Planting out hydrangeas
I bought this lovely blue hydrangea a couple of weeks ago
It lived happily for a week in a plastic bag in its 7" or 8" pot where I kept it watered until able to clear a site for it on the north side of my fern patch. I prepared its new home by digging a very large hole (the dark patch) which I filled with ericaceous compost. I understand from a number of sources this is what hydrangeas need. I now seem to be witnessing it's fast demise with the petals turning brown and the beautiful pastel blue colour becoming pinker each day. (Ignore the white rectangles each side of the plant - they're just temporary boards to stand on while working.)
Anyone know what could be wrong? Have I got it the wrong way round re: ericaceous compost? Does it actually turn blue hydrangeas pink?
Is all lost? I'm wondering whether to dig it up and just plant it somewhere else or pot it up again in a slightly larger pot of ordinary compost. Incidentally, it seems unlikely that it has simply reached the end of its season as I have three other hydrangeas in different parts of the garden whose buds are only just about to come into flower.
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It could be that your hydrangea is a little bit stressed at suddenly finding itself in the big wide world. It didn't get all those lovely flowers by being kept outside.....it has been forced to get it to that state. I'd cut off the flowers and give it a chance to get established in its new spot.
You are right about the compost but if the surrounding soil is alkaline, the flowers will eventually turn pink.
Thanks for that Ceres.
What are the likely consequences of leaving the flowers on for the rest of this season? I just hoped for a bit of colour in that bit of garden.
Because it's been forced birdy, the flowers will be very early and they'll go over early. As long as you keep it well watered throughout the summer it will settle and next year the normal cycle will return. You can leave the flowers for as long as you want and prune next spring as is normal for hydrangea's
Thank you Dave; both you and Ceres have taught me something new:
I knew you could 'force' rhubarb - did it myself by chance when I left an upturned bucket over mine longer than I intended - and I know that show gardeners - aiming for Chelsea, for example - I knew that they manipulate growing times with all sorts of tricks involving artificial light, dark, feeding etc, but didn't realise it was the norm with 'ordinary' growers too.
Just to get this new info clear and in perspective, does 'forcing' usually just mean making the plant develop early and nothing else? And cynically speaking, presumably this is done to get it into the shops before one's competitors?
It means that small plants are over fed to make bigger flowers than they normally would, and early. (You can feed a plant for leaf growth, or fed it for flowrs and fruit.) So for example you can get tiny Hydrangeas like this in a small pot, all blooming like a huge bouquet, as early as Easter (while a normal hydranga bush would be HUGE before it makes such big flower heads, and in any case they would not appear until June or july.
The forcing does not hurt the plant, but it's like a kid that has lived a very sheltered life, being fed bread and lollies without ever making any strenuous sports or doing stuff for itself... so being thrown into the big world is a bit of a shock and will take some adjusting. If the plant is sufffering, I'd cut out at least half of the flowers. They eveporate lots of water in relation to the smal rootball they have, and the plant is investing lots of resources in them. If you cut them the plant can concentrate those energies into roots and leaves and become much better established for next year. Hydrangeas are adaptable, but they are not really bedding plants. They are shrubs, and need theyr time to get established before they can really perform in the garden.
It's differnt if you buy a bush in a large pot and more normal proportions. Those are just pot grown without forcing and are much more able to cope with garden conditions from the moment go.
This is fascinating - all three of the above answers have given me a greater understanding some of the guiding principles behind how plants grow generally as well as hydrangeas in particular, and this is so reassuring.
I will cut out some of the blooms to take the strain out off for the plant and wait patiently for better growth - and hopefully colour - next year.
KatherineW said:You can feed a plant for leaf growth, or feed it for flowers and fruit.
That's a thought: which should I be feeding it for now then - leaf growth, or flowers - and what with? I have the proprietary blue crystal feed that you dissolve in the watering can, and I also have potash. Also, last night, I steeped a load of nettles in a bucket of boiling water because I've heard 'nettle tea' is full of nutrients - not sure which ones though. I seem to remember that brew has to be kept a couple of weeks though until it smells a bit?
Just mentioning what's in the greenhouse while getting advice - all of it bought for the garden generally, not specially for my little hydrangea.
I've left it with just one bloom out of about seven so it will now have to take its chances with everything else.
I was wondering, in passing though, how and when the nettle tea is used. Is it like 'worm tea' from the wormery, which I know is extremely strong and has to be diluted 10:1 for watering.