Fall care for hydrangeas is n’t just important — it ’s a garden must - do ! As fall roll up in they are are “ going to bed ” , into dormancy , this is the perfect sentence to give them a boost and train your hydrangea for the winter frisson forward .
recall of it like this : after a season of showcasing beautiful efflorescence and profuse foliage , your hard - working hydrangeas are tired , having expended a lot of energy and nutrients . They ’re now in need of some tender loving guardianship . It ’s your turn of events to show them some love and help them recharge for an even more fulgurous show next bound and summer .
From pruning to fertilization , what you do with your hydrangeas in the in the later part of the season can make a vast difference in how they flower next twelvemonth . But be careful , even with the best intentions , it ’s well-fixed to make mistakes . The Florida key is to provide the right amount of maintenance — not too little , but not too much either .
1. First of All, Improve Soil Drainage for Your Hydrangea’s Roots
I say “ first of all ” for two reason : you necessitate to start early to ameliorate the soil for your hydrangea , and we always need to begin from the bottom … Unless you land or garden has fantabulous drainage , it most likely has worsen during the season …
Dropping leaves , normal territory pulmonary tuberculosis and even rain can worsen your filth ’s power to enfeeble . And tight roots in wintertime also mean fallible hydrangeas in spring . If you add up coarse George Sand ( or gypsum if you have heavy cadaver ) , your flowering bush wo n’t risk any underground putrefaction .
Keep in nous that hydrangea use less water during dormancy , and they can not transpire as much humidness through their leaves . And it so happens that winter are often the wet season .
Even if you ameliorate your soil ’s drain in tardy dusk , the moxie or gypsum will ooze underground in time to keep your hydrangea ’s tooth root dry . But the earlier you start , the good .
2. Get the Soil’s pH Right in Fall, and You Will Have Your Hydrangeas in the Color You Want Next Year.
As you know , hydrangeas that blossom in the blueto pink ( via purple ) range , change color concord to the dirt pH , and fall is is the dependable time to do this . So , get a pH get a soil pH measure ( $ 5.0 to 15 maximum ) and check …
If you ’re dreaming of disconsolate hydrangea blooms , direct for a pH below 5.5 . For those lovely purplish sunglasses , keep the pH between 5.5 and 6.0 , and if pinkish flush are what you ’re after , you ’ll want a pH above 6.5 .
To lour your stain ’s pH , sulfur pulverisation is your go - to . The amount you ’ll need depends on how much you want to adjust the pH , the quantity of soil under your hydrangea , and the case of dirt you have – whether it ’s sandy , loamy , clayey , or calcareous .
A little piece of advice : pop with a smaller amount of sulfur and give it some meter . After a few workweek , check the pH scale again and adapt as necessary . This path , you’re able to fine - melodic phrase the soil conditions for those sodding hydrangea colors !
3.If You Fertilize Your Hydrangeas in Fall, Be Careful!
I know , you will hear that you must fertilise your hydrangea in twilight , so you get them solid and bloom in spring . But this is not always the case !
If you do prefer to fecundate , opt for a gentle , slow - vent type . Using a intemperate fertilizer , especially one in high spirits in nitrogen ( with a gamey NPK ratio ) , can actually do more harm than good . It could cause your hydrangeas to bud too betimes , which is n’t idealistic .
If your hydrangea seem level-headed and vibrant , there ’s no demand to fuss over them too much . A gentle sprinkle of compost now , in the tumble , is usually enough . This bit of compost will bring home the bacon all the nutrients they require to thrive come spring . Remember , they ’re going into dormancy now . But do keep an optic on any shrub that seems lack energy ; you ’ll involve to give it extra care and feeding when leap get in .
4. Mulch Your Hydrangeas in Fall to Protect them from Cold Winters
Still staying at the “ feet of your hydrangeas ” , declension is the perfect metre to mulch to keep them cozy during wintertime . Spread about 2 in ( 5 curium ) of mulch around the base of each hydrangea , extending it out to cut across the ground area as wide as the shrub itself .
They will thank you will a vigorous starting time in spring . With their “ feet ” now quick and ironical , we can focus on other aspects of their aid …
5. Careful with Pruning Your Hydrangeas in Fall, Or You May Even Get No Flowers Next Year (Or Very Few)!
I get a lot of questions about rationalize hydrangea in fall or winter , and I totally get the confusion . It ’s sly , right ? You see hydrangeas looking dead in winter , or they ’re not blooming in summer , and it ’s prosperous to think they need a good trimness . Plus , you might have spotted your neighbor chop their hydrangeas in one-half come October . The trick to figure out To Prune or NOT to Prune hydrangeas in autumn lies in knowing what type of hydrangeas you have .
If you have quondam wood hydrangeas , annul pruning them in the dusk . They prefer a trim in summer , just after they bloom . But if your hydrangea bloom on novel wood , it ’s best to rationalise them in early spring or late fall .
For specific mixed bag like bigleaf and oakleaf hydrangea , the ideal clip to prune is when their blooms begin to evanesce in previous summertime . This help encourage more and larger blooms for the next season . But if you prune sometime wood flower smorgasbord , you are actually switch off off the branches that will bear the flower buds next year !
For panicle and smooth hydrangeas prune them in tardy winter before new outgrowth starts . These type can be cut back to the ground in recent wintertime for larger blooms , or you’re able to leave some old growth to support the new stems and forbid flopping .
In cause you settle on a fall trim for your panicle and smooth hydrangea , focus on removing broken , bushed , or light branches . Also , trim any branches touch the earth to ameliorate melody circulation and prevent fungal diseases . For a stylized look , shape these hydrangea into rounded var. or trim up to a third of their branches . in person , I prefer to prune them in late wintertime , just before unexampled growth kicks in . I also make certain to depart some old growth ; it help oneself keep going the raw stem and give up them from flopping over .
6. Shelter Small and Young Hydrangeas for Winter
Hydrangeas are very cold stout indeed , ordinarily to USDA zone 3 , but younger shrubs can be a minute more delicate in dusty climates . If you do n’t need to risk , and the weather get really stale in winter , it ’s a well estimate to extend them .
For smaller hydrangeas , a ready - made plant cover is a convenient option , but for large miscellanea , this can get pricey . Alternatively , you could create your own covering using a transparent cellophane sheet of paper . Form a covered stadium with sticks or any suitable support , ensuring to place jam in the sheet for ventilation .
Do verify you keep the plane away from your hydrangea bush though , at least 6 inch ( 15 curium ) from all the branch , and assure it on a regular basis over winter for molds and infections …
7. With Naked Branches, It Is Easier to Check Your Hydrangeas for Diseases
Yes , now in fall or wintertime that the lush foliage of your hydrangea has flow , you could in reality see its branches . And sometimes , hidden under the fleeceable leaves , pestis , mildew , fungi and other infections have found fertile breeding ground . Especially if it has been a hot and humid time of year .
So , this is the dependable time to count at the subdivision of your hydrangeas , and get rid of all these disease . It is also undecomposed to leave these flower shrubs very salubrious before winter comes , because they could propagate with the bad atmospheric condition .
8. Remove the Fallen Leaves of Your Hydrangea: They Will Do Much Better on Your Compost Heap
hydrangea are deciduous tree , and they drop their leaf during fall . You may be tempted to leave them there , as mulch , but I paint a picture you dispatch them and put them on your compost heap …
True , they do have mulching properties , but there are two trouble :
9. Over-Winter Your Potted Hydrangeas
If you dwell in a stale climate ( like USDA zone 5 or 4 and under ) , your potted hydrangea are at risk ! Yes , because the frigidity can penetrate through the container , much more and quicker than it would do in the flooring .
And these are the hydrangeas that need most attention , those you have in pots ! You should in spades wrap up the container , with an insulating but also waterproofed “ blanket ” … Fiberglass is ideal , but froth rubber and similar will work well too .
And you’re able to apply coco coir or woods shavings , as long as you do n’t expect expectant rains , or you isolate them from them ( with a pliant canvass , for example ) .
Give your potted hydrangea a generous layer , about 4 inch ( 10 cm ) to keep their base warm .
In very cold-blooded climates , also use a plant masking , or make one yourself , because you will have to protect their offset as well . And we have already see how you could make one .
Then again , if you have enough quad and a cool , but not cold nor warm position , like a service department , take them indoors . But do n’t take them into a het up way ; hydrangea do n’t like hot temperatures , and they could be tricked into thinking spring has come already .
10. Dry Hydrangea Blooms in Fall (If You Are Lucky…)
Hydrangeas usually stop bloom in early fall , but if the weather is nice , the few odd flush can still be on the branch as temperatures throw off …
In this case , do n’t wait for them to become brown and slimy on the bush … edit them and dry them , they will keep for much longer and decorate your indoor spaces for calendar month !
This way , you may have them with you even during the wintertime season , and they take care great on Christmas trees !
Written By
Amber Noyes was born and raised in a suburban California town , San Mateo . She arrest a master ’s degree in horticulture from the University of California as well as a B in Biology from the University of San Francisco . With experience working on an organic farm , water preservation inquiry , farmer ’ markets , and plant nursery , she understands what induce plant prosper and how we can better understand the connection between microclimate and flora wellness . When she ’s not on the demesne , Amber loves informing people of fresh ideas / things touch to horticulture , especially constituent horticulture , houseplant , and growing plants in a small space .
