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Potting new hydrangea

leeali86leeali86 Posts: 75
edited July 2020 in Problem solving
This may be a silly question but still new to this gardening stuff lol Is it ok to Pot my hydrangea with multi purpose compost only?? As this is all I have handy! 

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  • leeali86leeali86 Posts: 75

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    For a couple of months it'll be fine, but not long term.  :)
    It'll need to be in the ground to thrive, or in a much bigger container. They become huge shrubs, and need appropriate room in order to perform.
    They rarely do well in pots for any length of time. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • leeali86leeali86 Posts: 75
    edited July 2020
    Ok my garden is completely concrete 🙈 looks like I’m going shopping for a bigger pot!! What sort of size would you suggest? And Should I mix the compost with top soil then when re potting? 

    Fairygirl said:
    For a couple of months it'll be fine, but not long term.  :)
    It'll need to be in the ground to thrive, or in a much bigger container. They become huge shrubs, and need appropriate room in order to perform.
    They rarely do well in pots for any length of time. 

  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 571
    edited July 2020
    I have 2 in pots. I have decided to try to limit their growth! Both are doing well, one was in the ground for a while but was put back in a pot due to reorganizing the garden. It is doing so well I don't feel like disturbing it. They need A LOT of water and as big a pot as possible. If you want to keep yours blue, you must plant it in ericaceous compost and only water with rain water if your tap water is hard. If you don't it will turn pink. You could try hydrangea colourant but it is expensive, and you have to use it regularly. It was always my ambition to live where I could have blue hydrangeas! 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    At least two to three times the volume of the one it's in, if you want it to be half decent ,and even then, it isn't the only factor.

    Anything in a pot needs far more attention than in the ground, and you need to make sure you're pruning at the right time, and attending to adequate nutrients each year, as well as keeping them hydrated.

    You can get soil based composts in GCs etc. Just pick a suitable one. A mulch of bark also helps, and keep it in the shade as much as possible. Sunny sites are no use unless they're happy at their feet, and even then, if you're in a hot dry area, it's always a battle to keep them happy. The oakleaf hydrangeas can cope with more sun, but even then, foliage can scorch if they get too much. 
    If your garden isn't suitable for their requirements, they'll never look right. Right plant, right place is a well known and  very accurate mantra  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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