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Encourage hydrangea to get bigger!

MattCUK76MattCUK76 Posts: 14
edited July 2020 in Problem solving
Hi All,
I have a lovely pink hydrangea in the corner of my garden that I bought about 4 or 5 yrs ago. My intention was for it to grow quite big (maybe 4-5ft diameter) to fill the space I had made for it. But it seems to have settled at about 2.5-3ft across and just looks a bit small for the space. It does however flower profusely and there is now an abundance of flowers starting to come through. Early spring time I prune off the dead flower heads down to where a green shoot is coming through, and give it a good old scattering of blood fish and bone and a layer of bark mulch. I also make sure it’s well watered in dry weather. I am wondering whether to snip off some of the flower buds to encourage more green growth upwards and outwards but I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do. I am also wondering if I inadvertently bought a small variety and that this is the biggest it will get!? It is otherwise a lovely green bushy, profusely flowering plant, just a bit too small! Any advice would be much appreciated - thanks!
Matt
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Posts

  • FlyDragonFlyDragon Posts: 834
    Some hydrangeas never get any bigger than that, do you know what kind you've got? 
  • MattCUK76MattCUK76 Posts: 14
    Hi - no unfortunately not. I think I bought it from Homebase or b&q and the label just said “hydrangea”.
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    You will need a larger paniculata cultivar to cover that amount of space, my Vim's Red is easily that big in its second year. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • FlyDragonFlyDragon Posts: 834
    If you have a picture someone more knowledgable than me might be able to identify it?  


  • MattCUK76MattCUK76 Posts: 14


    Here is a photo!
  • FlyDragonFlyDragon Posts: 834
    No idea what it is but its lovely!  Hopefully you can get an answer. 
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    It looks like a macrophylla variety @MattCUK76 maybe worth looking up the variety to see what its average spread is. To me it looks like the mature size already. Any hydrangea that flowers on new wood would be taller and bigger because of the way they grow, and the way they eventually create a woody structure after every prune. The macrophyllas flower on the old growth and tend to be a bushier smaller form for the middle/front of a border. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • MattCUK76MattCUK76 Posts: 14
    amancalledgeorge said:
    It looks like a macrophylla variety @MattCUK76 maybe worth looking up the variety to see what its average spread is. To me it looks like the mature size already. Any hydrangea that flowers on new wood would be taller and bigger because of the way they grow, and the way they eventually create a woody structure after every prune. The macrophyllas flower on the old growth and tend to be a bushier smaller form for the middle/front of a border. 
    I think you might be right. My vision was something like this:



    ....which is stunning but clearly not what I’ve got! Which variety do I need to get to achieve something like this? Thanks again.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Take a look here for plenty of different types. Loads to choose from, and a good supplier

    https://signaturehydrangeas.co.uk/
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    Blimey @MattCUK76 that's a whopper. Really don't like them as a single plant but at a back of a border they are amazing and so easy to look after. Get a good size new one and you can always transplant the current one in the autumn. We've all been there with plants that don't reach the size they are meant to or just not liking the conditions. Many great varieties to pick from, so enjoy finding a taller cultivar.
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
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