and while they are grand I am sure they would be better in the ground in a shadier spot but the pots are needed to keep them blue!

The wall is going to make it even hotter for them if they are in direct sun already, I find too the sun (if we get a summer!) burns the flower heads and is especially noticeable on the Annabelle white flowers so I moved them all to shade and get much bigger better flowers which light up the the shady non sunny areas they are in.

I love hydrangeas and have many different types and I'm not sure that was the best type or even plant for that area if it's direct sun.

billyhead

I wouldn't be pruning hydrangea until March 17th onwards. Still some frosty nights to come.

wildwillow

Annabelle hydrangeas have very large heads which can be floppy and may be a problem in a hot dry spot. If you prune them later, almost like the Chelsea chop, you will get masses of slightly smaller flowers which will bloom for longer. Just add a little mulch, not too much feed. Really they are almost impossible to kill and really easy to grow from cuttings .

karlitob

Hi everyone

Thanks to all for replying. I know it’s not an exact science but I feel more confused than before I asked.

I know they’re better in partial rather than full sun - and indeed they grew better on the other side of the garden last year. But I did my research with the landscaper and on RHS, and it seems tolerable.

I put in 45 hydrangeas in the new garden last July - they’ll all look like the photo. I would very much hope that not all 45 are dead. 35 of them are in partial shade. In fact, I don’t know how many people have told me that they can’t be killed.

Soil: The soil is new - I’m not sure why I think it but I doubt there’s sufficient nutrients in the earth. Would I benefit from enriching the soil? Well rotted manure?

Prune: I won’t prune until after March 17th. All plants currently have buds and some don’t. I presume I should leave the ones budding and remove the ones that aren’t. Should I cut by the base?

Appreciate any other comments or observations appreciated. I’m really anxious as we’ve invested a lot of money in these. Thanks all

karlitob

Hi all

Sorry to bother everyone again but can I just check that it’s ok to add compost to the flower beds.

Thanks

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121884942#Comment_121884942

Far better to get a granular fertilizer, spreading compost just encourages roots of plants to root upwards and form a mat on the surface, exposing the plants to drought. Seen this so many times.