HYDRANGEA CARE SHEET

FLOWER COLOR "MAGIC" :
The pH of your soil ( acidity or alkalinity) can greatly affect the color and color intensity of your Hydrangea blooms.

Blue flowers : To have blue flowers, the soil must have an acid pH. To achieve this, apply either Aluminum Sulphate or Garden Sulphur in March and November as a top dress at the rate of 1 cup per 10 square feet. Instant results during the flowering period is achieved by dissolving Aluminum Sulphate at the rate of 1 Tablespoon per 1 gallon and watering the plant with this solution every 2 weeks June thru August.

Pink flowers: Apply 2 lbs of Garden Lime per plant March and November. Add Chelated Iron once a month thru summer.

White flowers: White flowering varieties remain white and are not fooled with pH "magic"!

PRUNING:
Pruning at the wrong time can remove flower buds! Follow this guide for your Hydrangea species:

H. macrophylla: Remove last years' dead flower heads ONLY to the uppermost pair of buds on each stem in Early May. Older (5-6 year old) shrubs should also be thinned out by removing 1/3 of older stems to ground level every few years.

H.serrata: Follow above instructions.

H. arborescens: Cut all branches down to 1 foot tall every March.

H. paniculata: Prune back each spring to 2-3 sets of buds per stem for fewer, but larger flowers. No pruning will result in more, but smaller flowers.

WINTER PROTECTION:
If your Hydrangea is planted in a windy spot, the cold winter winds can freeze the flower buds, killing them. Consider a temporary burlap screen for protection.