Hydrangeas are a magnificent garden centrepiece with bold flowerheads stuffed with pink, purple, and blue petals. While their prime flowering period is typically in summer, there’s no reason why the blooms should diminish with warmer weather.
According to horticulturalist Stacey Hirvela, long-lasting hydrangeas depend on more than just the capabilities of the variety you’re growing. She told Martha Stewart: “The best way to maximise this ability is to keep your plant free of stress: They need the right amount of water and should avoid intense sun.” The horticulturalist highlighted three common blunders that, when prevented, guarantee that your plant will be “growing vigorously”, which is the “key to getting additional flowers”.
Fertiliser is considered a miracle product for many struggling plants, but gardeners should avoid overusing it.
Excessive use can result in abundant foliage at the cost of blooms and even scorch the plant’s roots.
Stacey warned against using fertiliser altogether past mid-summer, insisting that gardeners “shouldn’t feed hydrangeas (or any perennials or shrubs, for that matter) after late July, as this can increase the potential for damage during the winter season”.
Deadheading, another widespread technique for those cultivating hydrangeas, may also be reconsidered this autumn.
Whilst the belief that deadheading promotes fresh growth holds true, Stacey cautioned that this approach won’t prove effective on hydrangeas at the conclusion of their flowering period.
She explained: “It’s perfectly okay to remove the spent blooms if you wish, but deadheading hydrangeas do not generally do much to encourage re-bloom in the way that people see in annuals and perennials. There’s no real plant performance advantage to doing it—it’s just an aesthetic choice.”
To prevent additional strain on the plant, watering ought to be decreased as summer draws to a close.
During their initial year of development, hydrangeas require weekly watering from early April through to mid-June, though they may need more frequent irrigation, approximately twice weekly from mid-June until mid-September.
From mid-autumn through to mid-spring, nevertheless, hydrangeas should only receive water during periods of insufficient natural rainfall.
Adhering to these three measures provides a foolproof approach to grant hydrangeas the optimal opportunity for flowering beyond summer, yet it remains crucial to recognise when the plant has finished for the season.
According to Stacey, hydrangeas typically conclude their blooming cycle when the flower colours have deteriorated in an unattractive manner.
She clarified: “There are a few varieties that will continue to push out new buds through late summer and autumn. But, if you feel the older blooms are detracting from the plant’s aesthetics, you can consider them done.”