Success With Hydrangeas

PRUNING YOUR HYDRANGEAS

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 22:47:00 +0000

If your hydrangeas live in the milder parts of the U.S. and Europe, and the spirit moves you, you can consider pruning your new wood blooming hydrangeas now. It's hard to conceive of that when you live where I do. Last March we had 3 Nor’easters. Not only did they bury everything, but the snow and ice made the footing much too dangerous to be using sharp tools. On the other hand, we have had an extremely mild February and early March looks to be the same.

Exactly which plants am I talking about? The ones that are foolproof and will produce flowers on the stems they will grow this year.

All of your woodland/smooth Hydrangea arborescens plants fall into this category. You may know them as 'Annabelle', Invincibelle Mini Mauvette™, Invincibelle® Spirit, and Incrediball®, along with others in their families.The same goes for your panicle hydrangeas like 'Limelight'.

GET YOUR TOOLS IN ORDER

Before you start, however, get your tools in order. A good cleaning, oiling, and sharpening now will pay dividends later on and make your job much easier. Make sure you have a good pair of gloves, a tarp, a bypass pruner as shown in the photo, a lopper, disinfectant spray, and/or anti-bacterial wipes at the ready.

BYPASS PRUNERS MAKE A NICE CLEAN CUT

ASSORTED PRUNING TOOLS

Fine Gardening ran an excellent article about Sharpening pruners which I recommend. It has a 10 minute video embedded in it with Lee Reich which you might find helpful.

FIT YOUR PRUNER TO YOUR HANDS

The best advice about pruning tools I can give you comes from Corona Tools, a U.S. manufacturer of garden tools and so much more (www.coronatoolsusa.com/). Corona has been around for over 90 years and not only do they know tools, but they know how to FIT a tool to you.

Take a look at these very helpful graphics from Corona of how to make sure your pruner is the right fit for your hands.

THIS SMALL HAND SHOULD USE A PRUNER NO LONGER THAN 6 INCHES AT MOST

A MEDIUM SIZE HAND CAN TAKE A 7 INCH PRUNER

A LARGE HAND NEEDS AN 8 INCH PRUNER OR MORE

There’s nothing worse than working with a pruner that doesn’t fit your hand. And only you are the judge of that.

If you have some time to cruise the internet, you can find lots of videos on caring for your cutting tools. The key is to DO IT! Not just this once but throughout the season as sap, dirt, and debris will always clog your pruners and dull the cutting surface. That translates into jagged cuts, a potentially less healthy plant, and more work for you. You might need to invest in some diamond hones and other small items but that investment will pay you great dividends over time.

HOW MUCH TO CUT

Now, back to your pruning job. How much do you cut back on new wood flowering plants? Good question! I wouldn't go further down than about 2 feet tall. You want to give the plant the ability to have strong stems to hold the deliciously large flowers, especially after rainfall. If you cut it to the ground or to its crown as I have seen on various websites, you will wind up with weak stems. Those magnificent flowers hold water which will weigh them down unless they have strong “old” stems to keep them erect.

A before and after shot of your plant might look like this:

HYDRANGEA 'ANNABELLE' UNPRUNED ON THE LEFT AND PRUNED ON THE RIGHT

All Hydrangea paniculatas like 'Fire and Ice', Fire Light®, 'Limelight', Pinky Winky®, and Little Quick Fire® are new wood bloomers. They too can be cut back now. There is some research that indicates cutting by about a third is the right amount for these plants. Before and after shots of 'Limelight' from my garden looked like this one spring.

HYDRANGEA 'LIMELIGHT' UNPRUNED ON THE LEFT AND PRUNED ON THE RIGHT

Make sure as you move from plant to plant that you disinfect your cutting tools. You don't want to unintentionally move pathogens around your garden. Disinfecting is easy. You can use Lysol® spray on your tools to get into the crevices which can harbor the invisible germs. Studies prove it kills most germs in an average home garden. Your other choice is to make a spray of a 10% solution of rubbing/isopropyl alcohol from your home medicine cabinet using a spray bottle from the dollar store. Don't forget to wipe down your gloves/hands.

For cold weather gardens I would hold off a little while more. We still have to deal with March which can be harsh on your plants. You want to let Mother Nature take her best shot and allow for winter kill before you take the pruners to your plants. Plus your footing needs to be safe and with sharp cutting tools, you want to be super careful. If your fingers are itchy to be out in the garden, take the time to get those cutting tools in shape. Clean, sharpen and oil them so they're ready for the hard work ahead.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER HYDRANGEAS

Oh, and don't even think about cutting any of your other hydrangeas, no matter how ratty they may appear. Oak leaf hydrangeas, big leaf hydrangeas, climbing hydrangeas and mountain hydrangeas all bloom on old wood even if they are rebloomers. You must leave all of them alone. For them, you are in the HYDRANGEA DANGER ZONE™ (HDZ™), that time between August 1 and when you see buds. The HDZ™ is when those buds are most susceptible to all kinds of mayhem but that shouldn't include your pruning cuts. Their time will come soon enough and you will be glad you let your plants get the last of their beauty sleep.

Pruning new wood hydrangeas is something you can master with a little time and attention. You'll find them forgiving even if you make a mistake or two. Just be sure you prune them before they are too far along for this season or you'll miss your window.

I cover pruning in detail with loads of photos in my book Success With Hydrangeas, A Gardener's Guide.

UPCOMING TALKS

Why not plan to attend one of my upcoming talks? My March public speaking schedule might be of interest to you as I deliver info on a variety of topics. Maybe there's a location convenient for you to come and hear me cover a topic of interest to you. There are several hydrangea talks, including pruning. Stop by and say hello.

Mar 7, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County Spring Garden Day, 2 p.m.; “Smarter Gardening”, https://tinyurl.com/va43up7;
March 14: I will be talking hydrangeas on Ron Wilson’s radio show from Ohio twice on Saturday, March 14. Ron is a highly regarded plantsman and manages one of Ohio's premiere nursery/landscape companies. He’s also the past president of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association. The first discussion will be at about 7.30 a.m. and again at about 11 a.m. To listen live or later, go to http://www.ronwilsononline.com. If you are in the Ohio listening area and want to listen the old-fashioned radio way, here’s what you need to know:

First show from 6-9 a.m. is based out of Cincinnati: 55KRC, WKRC 550AM;
Second show from 10-12 noon is based out of Columbus at 610 WTVN which serves most of Ohio;
You can also download the free iHeart app to listen to any of Ron’s shows anytime from anywhere;
Don't forget to check out Ron's latest blog posts at https://ronwilson.iheart.com/

Mar 18, Wellfleet Gardeners, Cape Cod , MA, 10 a.m. “Shrubs, The New Perennial”;
Mar 21, CT Master Gardeners’ Symposium, New London, CT; 11 a.m. & 1.30 p.m., “Hydrangeas for Cold Climate Gardens”, https://ctmga.org/2020-symposium-information.

Here's to happy hydrangeas, not just a myth but a reality!

THE LANGUAGE OF HYDRANGEAS

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 21:36:00 +0000

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to learn about the language of hydrangea flowers. We’re talking here about the most popular hydrangea, known as mophead, hortensia, pompom or big leaf. Botanically, it’s Hydrangea macrophylla.

Blue mophead hydrangea flowers

Although we know this plant originated in Asia, we also know from fossil discoveries that it existed 40-65 million years ago in North America. But it is the Asian cultures which first gave it significance. These meanings date back centuries when big leaf hydrangeas only came in 4 colors: pink, blue, white, and purple.

A Japanese legend associated hydrangeas with heartfelt emotion, gratitude for understanding, and apology. It seems a Japanese emperor felt guilty about neglecting the woman he loved in favor of business matters. He gave hydrangeas to the family of his beloved in his quest for forgiveness for his actions.

THE MEANING OF PINK HYDRANGEAS

Pink hydrangeas generally mean, “You are the beat of my heart,” as described by a celebrated Asian florist who was quoted as saying, “… The light delicate blush of the petals reminds me of a beating heart, while the size could only match the heart of the sender...” As a result, today in Asia pink hydrangeas can also signify heartfelt emotion. The French make a different association. The plant blooms in June when the weather is bright and sunny. Because of soil chemistry, pink is the dominant color. The color and nice weather symbolize a “cheerful woman.”

Pink hydrangea flower

WHAT DOES A BLUE HYDRANGEA SIGNIFY?

A blue hydrangea in Asian culture represents perseverance. That meaning derives from the “persevering love” displayed by a German horticulturist. In the 19th century, he was exiled from Japan and took a blue-flowered hydrangea back to Europe to propagate. It was his way of remembering the “persevering love” for the woman he left behind. We know the plant today as the cultivar “Otaska.” On the other hand, there’s another British meaning: you might give or send a blue hydrangea to refuse a love interest.

Blue hydrangea flowers

WHERE DOES A WHITE FLOWER FIT IN?

The lavish, rounded shape of the white hydrangea flower was often connected to vanity and boastfulness in the Victorian era. Keep in mind, though, a white flower of any sort is still believed to signify purity and grace globally.

White hydrangea flower

DON’T FORGET PURPLE HYDRANGEAS

And if someone gave you a purple hydrangea, you might interpret that as an expression of a desire to deeply understand you.

THE FLOWER FORM CAN ALSO CARRY MEANING

The mophead flower can be interpreted to mean good friends and relationships. That stems from the flower petals growing so close together.

Somehow lacecap hydrangeas got into the act. The graceful display signifies humility (in contrast to the bodacious mophead flower) regardless of the color.

Lacecap hydrangea flower

HYDRANGEAS FOR WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES

Fourth wedding anniversary cake

Did you know that most anniversaries are associated with a particular flower? Hydrangeas hold a place of honor for the fourth wedding anniversary because of the long-lived beauty and fullness of the flower. It’s thought to symbolize the development of a couple’s partnership. And of course, their closeness. That concept of closeness transfers to friendships.

ARE YOU ON SAFE GROUND WHEN YOU GIVE HYDRANGEA FLOWERS?

It’s clear that hydrangeas have a wide range of meanings that stem from a variety of cultures and stories. If your recipient is aware of these meanings, you will be safer if you include other flowers in your gift to eliminate misinterpretation.

Bouquet with hydrangeas and other flowers

And you thought hydrangeas were just for adding beauty and fragrance to your garden.

IT’S SPEAKING SEASON!

Speaker addresses an audience

Next week I’ll be starting my 20th year speaking to various organizations and groups about horticultural subjects. The first couple of times I am in Connecticut. Then I travel to points north and east with a mid-west radio program thrown in for good measure. Notice there are other topics besides hydrangeas as the subject du jour.

Here are the public dates and locations where you can see/hear me:

· February 21, Connecticut Flower and Garden Show, Hartford, CT; 11 a.m.: "Vegetables Contained"; 3.30 p.m.: "Success with Hydrangeas"; https://ctflowershow.com/;

· Feb 22: Southeastern Connecticut Home & Garden Show, Earth Expo & Convention Center, Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT; 11 a.m. "Success with Hydrangeas",

https://www.jenksproductions.com/event/annual-southeastern-ct-home-and-garden-show/

· Mar 7, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County Spring Garden Day, 2 p.m.; “Smarter Gardening”, https://tinyurl.com/va43up7;

. Saturday, March 14: I will be talking hydrangeas on Ron Wilson’s radio show from Ohio twice on Saturday, March 14. Ron is a highly regarded plantsman and manages one of Ohio's premiere nursery/landscape companies. He’s also the past president of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association.

The first discussion will be at about 7.30 a.m. and again at about 11 a.m. To listen live or later, go to http://www.ronwilsononline.com. If you are in the Ohio listening area and want to listen the old-fashioned radio way, here’s what you need to know:

First show from 6-9 a.m. is based out of Cincinnati: 55KRC, WKRC 550AM;
Second show from 10-12 noon is based out of Columbus at 610 WTVN which serves most of Ohio;
You can also download the free iHeart app to listen to any of Ron’s shows anytime from anywhere;
Don't forget to check out Ron's latest blog posts at https://ronwilson.iheart.com/

· Mar 18, Wellfleet Gardeners, Cape Cod , MA, 10 a.m. “Shrubs, The New Perennial”;

· Mar 21, CT Master Gardeners’ Symposium, New London, CT; 11 a.m. & 1.30 p.m., “Hydrangeas for Cold Climate Gardens”, https://ctmga.org/2020-symposium-information.

I’ll be signing and selling my best selling hydrangea book at these events so plan to stop buy. I’d love to meet you. Tell/bring your friends!

See you there.

FEELING HYDRANGEA-STARVED?

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 13:40:00 +0000

Feeling hydrangea-starved? That describes me a week or two ago. Then we had two consecutive days of temps in the 60s. That gave me a terminal case of spring fever! But I knew enough not to rush out and start playing with my hydrangeas. Living in zone 5, there’s a lot of winter still ahead of me. February is right around the corner and then there are the cruel 31 days of March. So what’s a hydrangea-lover to do?

Fortunately, there are cut flowers for sale just about everywhere. My local florist, grocery store, box stores like Costco and BJs are just a few options.

Cut flowers for sale in retail stores.

So I brought home a small bunch of hydrangeas, cut the stems diagonally as I do with all my cut flowers, added the small packet of flower food included in the bunch to a vase of water, and put them in a vase. I was looking forward to enjoying my purchase.

Look what happened – they all drooped within a few hours of being in my kitchen.

Hydrangeas starting to wilt after being put in a vase.

The same thing happens when I cut flowers from my garden during the growing season. So I decided to fix this problem now that I had some time (and no real garden chores to distract me).

First, the science. Hydrangeas produce a sap in their stems much like a pine tree. That sap clogs the stem and prevents water uptake. That’s why they wilt: no water is getting to the flower. So all I had to do was get rid of that sap and prevent it from returning.

There are a few ways to attack and neutralize that sap. In all cases, you need to get your flowers in lukewarm water immediately after being cut. So bring a vase or bucket of warm water with you when you go out to the garden to cut some blooms. Second, make sure you use very sharp pruners or scissors to avoid prematurely crushing the stem when you make your diagonal cut. Then you have a choice of several options.

· One is to crush the stem end with a hammer to open it up. This seems unnecessarily violent to me and I’m not fond of bruising my flowers so I opted against that one.

· The second is to put the cut end of the stem in boiling water for a few minutes to break up the sap. If you have the time, it works.

· The next one is to dip your cut stems in alum powder, a compound available in your grocery store spice aisle.

Alum powder helps keep cut flowers fresh in the vase.

It’s mildly acidic and retards the growth of algae. Its best feature is it makes the vase water slightly more acidic which moves more readily through the stems of cut flowers than tap water which is usually neutral.

· And last, you can dip your cut ends in Floralife® Quick Dip Hydrating Treatment Solution.

Flower preservative for use with cut flowers.

It’s an acidic product that breaks up the sap and allows the stems to take up the water. You can find it online and in craft stores.

I was working quickly as I didn’t have time to boil water, or go out to get the alum. As it happens, I had some Floralife® Quick Dip on hand from when I cut some dahlias last summer. That made my decision easy.

After I recut and dipped the stems, I removed several leaves to direct as much water to the flowers as possible. They are heavy drinkers and I wanted all the water to go to the flowers.
I’m delighted to report the flowers miraculously came back to life.

Hydrangeas rehydrated after using Floralife® Quick Dip

We have been enjoying them for about 10 days -- simply amazing!

With this new skill, I won’t mind spending the money for my cut flowers knowing I can keep them looking fresh for more than a week. That’s less than $1/day and what I would pay for a couple of coffees.

Pretty good deal, if you ask me!

Deer Damage on Hydrangeas in Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 16:01:00 +0000

This is the time of year to be alert to deer damage on hydrangeas. The weather pattern of deep cold, snow, and ice storms has made it increasingly difficult for them to get around and find food sources to sustain life. Deer tracks are the obvious tip off so here's what to look for:

DEER TRACKS IN SNOW: NOTE CLOVEN HOOF

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN YOU DON’T SEE TRACKS

If you don’t see tracks, be on the lookout for their scat. The tiny pellets will sometimes give them away before you notice their prints.

DEER AND RABBIT SCAT LOOK VERY SIMILAR

Deer scat can be mistaken for rabbit pellets which are something else you also may need to handle. Both deer and rabbits spell potential danger for your plants.

MILORGANITE FOR SUB FREEZING CONDITIONS

Of course, the sub-freezing temps make it impossible to use any repellent sprays. In that case, I resort to using organic Milorganite to protect my plants from deer.

MILORGANITE FERTILIZER IS AN EFFECTIVE DEER REPELLENT

It’s a granular product that deer don’t seem to like. My own experience and that of other gardeners in cold climates supports its effectiveness. Of course, all deer herds are different so this may not work for you. But I would try it before discounting its effectiveness. One of its best features is that it breaks down into fertilizer which your plants will love.

RABBIT DAMAGE ON HYDRANGEA

Let’s talk about the other varmint that roams freely and does damage to your hydrangeas: rabbits. They can eat your plant down to the ground in a very short time. Again, you may see their pellets before you see their tracks so be watchful. When it comes to rabbits, I have resorted to exclusion practices: covering plants with nursery pots or some kind of fencing.

NURSERY POT PLACED OVER SMALL HYDRANGEA FOR WINTER PROTECTION

GRAB OPPORTUNITIES TO USE REPELLENT SPRAYS

Be aware that your best deer defense is to rotate products from time to time. Deer get accustomed to what you do and will eventually breach your protection.

I'd like to believe that Mother Nature is celebrating our winter solstice with a gift of warm temps. The solstice arrives at 11:19 p.m. today, and tomorrow through next Thursday the temps are forecasted to be above freezing with no precipitation. Those are the right conditions to go out and use your favorite repellent spray on your plants. If you can’t get to it this week, keep your eyes open for another window of opportunity when the temps are forecasted to rise again.

CELEBRATE THE WINTER SOLSTICE

In the meantime, have your own celebration of the winter solstice. It marks the shortest day of the year when the earth’s axis is tilted farthest away from the sun. As that angle starts to shift closer, our days ever so slowly start to lengthen. By about February 1, you will notice earlier sunrises and later sunsets.

HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE

A PERSONAL NOTE

I hope I helped you have a successful 2019 with your hydrangeas. Thanks to you and many others, my BOOK reached Amazon Best Seller status and it is now selling well internationally.

I look forward to sharing a lot of info with you in the new year about new plants and old, and better ways to grow them. So enjoy this time off to dream about your garden and watch for my updates in 2020. Happy New Year!

Preparing Hydrangeas for Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 14:36:00 +0000

Boy Caught in Snowstorm

We have had a few nights where the temps have dropped in to the high 30s, a stark reminder that it’s time to prepare to wrap some of my bigleaf (macrophyllas) and mountain (serratas) hydrangeas for winter. Those that aren't planted in protected locations as I described in my other blog posts, https://bit.ly/2lRGNlm and https://bit.ly/2A8tzZE need a little help if I want to give them their best chance of having their buds make it through the coming winter to see flowers in 2020.

Exactly what does this mean right now? SHRUB COVERS: something to safely protect the plants from ice and snow, maybe even give them a few degrees of insulation.

WHEN TO USE SHRUB COVERS

The objective of shrub covers is to make your plant think it lives in a warmer zone or to insulate it from fluctuating temps that can blast the flower buds. Of course, you need to wait until your plants have dropped all their leaves on their own before you can cover them. That leaf drop signals the plant is fully dormant. Take the time after leaf drop to clean up the base of the plant to prevent fungal spores from overwintering. That small chore will stop the spores from reinfecting your plants next season. This is also a great time to add some mulch to keep moisture in and prevent the plant from heaving during warm spells you might have.

Taking the need for dormancy into account, it may be too early in your part of the country to install these covers. But it's not too early to get those shrub covers lined up 'cause by the time you need them, you might not have enough time to get it all done.

WHAT DOES A SHRUB COVER LOOK LIKE?

A-FRAME VERSION

A shrub cover can be a simple A-Frame made from discarded wood pallets you can salvage from local stores or one you build on your own.

A-Frame shrub cover made from a pallet.

DIY plans and ideas are all over the internet. I found one at

https://www.gnhlumber.com/diy/shrub-cover/.

You can leave the A-Frame bare to shunt off snow and ice. However, for colder areas the A-frame makes a great base to drape a tarp or insulating cover. If you do that, make sure you secure it against the weather with string or a bungee cord.

UNFRAMED DRAPE VERSION

Another kind of winter protection can be an unframed drape held by the stems of the plant. Here's one available at several on-line shopping sites:

Unstructured shrub cover draped over plant.

DIY CAGE VERSION

A third and very popular shrub cover is a DIY version made with chicken wire and a few stakes. You build a cage larger than your plant and then stuff the opening with leaves, straw, pine needles, etc. making sure you get the insulating materials down and around the bare stems. This takes a bit of care as you want to avoid damaging the tips where the sleeping buds lie. Depending on where you live and where your plant is sited, you may want to insulate the outside of the cage with bubble wrap or some other material. Also note that your packing materials will settle during the winter so many gardeners secure a cover over the top of structure. You can cut a piece of Styrofoam (from craft stores) to fit above the cage and secure it to the chicken wire with twisties or bungee cords. Barring that, you can keep an extra supply of bagged leaves at the ready to top off your masterpiece from time to time.

DIY Cage for Hydrangea

Let the plants harden off over the next few weeks while you get things ready. Don't wait for the last minute when time is short to get these items lined up for installation. There's no way of telling when the on-line suppliers will run out and how much time you have to get yourself organized for this task. You can be ready to spring into action more quickly when you have your covers all planned out and ready to go. Plus it is more pleasant to work outside now before the temps really plunge.

I cover the subject of winter protection in my best selling book, Success With Hydrangeas, A Gardener's Guide. You can order a signed copy here. It makes a great holiday gift for the gardener in your life.

Hydrangea happiness can't start soon enough!

LEAF SPOTS ON HYDRANGEA

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 21:13:00 +0000

HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA WITH DISEASED FOLIAGE

On my recent garden visits, I’ve noted an abundance of leaf spots and unsightly foliage on hydrangeas. They can be bacterial leaf spot from an infection by Xanthomonas campestris, or Cercospora which grows from the pathogen Cercospora hydrangeae. I’m also seeing powdery mildew on many plants. You can thank Erysiphe friesii var. friesii (formerly Microsphaera friesii). If you’ve got blemished foliage, a trip to your local extension office can diagnose which it is so you can apply the proper treatment, if at all.

WHERE DO LEAF SPOTS COME FROM

The first thing to recognize is that these conditions are predictable. All of them need specific moisture and temperature levels to allow the pathogens to develop and infect your plant. But WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?

There are two main sources of these infections: pathogens that wintered over, or the wind. Know, however, that the infection occurred long before the damage appeared. Those pathogens were hiding in old, diseased leaves that weren’t removed last year, either on your property or a neighbor’s. They could also have been in the mulch, just waiting for conditions to be right to activate and inoculate your plant. Then the wind blew in to help spread the pathogens. Splashing water from rain or overhead irrigation sealed the deal.

BACTERIAL LEAF SPOT ON HYDRANGEA

CERCOSPORA LEAF SPOT ON HYDRANGEA

WHAT TO DO ABOUT LEAF SPOT

As with all fungal infections, you can only treat for future impact. You can’t reverse what has already happened. Sometimes you can remove the infected leaves if it doesn’t make your plant look emaciated. But remember that the leaves are your plant’s food factory so don’t take off too many. Whatever foliage you remove needs to go in the trash, not the compost. You don’t want to have those spores around for subsequent infections when you use your compost.

MEND YOUR WAYS

You can’t change the weather (humid periods, rain, wind), but you can change your watering habits. Soaker hoses or drip irrigation are a good improvement as they will reduce leaf wetness and water splash on your plant.

Garden sanitation is your next step. Winter temps don’t kill these pathogens so it is imperative that you remove all diseased leaves this year. Don’t slack off at the end of the season when you are least enthusiastic about being outdoors. Make this leaf removal de rigeur each fall. A fastidious clean-up is integral to keeping these infections under control.

TREATING DISEASED PLANTS

Although it’s late in the season, you may still need to treat your diseased plant. Bacillus subtilis will protect any emerging foliage from becoming infected. The other product I go for contains Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747. It is sold in my area and online as Monterey Disease Control but you may identify alternative products with the same active ingredient. You can treat powdery mildew with a multitude of products. A long-standing favorite of mine for all powdery mildew is bicarbonate-based Green Cure.

As with most fungicides if you decide to treat, plan on reapplying every 7 to 10 days. Follow the instructions on the label for full info on how to use any product you choose.

REFRESH THE MULCH

If there are any spores in the old mulch, you want to prevent them from re-activating. Replacing it now after clean-up can only yield desirable results and reduce future infections.

THIN OUT YOUR PLANT

Last, consider thinning out your plant at pruning time next season. That’s right, next season. Any pruning you do now will be unfavorable to your plant so just don’t do it. You will want to open it up which will allow air to circulate and leaves to dry. I’ll write about that next year when the time is right.

HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA 'ROSABILLO' FALL COLORS

In the meantime, revel in this glorious fall season. Steamy hot days are gone for the most part. The panicle hydrangeas are blushed pink and rosy red now that night temps are cooler. The big leaf hydrangea flowers are transforming into green, lavender and other hues while the surrounding maples are going crimson. It all makes working in the garden a very pleasant activity.

WEBWORMS ON PANICLE HYDRANGEAS

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 21:21:00 +0000

In July, I wrote about webworms (Hyphantria cunea) on panicle hydrangeas. For the past several weeks, the second generation has been active in my neck of the woods. And boy, are they active! It seems every day they form new webs where none were the previous day. That will continue through October or until the first killing frost. Ugly doesn’t come close to what the plant looks like when these beasties are at work.

WEBWORM LIFE CYCLE

Webworms are the larvae from moth eggs that were laid on the underside of foliage. The pupae survive the winter in a cocoon beneath ground litter and soil, and emerge the following year. The cycle begins anew as they mate and lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves. Once the larvae hatch (in about a week), they spin their web over the foliage so they can begin feeding. As you can conclude, fall clean up is key to prevention next year.

HOW TO TREAT WEBWORMS

You can simply cut off the stem with the web on it. Put it in the trash, not the compost. However, if you’re like me, you want as many flowers as possible. In that case, fix the problem surgically. Break open the web and expose the worms to make a tasty meal for your birds. Or you can snip off and dispose of the damaged leaves, preserving your flower at the tip of the stem. Then look around: it’s likely you have webworms on other plants. It’s known to be active on over 100 plant species. I found them on my crabapples and redbuds. If the webs are too high to reach, use a long handled tool like a pole pruner, rake or broom to break open those webs.

INSECTICIDE TREATMENTS

If you must apply an insecticide, the one to use once you open the nest is Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki (Btk), not Spinosad. Like most organic products, it is ineffective when it dries and only works on contact with the caterpillar: it must be ingested. You can’t spray preventively; you must target the caterpillar in the moment. Btk is the treatment that works on members of the moth family. Keep in mind that although Btk is an organic treatment, it is lethal to all caterpillars, including those that turn into butterflies. Just another reason to use a mechanical approach. But if the caterpillars are gone by the time you get to the nest, forget the Btk: the insecticide is useless. I prefer not to use an insecticide regardless. It’s low tech all the way for me.

The season is late so the impact of webworms on your plant is mostly cosmetic. But your plant has been stressed so treat it well until it goes dormant, making sure it gets watered if you have a dry fall. Do not fertilize but feel free to add compost - that's always a good thing.

Regardless of where you find webworms, GET RID OF THEM!

UPCOMING PUBLIC HYDRANGEA TALKS

If you find yourself on Cape Cod this month (maybe you’re thinking about a trip there?), why not attend the Cape Cod Hydrangea Society meeting? I’ll be speaking to this illustrious group about The Magic Of Rebloomers.

DATE: Saturday, September 28, 10 a.m. Harwich Community Center, 100 Oak St, Harwich, MA 02645. Non-members can attend free of charge without pre-registration.

Hope to see you there!

PANICLE HYDRANGEAS ON PARADE

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 21:42:00 +0000

I have been roaming around these past few weeks, visiting open gardens throughout my local area. The panicle hydrangeas have been just glorious in every garden I have seen with their undeniably spectacular flowers and form. Not to mention the impressive flowers of oak leaf hydrangeas are showing their magnificent colors as well.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM PANICLE HYDRANGEAS

Let’s chat a little about what to expect from your panicle hydrangeas as the season continues. If you’re eager for them to shift their color to a pink, raspberry, or red, you’ll need some cool conditions for that to develop. Once the night temperatures drop, the color change takes place quickly with these plants.

Hydrangea paniculata Pinky Winky Coloring Up

Panicle Hydrangeas in Part Shade

If your plant is in part shade and flowering as expected, it might take a little longer for those flowers to color up. Be patient: their cultural conditions dictate what happens when. One of my ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas is still a greenish-white.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' Before Changing Color

The Saga of Brown Panicle Flowers

These magnificent football-shaped flowers can go prematurely brown if your plant is moisture starved. They can run through their initial colors of white or green and barely hold their next color phase of pink to red. Monitor the weather or plan to irrigate your plants if the soil gets too dry. Yes, these plants are drought tolerant, but they also need that moisture for their best flower show. If you’re unsure of how much is enough, stick your finger in the soil. When it is dry at your second knuckle (the top two inches is where the roots live) they need water. When they don’t get enough water, the flowers will turn brown, seemingly overnight—UGH!

Hydrangea quercifolia flowers going brown from drought

Time to Buy Panicle Hydrangeas

This is also a great time to buy panicle hydrangeas. You can see their size, color, and shape up close and personal when you visit your local garden center to buy one. And of course, if you’re visiting gardens, the host will be glad to share info about their plants with you.

A Hydrangea Podcast
I had the good fortune to be on a podcast in July with Joe Lamp’l discussing hydrangeas. If you don’t know about Joe, you should. He is an award-winning premier garden communicator with websites, podcasts, a PBS gardening program (Growing a Greener World), books, you name it. I was such a fan girl; it was embarrassing. But we did get down to business and talked hydrangeas for almost an hour! You can catch the podcast via your normal podcast supplier or read the transcript here.

A Special Request From Me

Thank you to all my readers and audiences who have purchased my hydrangea book. It turns out reviews are critically important to prospective buyers. The total number of reviews also improves my Amazon ranking (they call it “social proof”). That ranking is yet another way readers can discover my book and learn how to grow hydrangeas successfully. Yet my Amazon listing only shows a handful of reviews. I would be most grateful if you could take just a few minutes to add a review to my Amazon book page. If Amazon isn’t your seller of choice, you can also go to Barnes and Noble to do the same. Thank you in advance for doing this.

HYDRANGEA CARE FOR JULY – PART TWO

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 20:18:00 +0000

Hard to believe we are past mid-July – already! NOW is the time to take care of a couple of hydrangea chores, ideally by August 1.

PINCH PRUNE YOUR OLD WOOD BLOOMERS

The first is to “pinch prune” any of your hydrangeas that flower on old wood. What’s the science behind this? Old wood flowering hydrangeas (big leaf, mountain, climbing, and oak leaf) set their flower buds under two conditions: short day length (after June 21 in the northern hemisphere) and when night temperatures are consistently below 60 degrees. From that science we get our general rule of thumb: not to prune/cut these plants after about August 1 unless you're prepared to risk cutting off next season's flowers. But wait - someone said I'm not supposed to cut them at all! Yes and no.

Why then should you think about cutting them now? Simply stated, if you cut some of your newly grown stems now before August 1, you can accomplish two objectives: first, you stimulate that stem to branch into two more stems, optimally giving you a chance at two flowers at the tip next year instead of one. Mother Nature needs to give us a benign winter, of course. Second, you get a better view of this season's flowers which are somewhat obscured by the newly produced stems.

HYDRANGEA FLOWERS OBSCURED BY NEW SEASONAL GROWTH

Here's what you do. Step back and assess which of your plants have enough new growth on them that is hiding this year's flowers and decide which stems you would like to cut. Make those cuts just above the place on the stem where the leaves meet it and where you see the growth of new stems emerging from it.

HYDRANGEA STEM WITH GROWTH AT NODES

WHERE YOU SHOULD CUT THE STEM TO PINCH PRUNE YOUR PLANT

If you can't decide which stems to cut, first go after the ones that may have leaf spots on them. You should be destroying those anyway as the spores of the fungus that causes those spots will continually plague your plant and reinfect it. I discuss insects and diseases in my book to give you a heads-up on what to look for and what to do.

When you cut these stems, you are forcing the growth hormones from the stem that you cut into those two new stems which will now grow out to form flowers at their tips on the short day lengths and consistently cool nights that come after August 1. In some parts of the country, however, those night temps won't consistently be at 60 degrees or lower so you have a little wiggle room, but don't wait too long. This is a process (the weather) over which you have little control.

If you are into making more plants, you can take the stems that you cut and propagate them. Voila! Free plants for a little work. Hydrangeas propagate very easily and my book has an entire chapter covering this.

If you haven't pinch pruned before, treat this as an experiment. Don't cut all the new growth stems -- just a few and see what happens this year and next.

HYDRANGEA AFTER BEING PINCH PRUNED; NOT ALL STEMS WERE CUT.

It's up to you. If the winter weather cooperates, your pinch pruning will be a wild success and you'll be awash in flowers next year. And you will have learned another new pruning skill.

TIDY UP YOUR OLD WOOD BLOOMERS

This pruning session can also be used to look for any dead, diseased, or damaged stems that won’t make it through the winter. Get rid of them now and stimulate your plant to make new stems before this season closes.

FERTILIZING: ROUND TWO

Your second chore is to fertilize your rebloomers one last time. The plants that need this are any reblooming big leaf hydrangeas, as well as your reblooming woodland babies. Your plants have been using enormous energy to push out that first flush of flowers and you want to give them all the help you can to keep the show going. Remember to use rose fertilizer or a granular fertilizer formulated for trees and shrubs.

ONE BRAND OF ROSE FERTILIZER THAT IS EXCELLENT FOR YOUR HYDRANGEAS

If the product is organic, you should be all set. If you use a non-organic product, scan the ingredients label and avoid anything that lists imidacloprid. That is a chemical that is toxic to pollinators and should be avoided at all costs.

If you haven’t fertilized your non-reblooming plants this season and you’re unhappy with their performance, now is the time to do that. You’ll give the plant what it needs to thrive through the end of summer and strengthen it to make it through the winter to perform at its best next year. Long term thinking is called for here.

If you can’t get to these chores by about August 1 (in cold climates), do your best to pinch-prune and fertilize as close to that date as possible. Global warming has pushed against that August 1 guideline. Keep in mind the science-based ground rule of needing nights consistently below 60 degrees. By paying attention to your local weather forecast and acting accordingly you may get some wiggle room to get these things done.

Warm climate gardeners have more leeway with the August guideline. Old wood bloomers need at least 6 weeks of nights below 60 degrees to form their flowers. So don’t wait too long as that weather window will close before you know it.

MY HYDRANGEA POSTS ON OTHER SITES

If you want to learn about hydrangea myth busting, CLICK HERE to read my latest post for Coast of Maine. I write a post for them each month on a variety of gardening topics which may be of interest to you.

And lastly, if you’re interested in reading about why hydrangeas don’t bloom, CLICK HERE to read a post I just did for the National Garden Bureau about that. A lot of gardeners seem to be enjoying it.

Here’s to blooming hydrangeas, not a myth but a reality!

HYDRANGEA CARE FOR JULY

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 21:13:00 +0000

If your garden is anything like mine, right about now insects and disease start rearing their ugly heads. In most cases, they show up as a result of cultural conditions. Here’s the low down on what I am seeing right now which may match what’s happening in your garden as well.

We had a very wet and cool spring and things have finally begun to dry out. But all that rain and lack of ultraviolet light have left their mark. I am starting to see something called interveinal chlorosis on both my bigleaf hydrangeas (macrophylla) and oakleaf hydrangeas (quercifolia). This is what the oakleaf tissue looks like.

Exactly what is interveinal chlorosis? It’s what happens when the plant can get enough chlorophyll (the stuff that makes it green) to the leaves. How does that happen? It goes back to the plant’s need for iron to make chlorophyll, which is why most people think it’s a simple lack of iron. They apply a foliar spray to their plant to “green it up.” But you already know that much is not simple with this plant. Be aware that this immediate result doesn’t solve the chlorosis. It just treats the symptom of whatever is happening in your soil. It’s up to you to figure out the issue in the soil chemistry, maybe with a little help from your local cooperative extension office or a reputable garden center.

There are several causes of chlorosis. Your first step is to do a soil test since an out-of-balance pH can cause this condition. If it’s your pink-flowered bigleaf hydrangea, your soil might be too alkaline. When that happens, the iron is less available to the plant. Your ideal pH for a pink flowering hydrangea should be in the range of 6.0-6.2. An amendment of aluminum sulfate can bring that pH down. The label on your product will give you all the info you need to do the job correctly. Once the pH is adjusted, the iron in the soil will be more available to the plant.

But if pH isn’t your problem, then what is causing this chlorosis? It could be that the ground is too wet. Excessive moisture in the soil inhibits root development and that leads to the plant not being able to properly grow and again, use what’s in the soil for its development. Try and check the roots of your affected plant to be sure it’s not suffering from the excess rain and irrigation. Anything wetter than damp isn't a good situation.

Other causes can be traced to deficiencies of manganese or zinc. How do you know which is the culprit? Inspect the leaves to determine what foliage turned chlorotic first. Iron chlorosis starts on the younger or terminal leaves and later works inward to the older leaves. That's what I have on my oak leaf. Manganese and zinc deficiencies on the other hand develop on the inner/older leaves first. Plus your soil test will tell you what’s what so you can take the proper action.

The other issue I’m seeing on my panicle hydrangeas (paniculata) is webworms. They have begun to form their webs and rear their young within those webs. This is an easy one to address, but you must pay attention to your plants as this webworm activity will continue as the season moves along. This is what some foliage on one of my plants looked like when I discovered the webs:

Webworm nest on hydrangea paniculata

You can cut off the stem with the web on it and put it in the trash, not a compost pile. However, if you’re like me, you want to have as many flowers as possible. In that case, fix the problem mechanically. Break open the web and expose the worms to make a tasty meal for your birds.

Webworm nest on hydrangea paniculata after being opened

Webworm nest on hydrangea paniculata having a panic attack

You can snip off the damaged leaves and keep your flower at the tip of the stem for later enjoyment.

If you must apply an insecticide, know that the one to use is bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki (Btk), not Spinosad. Btk is the one that is effective on members of the moth family. Keep in mind that although Btk is an organic treatment, it is lethal to the caterpillars in the webworm nest and that other caterpillars can be impacted, including caterpillars that turn into butterflies. Just another reason to use a mechanical approach.

Like all organic products, Btk is ineffective when it dries and only works on contact with the caterpillar: it must be ingested. You can’t spray preventively; you must target the caterpillar.

These are minor fixable issues that you can easily scout and treat now that you know more about them.

I do hope that you are enjoying your hydrangeas. Mine are gradually opening to add stunning beauty and enjoyment to the garden, proving that flowering hydrangeas are a reality, not a myth!

On another note, for anyone vacationing in the Cape Cod area for the next few weeks, be sure to visit the open gardens as part of their annual hydrangea festival. You'll love seeing them in this fabulous growing climate.

REPORTING 2019 WINTER IMPACT ON HYDRANGEAS

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 18:00:00 +0000

Time to report on winter's impact on my hydrangeas. In early May, I went out to my Zone 5 garden to see what winter had done to my hydrangeas that bloom on old wood: macrophyllas (big leaf) and hydrangea serratas (mountain). I also checked on the quercifolias (oak leaf) and petiolaris (climbing). But we had a very cool and wet spring and this inspection tour was too early for our delayed season.

I held my breath as I always do. The winter brought several episodes of severe cold temps. One came early in November 2018 when the plants had not had a chance to fully harden off. Then came 2019 with some significantly icy temps. The chart below shows the several scattered January and February temps from my closest official weather station:

The winter weather was compounded by a significantly cool and wet spring. Everything was late breaking dormancy, not just hydrangeas. By May 31, all my oak leaf and climbing hydrangeas finally showed their buds. My ‘Alice’ oak leafs had significant winterkill of entire branches. It makes sense as they are much more exposed to the weather by virtue of their sheer size and where I have them sited, especially in view of the cold winter. I lost one 10 year-old oak leaf hydrangea. I believe it was much too wet both last fall and this past spring. Oak leafs are the one variety that can not take wet conditions. I have replanted that "hole" with offshoots from a colony of woodland hydrangea 'Annabelle' which is already flowering.

Then I inspected my big leaf hydrangeas (macrophyllas). I have a variety of rebloomers (see list below). I also have some old wood macrophyllas like Lady In Red. They are scattered throughout various parts of my property with different levels of exposure to the elements. Here's what I found.

Consistent with prior years, the buds on one Lady In Red were alive and well. However, despite being protected from the prevailing weather by a neighbor's house, it had significant winter kill of entire stems. This was also the plant that got mangled by a freak tornado in 2018. Following that event, she got a severe cut back and reshaping after flowering. I suspect she was weakened by the correcting action we took to repair her. The second Lady In Red had similar winter kill: some tips and stems were clearly dead and showed no signs of life while other tips had buds on them.

On to inspect my collection of Endless Summer®, The Original. Some had complete dieback, as shown in this photo (it has regenerated from the base).

Complete winter dieback on bigleaf hydrangea, now regenerating.

Some had partial tip dieback; some had partial stem dieback or full stem death. Below is a photo of one that had a little of everything. The fence helped somewhat to protect it. The same happened to most of the other rebloomers I have* (see list at the end).

Partial winter dieback on bigleaf hydrangea.

BloomStruck® came through the best of all my Endless Summer® hydrangeas. I have three of them planted (in various locations for testing purposes). All three lost all their terminal flower buds that were produced last year. One had tons of buds coming off the side shoots (lateral buds). This is the magic of rebloomers! If the stem makes it through the winter, it should give you flowers despite losing the one at its tip. One of the BloomStrucks had complete dieback of all its stems and is regenerating from the base. The third had a little of both: some total stem dieback and some lateral buds. The flowers are just starting (late June in CT) to color up.

BloomStruck® hydrangea showing buds after bad winter.

This picture below shows a tip that you might have thought was dead in April or even mid-May and you might have cut it off. But by early June, it actually produced a flower bud. The Lesson: Be patient when it comes to cleaning up your plants in spring and wait to see "broccoli" before you cut those stems.

Big leaf hydrangea budding up late after cold, wet spring.

However, the most impressive bigleaf hydrangea for me this season is a new acquisition: Blue Enchantress®. Commanding ruby-black stems support showy mophead flowers on this exquisite reblooming hydrangea. All terminal flowers were killed by the winter temps, but since it’s a rebloomer and hardy to Zone 4, the flowers are coming from the side shoots. See the below photo collage.

Reblooming hydrangea macrophylla Blue Enchantress showing black stems and many buds after cold winter.

The other winners that are absolutely superb are all the newly planted Tuff Stuff™ rebloomingmountain hydrangeas. I followed my own advice last year and donated some of my underperforming plants and replaced them with hydrangea Serrata Tuff Stuff™. Although all my mountain hydrangeas have buds on them, this variety broke dormancy the earliest of all. Regardless of where they are sited, they are now a kaleidoscope of color.

When I analyze which of my plants did what, the two major conclusions I drew last year still hold:

First, the plants that did the best were those that enjoyed winter protection from one or more of several sitings: dry winter persistent foliage which might have been needled conifers like Alberta spruces or overhead junipers. They might have had oaks that held their foliage and helped block icy winter winds. In some cases, there was a garden shed or a house or fence which served as protection. Rhododendrons and azaleas also protected some plants. Between the weather and the protection they had, they have reacted as if they were in a warmer zone. Keep in mind that I don’t wrap any of my plants.

My second conclusion is that reblooming hydrangea macrophyllas and serratas are the only way to go. Despite losing all of their tips, the reblooming stems are what will contribute to my garden from now until frost. If you garden in a cold climate or are subjected to wild fluctuations in temperatures, rebloomers will deliver the garden color and interest you need and want.

The new news for me this season is I don’t have to wait for a ”second” later flowering cycle since most rebloomers had buds a few weeks back and now I have flowers in June.

Rebloomers are not just for cold climate gardeners. That reblooming capability can only improve garden performance in any zone as healthy reblooming plants pump out more and more flowers.

*Other rebloomers I assessed:

Endless Summer® Blushing Bride, Twist-n-Shout®

'David Ramsey'

Double Delights™ Wedding Gown, Perfection, and Star Gazer

Everlasting™ Revolution

Forever & Ever® Peppermint

Let's Dance^® Blue Jangles^®

Midnight Duchess®

Mini Penny™

Nantucket Blue™

'Penny Mac'

Pink Shira™

Queen Of Pearls®

On another note, I will be signing books and presenting a talk on hydrangeas tomorrow, June 29 at 10 a.m. at White Flower Farm, Foolproof Hydrangeas. There is a fee for this program and registration is required. One FREE 1 qt perennial will be given to each attendee. Light refreshments will be served. I was just there last week for the annual tent sale and roamed the display gardens and hydrangeas for sale. The gardens look great and the retail store has a wide selection of hydrangeas. If you're in the area, do stop in. You won't be disappointed.

Climbing Hydrangea, A Plant For All Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 10:35:00 +0000

Climbing Hydrangea on Arbor

If you’re lucky enough to have a climbing hydrangea (hydrangea anomala petiolaris), you already know what a fabulous plant it is. And right now it is in its glory in my zone 5B garden. The fact that it grows in shade and is drought tolerant makes it doubly attractive. And in my little slice of heaven, deer have avoided it for 28 years.

The beautiful lacecap flowers are once again dependably in full view. Not only are they beautiful but they are perfuming the garden. Since I have it planted in several places, its non-stop scent practically follows me around.

Climbing Hydrangea Flower

It’s not uncommon to see this shade loving vine draping arbors and adorning walls. It works really well climbing a tree which does the tree no harm. It’s also a plant you can use as a groundcover. The glossy foliage will scramble over anything in its way. An unsightly tree stump for example is one such eyesore you can make disappear. Know, however, that flowering is less pronounced when it grows horizontally. But since you’re looking for a ground cover, consider those flowers incidental. This year for the first time, I actually have a few flowers on my ground cover climbing hydrangea – what a bonus!

Climbing hydrangeas make a good backdrop and trellis for other vining plants. Just this past week I saw it interplanted with a red honeysuckle. The combination was inspiring. Think of all the hot colors that would add more garden interest when you use it to support clematis. The two play well together.

Climbing Hydrangea with Red Honeysuckle

Although it is drought tolerant when established, you don’t want it to work too hard for moisture. Keep it mulched with leaves, compost and such.

Climbing hydrangeas rarely need pruning unless they have completely outgrown their bounds. If you must prune it, cut it right after the flowers fade. Yes, you’re right: this plant flowers on old wood. A climbing hydrangea will start to set its buds for next year within a few short weeks of initial flowering, so any cutting back later on will reduce your flower count next year.

The one issue with this plant is as its flowers age to soft creamy white, the fragrance also fades. Yet the long lasting flowers continue to add interest to your garden for the rest of season. What a delight while its delivers a dependable show, year after year.

If ever there was a garden worthy plant for shade, this is it. Get one and join the club of climbing hydrangea lovers. You can read more about this fabulous shade loving plant in my popular book, Success With Hydrangeas, A Gardener's Guide.

On another note, if you are in the Pennsylvania viewing area, you might be able to catch me on TV talking about climbing hydrangeas and the rest of their “cousins” tomorrow Saturday, June 15. I was honored to be a guest of Mike McGrath on his PBS show, You Bet Your Garden. We’ll be talking hydrangeas on PBS Channel 39, WLVT, from Bethlehem, PA at 10 a.m. If you can't make it then, you can catch the replay and/or podcast a few days later. Join us!

ARE THE LEAVES ON YOUR 'ANNABELLE' STUCK TO EACH OTHER?

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Fri, 10 May 2019 21:21:00 +0000

Cupped leaves on Hydrangea arborescens

Are the leaves on your 'Annabelle' hydrangeas stuck to each other? Inspect them and any other hydrangea arborescens you may have like Incrediball® or Invincibelle® Spirit. You may notice some leaves cupped together. It looks like the leaves above from my Invincibelle® Spirit.

Interesting, huh? Don’t panic!

Leaf rollers are at work here, setting up house and rearing their young. It’s the first hydrangea insect to show up: normal and predictable.

If you peel the cupped leaves apart, you'll see the larvae crawling around. You can destroy them but you will mar the leaves. If you do nothing, it will not harm your plant.

Leaf roller larvae inside cupped leaves on Hydrangea arborescens

I explain it all in my book, Success With Hydrangeas, A Gardener’s Guide. There is an entire chapter on insects and diseases of hydrangeas and what to do about them. If you know beforehand what to expect and are prepared to handle these kinds of issues, you'll be in the best position to have healthy plants that will look stunning in your garden this season.

Success With Hydrangeas, A Gardener’s Guide is all about how to grow hydrangeas. It has gotten rave reviews which you can read HERE. That’s also where you can buy the book. If you want a signed copy, just go to my website to make your purchase. A signed book makes a great gift for any gardener. The site will also tell you about me, where I am giving talks and how to sign up for blog posts if you are not already a subscriber. Plus, you can catch up on prior posts.

Here’s to happy hydrangeas, not a myth but a reality.

UPCOMING EVENTS WHERE YOU CAN BUY A SIGNED COPY OF MY BOOK:

May 18, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx NY: Book Signing at the Store, 2-4 p.m. Entry to the garden.

June 8, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY: class, Shady Characters, 10.30 a.m. - 1.30 p.m. Fee

CLOSING COMMENT

If you’d like to read my other garden writing, go to the Coast of Maine Blog. Each month I write about a different gardening topic which you may find interesting and helpful.

(Originally posted June 2018; updated May 2019)

PRUNING YOUR OLD WOOD FLOWERING HYDRANGEAS

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 18:29:00 +0000

Now that you have completed cutting back your new wood blooming hydrangeas, it's time to look at what's happening with your old wood plants. Which ones are these?

Your old wood plants include hydrangea macrophylla (big leaf), hydrangea serrata (mountain), hydrangea quercifolia (oak leaf) and hydrangea petiolaris (climbing). Even if your plant is a rebloomer it retains old wood flower power and buds can be there that formed on last year's growth.

You have a green light to take care of purely old wood bloomers like oak leaf hydrangeas, climbing hydrangeas, non-reblooming big leaf hydrangeas, and non-reblooming mountain hydrangeas now. Work on the obvious stuff like deadheading to neaten up the plant. Cut the spent flower down to the first set of live buds.

Inspect your plants for the 3Ds (dead, damaged, diseased wood) and carefully remove them, ideally at ground level with a lopper depending on the issue. Don‘t ignore inward growing branches, pencil-thin stems, and any stems that are rubbing.

If you find some old canes that look like this one with peeling bark, or this pebbly one

Old hydrangea canes that can be removed

cut them at ground level. They won't produce a flower ever again.

And if your plant has a lot of old stubs at the base from prior year's cuts like the one in this photo

Big leaf hydrangea (macrophylla) with clogged trunk.

eliminate those stubs to unclog the trunk. You'll improve air flow and deprive slugs of hiding places while they lay in wait to nip on your plant.

If you're not sure if your stem is alive, scratch it with your fingernail. If it shows green, it’s a live stem.

Live stem on hydrangea shows green when scratched.

Wayward stems might be present at the base of your plant. Now is the moment to get rid of them. But be cautious since they may have been low enough to develop roots, granting you a new plant. Snip them off from the mother plant and pot them up for a few weeks before setting them out in the garden for their next life. A little TLC and encouraging fertilizer while they are in pots will get them off to an excellent start. Cool, huh?

It's unlikely that your oak leaf and climbing hydrangeas will need any pruning before they flower. Look them over for the 3Ds, inward growing, rubbing, and pencil-thin stems. You might have a low-lying branch or two on your oakleaf that you can designate for later removal. You can delay action until it gives you its magnificent flower this season.

And if your climbing hydrangeas need a haircut badly as mine does, wait until it flowers before you do that. Mine has buds on it so I know I'm in for a treat in a couple of months.

For your big leaf or mountain hydrangeas that are rebloomers, you can also get rid of the stems that have rebloomed. They won't provide any more flowers for you. They look like this, with flower stems coming off the sides:

Spent stem from a reblooming hydrangea.

Use your loppers to take them off as close to the ground as possible. Here's where you must be extremely careful not to dislodge the new buds/leaves that you see at the base of your plant. Some of them might be the start of new stems that will generate flowers at the tips before the season ends. If you can't get to that stem now, mark it with a twistie or pipe cleaner for removal in the fall when the coast is clear. Or cut it a few inches from the ground; it can come out altogether at a later date.

You can also remove the pebbly stems and those with peeling bark. Cut as close to the ground as you can get without endangering any new spring growth.

Do not deadhead your rebloomers until you are well past your frost free date. When you cut the tips of your rebloomers, you release the hormones in the stem to generate the sleeping flowers along its length. Once those sleeping buds break dormancy, they are susceptible to being killed by late season frosts and in one cold snap, you can kiss your second round of flowers goodbye.

Once the flower buds appear on your plant, you can cut anything that demands it. Deadheading is a perfect idea as that tip cutting will release the growth hormones in the stem.

There is pruning aftercare to do now. First up is fertilizing with a granular rose fertilizer or shrub fertilizer. No 10-10-10. No plant uses nutrients in equal amounts. Applying products like 10-10-10 just contributes to run-off and pollution issues. Follow the directions on the label. Second, check your irrigation if you have it, and, third, finish with mulch. It can be compost, leaves, bark, etc. And of course, disinfect/sharpen your tools. You don't want to transfer any pathogens to the next plant you work on, and your pruners need to be razor sharp for that next plant.

Since I wrote about pruning new wood bloomers last time, I have found a terrific video for pruning panicle hydrangeas (hydrangea paniculata). It uses ‘Limelight’ as the model. The principles apply to all panicle hydrangeas. https://youtu.be/vd3AuBso30U.

A reminder: Mother's Day is less than 2 weeks away. If you want to gift someone with a signed copy of my hydrangea book, you still have time to do that. In fact, you have two options. One is to order from my site by going HERE. I will inscribe your book upon request.

Or you can come to Sam Bridge Nursery in Greenwich, CT this Saturday (May 4) where I'll be giving 2 presentations and selling/signing my book. Here's the info:
Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses, 437 North Street Greenwich, CT 06830
Topic: Blooming Hydrangeas, 11 a.m., Free, http://sambridge.com/events/
Topic: Shrubs, The New Perennial, 1.30 p.m. Free, http://sambridge.com/events/

OK. Time to get outside and prune those plants. Tick-Tock!

HYDRANGEA PRUNING - WOODLAND AND PGs

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 18:08:00 +0000

In my April Connecticut garden, the first hydrangeas I'm pruning are the ones that flower on the growth they will put on this year, better known as "new wood." In hydrangea-land, those are hydrangeas arborescens or woodland/smooth hydrangeas like 'Annabelle', or for example any plant that has Incrediball® or Invincibelle® in its name. There are many others. They will all have "arborescens" as the second part of their name. The flowers are round and either white or shades of pink. None are blue and you can't change their color.

You can prune these plants whenever they are dormant, i.e., after they drop their leaves. That could be in late fall, winter, and now, early spring. Take it down to about 2 feet. If you cut it to the ground or to its crown as I have seen on various websites, you will wind up with weak stems. The flowers will bend over and the plant will flop during the season, especially after rain. Those magnificent flowers hold water which will weigh them down - they need strong stems to keep them erect.

This is what one of my Annabelles looked like before I pruned it. Notice the stems aren't bent from the winter weather in my snowy zone 5.

Hydrangea Arborescens Annabelle Before Pruning

Here's what it looked like after pruning:

Hydrangea Arborescens Annabelle After Pruning

The second group of hydrangeas that flower on new wood are the panicle hydrangeas,sometimes called PG. These have flowers that are cone- or football-shaped, start out white or lime green and age to shades of pink and rose. You might know them as 'Limelight', Quick Fire®, Vanilla Strawberry™, 'Fire and Ice', and dozens more.

Just like the arborescens, you can prune these plants whenever they are dormant, i.e., after they drop their leaves. That could be in late fall, winter, and now, early spring. Cutting them by about one-third is the general recommendation. But that's not always the case. For example, if you grow 'Limelight' and want to prevent it from flopping during the season, take that one down to about 4 buds. That will strengthen the stems to better hold the flowers upright.

Here's ‘Limelight’ before pruning:

Hydrangea Paniculata Limelight Before Pruning

After I cut the tall stems, took out others that were crossing and growing inward, and those that were thinner than a pencil, it emerged looking like this:

Hydrangea Paniculata Limelight After Pruning

You may not have time for this extensive pruning. Know, however, that pruning makes your plant healthier, stimulates new growth, and will give you stronger stems and better flowers if you do. If you don't prune and don't deadhead, here's what happens:

Hydrangea Paniculata Not Deadheaded Showing New Season Flower

Your plant will flower anyway. Notice, though, that the new flower is very small compared to the dead one to its left which of course, you should remove now. The lesson is: minimally you should deadhead your plant and for best performance, do a thorough pruning job.

Make sure as you move from plant to plant that you disinfect your cutting tools. You don't want to unintentionally move pathogens around your garden. Disinfecting is easy. You can use Lysol® spray on your tools to get into the crevices which can harbor the invisible germs. Studies prove it kills most germs in an average home garden. Your other choice is to make a spray of a 10% solution of rubbing/isopropyl alcohol from your home medicine cabinet using a spray bottle from the dollar store. Don't forget to wipe down your gloves/hands.

You're probably wondering what to do about your other hydrangeas: bigleaf, climbing, oakleaf, and mountain hydrangeas. They all flower on wood that grew last year, i.e., old wood. Unless you want to remove this year's flowers, the short answer is don't touch them. You are in the HYDRANGEA DANGER ZONE™. But it's not that simple.

I'll be posting about what to do with them in the next few weeks. If you can't wait until then, you can go back to my 2018 posts when I wrote about this same topic. It never gets old. OR you can attend one of my 2 upcoming classes on hydrangea pruning:

April 16: UConn Master Gardener Program, Bethel CT
Topic: Pruning Hydrangeas: Let's Do It Right! 1-3 p.m., fee

April 27: New York Botanical Garden, Bronx NY
Topic: Pruning Hydrangeas: What Stays, What Goes, and When 10 am–1 pm, fee

Get Ready For Hydrangea Pruning

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 12:04:00 +0000

It’s just about time to start the gardeners’ spring ritual of pruning. We have had a few teaser days of 50 degrees but where I live in Connecticut the footing hasn’t been safe enough to go out and do much. But it has been a good time to get things ready.

I have been reading about people in the warmer areas of the country doing some pruning and although it makes me a little envious, I know enough not to rush the season. Even though we are in March, I recall last year how much snow we had in March 2018 so I can be patient a little while longer.

If it's too early to get outdoors and prune for you too, here's what I would suggest. Get your tools in order. A good cleaning, oiling, and sharpening now will pay dividends later on. Make sure you have a good pair of gloves, a tarp, a bypass pruner as shown in the photo, a lopper, disinfectant spray, and/or anti-bacterial wipes at the ready.

BYPASS PRUNERS

THE BASIC TOOLS FOR HYDRANGEA PRUNING

But the best advice about pruning tools I can give you comes from Corona Tools, a U.S. manufacturer of garden tools and so much more (www.coronatoolsusa.com/). Corona has been around for over 90 years and not only do they know tools, but they know how to FIT a tool to you.

Take a look at these very helpful graphics from Corona of how to make sure your pruner is the right fit for your hands.

THIS SMALL HAND SHOULD HAVE A PRUNER NO LONGER THAN 6 INCHES AT MOST

A MEDIUM SIZE HAND CAN TAKE A 7 INCH PRUNER

A LARGE HAND NEEDS AN 8 INCH PRUNER OR MORE

There’s nothing worse than working with a pruner that doesn’t fit your hand. And only you are the judge of that.

Fine Gardening ran an excellent article about Sharpening pruners which I recommend. It has a 10 minute video embedded in it with Lee Reich on pruning tools which you might find helpful.

Once you’re sure you have the right tools, then get them ready. They should be clean, oiled, disinfected and sharpened before you make that first cut.

If you have some time to cruise the internet, you can find lots of videos on caring for your cutting tools. The key is to DO IT! Not just this once but throughout the season as sap, dirt, and debris will always clog your pruners and dull the cutting surface. That translates into jagged cuts, a potentially less healthy plant, and more work for you. You might need to invest in some diamond hones and other small items but that investment will pay you great dividends over time.

So rest a bit more and get you and your tools ready. The days are getting longer, we have just turned the clocks and spring will be officially here. There won't be enough hours in the day or energy to get everything done.

I see the excitement in my audiences. Maybe I’ll see you in there somewhere. Here’s where I’ll be speaking for the balance of March:

March 13, Down To Earth Garden Club, Wood Memorial Library, 783 Main St., S. Windsor, CT (free)

Topic: Foolproof Hydrangeas, 7 p.m., call 860-644-8165 for more information.

March 20: Westchester County Cornell Cooperative Extension

Home Gardening Series, Anthony Veteran Park, 11 Olympic Lane, Ardsley, NY 10502 (fee)

Topic: Shrubs, The New Perennial, 10 a.m.

March 21: Thames River Garden Club, Waterford CT (fee)

Topic: Shrubs, The New Perennial, 1 p.m.

IS IT TIME TO PRUNE NEW WOOD BLOOMING HYDRANGEAS?

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 17:00:00 +0000

Not everywhere. If your hydrangeas live in warm parts of the

U.S.

and Europe, and the spirit moves you, you can consider pruning your new wood blooming hydrangeas now. It's hard to conceive of that when you live where I do as we stare down yet another frigid blast of cold air over the next few days. But for those gardeners in places like Arkansas, Atlanta, and parts of the

, your new wood bloomers can be cut back now.

Exactly which plants am I talking about? The ones that are foolproof and will produce flowers on the stems they will grow this year!

All of your woodland Hydrangea arborescens plants fall into this category. You may know them as 'Annabelle', Invincibelle Mini Mauvette™, Invincibelle® Spirit, and Incrediball®, along with others in their families.

How much do you cut back on these plants? Good question! I wouldn't go further down than about 2 feet tall. You want to give the plant the ability to have strong stems to hold the deliciously large flowers, even after it rains. A before and after shot of your plant might look like this:

Hydrangea 'Annabelle' Unpruned on left and Pruned on right

All P.G. Hydrangea paniculatas like 'Fire and Ice', Fire Light®, 'Limelight', Pinky Winky®, and Little Quick Fire® are new wood bloomers. They too can be cut back now. Before and after shots of 'Limelight' from my garden looked like this last spring.

PG Hydrangea 'Limelight' Unpruned on left and Pruned on right

For cold weather gardens I wouldn't recommend pruning just yet. We still have to deal with a lot of winter. And March can be harsh on our plants. You want to let Mother Nature take her best shot and allow for winter kill before you take the pruners to your plants. Plus your footing needs to be safe and with sharp cutting tools, you want to be super careful. If your fingers are itchy to be out in the garden, take the time to get those cutting tools in shape. Clean, sharpen and oil them so they're ready for the hard work ahead.

Oh, and don't even think about cutting any of your other hydrangeas, no matter how ratty they may appear. Oak leaf hydrangeas, big leaf hydrangeas, climbing hydrangeas and mountain hydrangeas all bloom on old wood even if they are rebloomers. You must leave all of them alone. For them, you are in the HYDRANGEA DANGER ZONE™ (HDZ™), that time between August 1 and when you see buds. The HDZ™ is when those buds are most susceptible to all kinds of mayhem but it shouldn't be your pruning cuts. That time will come soon enough and you will be glad you let your plants get the last of their beauty sleep.

I cover pruning in detail with loads of photos in my book Success With Hydrangeas, A Gardener's Guide.

On another note, I have posted my speaking schedule for the next few months. Maybe there's a location convenient for you to come and hear me cover a topic of interest to you. There are several hydrangea talks, including two on pruning. Stop by and say hello.

Here's to happy hydrangeas, not just a myth but a reality!

PROTECTING HYDRANGEAS FROM DEER AND RABBITS IN WINTER

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 14:11:00 +0000

Deer Nibbling In Winter

Some of my hydrangeas are planted where deer and rabbits like to browse. The new wood bloomers are fair game which I let the wildlife "prune" for me. The big leaf hydrangeas are rebloomers which I no longer protect against the weather. I take a chance and depend on that second later-season bloom cycle. BUT, I do take pains to protect them from wildlife and prefer to work with bare stems for that job. So far, the leaves are hanging on, likely because of the prodigious rain we have had this fall.

Do You Still Have Leaves on Your Bigleaf Hydrangeas?

I have been waiting somewhat impatiently for my bigleaf hydrangeas (macrophyllas) to drop their leaves so I can complete their final preparations for winter. I use this time to make sure there is enough mulch at their base to keep their roots nice and warm. Shredded leaves are good for that as is compost and any other organic mulch you have. Make sure to keep that mulch a good few inches away from base of the main stems of the plants. If it's too close it will soften and and weaken them. The mulch also works to keep the plants from drying out during the winter.

Get Ready For A Bare-Stemmed Bigleaf Hydrangea

If your plant still has foliage, and you won't be insulating it with leaves and such, get things lined up for when those leaves drop. You'll have to act fast 'cause the deer and rabbits will surely be roaming in search of their winter food supply. You need to convince them early in their eating pattern that your plants are not part of their buffet. Depending on the size of your plants, you can do one of several things. One is the EXCLUSION approach. Erect a temporary fence with commercially available deer fence kits available at box stores and on line. Or use galvanized livestock panels from stores like Tractor Supply and other agricultural supply stores. They can be bent over your plants to protect them.

Cattle Panel from Tractor Supply

Or you can cover your plants with a nursery pot or burlap.

Nursery Pot Over Small Hydrangea

Burlapping Hydrangea (Courtesy Monrovia)

A lot will depend on how much you need to protect, the size of your plant, where your plant is and your tolerance for ugliness in the landscape. So gather your materials, place your orders, etc. Time will be short to tackle this job usually during unpleasant outdoor conditions.

The Repellent Approach

I prefer to use the repellent approach via either a spray or granules. There are many very effective and harmless products on the market that get sprayed directly on your plants that are extremely unpalatable to wildlife. I am a big fan of Deer Defeat.

Deer Defeat Deer and Rabbit Repellant

It's my preferred repellent. I have found it lasts longer than any other spray and it smells the worst to the deer and rabbits which is a good thing. Trust me: I have trialed many of them side-by-side and this one works! Not only that, but it comes from a small woman-owned company that I am especially interested to support. Of course, you need a day above freezing to apply it. The first season I used it was the first spring I saw my tulips! The website has information on availability including ordering it directly from the manufacturer. Make sure you are upwind when you spray and be ready to hold your nose if the wind changes direction on you. Your clothes will need to immediately go into the washing machine.

During periods of below freezing temps, I resort to Milorganite, a granular organic fertilizer which deer do not like.

Milorganite Fertilizer

It gets sprinkled at the base of the plants I want to protect until things warm up and I can use my spray. If you already have frozen ground and snow, don't let that stop you. That is exactly when Milorganite is best for deer repellent purposes. It will do the job. Although it does have a distinct smell, I wouldn't call it offensive. Again, the website is your best source of info re availability.

In my neck of the woods, our plants are slowly hardening off even as the rain continues. Another inch or two is expected this week and possibly some light snow toward the end of the week. My bare stems might be a few weeks away, but I'm getting my arsenal ready. You should too.

DON'T FORGET - FREE SHIPPING ON

SUCCESS WITH HYDRANGEAS, A GARDENER'S GUIDE

If you haven't heard or read about it, Amazon has announced they will suspend shipping charges this holiday season. That means if you want to order an unsigned copy of my 5-star rated Success WithHydrangeas, A Gardener's Guide from Amazon, you can save those shipping charges and still get your book in time for Christmas.

Of course, you can get a signed copy when you order your book directly from me via my website at https://www.lorraineballato.com/success-with-hydrangeas. If you want a special note, you can request that by using the "Contact me" form on the site.

If you're not the type who buys books, how about asking your local library to order it? It's a great reference book.
My best wishes to you for a joyous and grateful Thanksgiving!

Preparing Bigleaf Hydrangeas for Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 15:14:00 +0000

I woke up to 37 degrees F this morning, a stark reminder that I need to prepare to wrap some of my bigleaf hydrangeas (macrophyllas) for winter. Those that aren't planted in protected locations as I described in my earlier blog posts, https://bit.ly/2lRGNlm and https://bit.ly/2A8tzZE need a little help if I want to give them their best chance of having their buds make it through the coming winter to see flowers in 2019.

Exactly what does this mean right now? SHRUBCOVERS: something I can use to safely protect the plants from ice and snow, maybe even give them a few degrees of insulation.

Of course, before I cover my plants I need to wait until they have dropped all their leaves and I have cleaned up the base of the plant. I don't want any fungal spores to overwinter and return to infect my plants next season.

Taking that into account, it may be too early in your part of the country to install these covers. But it's not too early to get those shrub covers lined up 'cause by the time you need them, you might not have enough time to get it all done.

What does a shrub cover look like?

It can be an "A-Frame" made from discarded wood pallets you can salvage from local stores or one you build on your own.

A-Frame shrub cover made from a pallet.

DIY plans and ideas are all over the internet. I found one at

https://www.gnhlumber.com/diy/shrub-cover/.

You can simply leave the A-Frame bare to shunt off snow and ice. However, for colder areas the A-frame makes a great base to drape a tarp or insulating cover. If you do that, make sure you secure it against the weather with string or a bungee cord.

Another kind of winter protection can be an unframed drape held by the stems of the plant. Here's one available at several on-line shopping sites:

Unstructured shrub cover draped over plant.

In any event, don't wait to get these items lined up for installation. There's no way of telling when the on-line suppliers will run out and how much time you have to get yourself organized for this task. Let the plants harden off while you get busy doing your part. If this is the route you choose to go, you'll be glad you've got these covers at the ready.

Hydrangea happiness can't start soon enough!

HYDRANGEAS AND FALL WEBWORMS

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 13:16:00 +0000

Look what I found on several of my PG hydrangeas: FALL WEBWORMS!

FALL WEBWORMS ON HYDRANGEA PANICULATA

First time in 28 years these beasties have shown up. Don't know if it's because of our unique summer conditions, or some other plant that had them and they migrated over, but now that they are here, what should I do?

The good news is I don't need to do much. They are practically harmless, although pretty disgusting to look at and somewhat alarming to view. Here's technically what's going on.

A moth lays some eggs on the foliage during the summer. Those eggs hatch into worms that then create a cocoon-like web to rear their young until they are ready to leave the nest.

CLOSE UP OF FALL WEBWORM NEST ON HYDRANGEA

The net of it is you can just leave it alone and open up the nest with a stick to let the birds feed on the worms. A second solution is to cut off the stems of the plant and put them in the trash. If the worms are still feeding, you could treat organically with Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Bt) sold as Monterey Ready-to-Use spray or Bonide Thuricide. But if the caterpillars are gone, forget the sprays: the insecticide is useless. I prefer not to use an insecticide in this case regardless. I like the low-tech approaches of opening up the webs or removing the stems if there are just a few and I can reach them.

All of this happens so late in the season that the impact on your plants is mostly cosmetic. But your plant has been stressed so treat it well until it goes dormant, making sure it gets watered if dry spells occur. Do not fertilize but feel free to add compost - that's always a good thing.

You can look up Fall Webworms on your favorite search engine to get more details. Look around your garden. They feed on plants other than hydrangeas and it's likely you have them somewhere else.

PREPARING YOUR HYDRANGEAS FOR WINTER

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Sun, 16 Sep 2018 18:10:00 +0000

It's time to start preparing your hydrangeas for winter. With autumn's official start right around the corner on September 22, it' a good time to start to get your plants ready for winter while the weather is still pleasant and mild.

First thing to think about is what you might need to do for your bigleaf hydrangea. A big item for many people is changing the color of your flower to pink or blue. If that is you, be sure your plant is one that is pH sensitive and can indeed change its flower color. If so, autumn is the time to add the proper amendment so the plant can absorb it in time for next year.

You need to do a soil test to check the pH of the soil. You'll need to add aluminum sulfate to change the flower color to blue (make the soil more acidic) or lime to change the flower color to pink (make the soil more alkaline). You can buy a pH soil test kit at your favorite garden center or box store like Home Depot or Lowe's.

Don't guess: do the test so you get it right. Remember that the soil will always try to revert to its natural state so once you start this amending process, you will have to do it each autumn to maintain your desired flower color.

A second fall activity that will help you grow a healthier hydrangea is to take care of any plant that has had leaf spot issues this season. Take a moment or two and inspect all your hydrangeas. If any of them have suffered this past season from leaf spot diseases as you see in this photo,

you can go a long way to preventing them next year with a good clean up starting now.

With gloved hands, clip off/manually remove any leaves that are spotted and diseased and put them in the trash. Don't give those leaves a chance to drop to the ground and allow the fungal spores or bacteria to get into the soil or mulch around your plants. If any of those diseased leaves have already fallen to the ground, remove them ASAP. Be aware that the pathogens that cause those leaf spot issues are not killed off by winter and will reinfect your plant next year. A little bit of sanitation now will pay big dividends next season.

Make sure you disinfect your clippers with your favorite disinfectant. I like a spray of Lysol or a disinfecting wipe. You don't want to spread anything to any other plant. Ditto for your gloves/bare hands.

If you want to know more about hydrangea leaf spot issues, there's a terrific academic paper from Tennessee State University Extension that can be accessed from this link: https://tinyurl.com/ybs4ap5o. Although the authors discuss treating the conditions with multiple products, most of them aren't available to home gardeners and are not organic (my preferred approach) with the exception of copper and Neem oil. You may want to lay in a supply of either of those two treatments at the end of the season when garden centers put things on sale. They are good all-around organic treatments for many fungal issues in the home garden.

While you're at it, you might think it's a good idea to remove your spent flowers. DON'T DO THAT! Those ratty looking flowers will protect the flower buds that will develop over the next few months. Those flower buds have to survive the winter and need all the help they can get. Since you have nothing to gain by deadheading the plant now, try to live with the cosmetic flaw. Remember that cutting the plant now will stimulate it which you don't want to do. You want the plant to settle down, get ready for its winter rest and send its strength to the roots. So don't mess up its brains by cutting it.

I'll write more about winter prep as the season progresses. For now, just enjoy the shorter days and blessedly cooler temperatures.

Here's to happy hydrangeas and happy gardeners!

TIME TO TRANSPLANT YOUR BIGLEAF HYDRANGEA

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 18:10:00 +0000

If you're wondering when to transplant your bigleaf hydrangea (macrophylla), now is it. It's one of the questions that often comes up during my lectures and talks as audiences realize they need to move their plants.

Why would you want to move your plant?
Here are a couple of reasons: it has grown too big for its space and you always find yourself needing to cut it back which often results in fewer flowers. You either cut it at the wrong time or you damage it when you cut it. Or you realize that it is too exposed to winter weather and always dies back to the ground like the one in this photo

and maybe that wouldn't happen if it was in a different place. Or you never get around to it in time or whatever.

Why move it now?
Late August/early September is a good time to make this move to give the plant time to establish roots before it goes completely dormant or winter comes and the ground freezes. Secondly, you can monitor it while it still has foliage which can tell you when it needs attention. A third reason for this timing is by now, usually the intense heat of summer has waned which takes a lot of stress off the plant yet the soil is still warm enough to encourage root development. Lastly, in most geographies, rain becomes more regular and there is nothing as good as the steady, slow drip of rain for a plant to get established. Otherwise it will be up to you, the gardener, to provide irrigation to maintain the proper moisture level for your plant and that gets old fast as you get busy with back to school activities and all of life's responsibilities.

Where would you move it?
Somewhere better! Try to find a place where your plant can grow to its intended full size with morning sun and afternoon shade: its ideal environment. But we don't live in an ideal world, do we? So do the best you can considering your options. Most importantly as we have learned if you live in a climate with finicky weather, do your best to site your plant with some kind of protection from winter, and desiccating winds. Look for places that have protective persistent winter foliage like Alberta spruces, arborvitae, rhododendrons, oaks, beeches and the like. Maybe there are structures like fences, sheds, your house or a neighbor's house or shed that can provide screening from the prevailing weather. Move some Adirondack chairs around for the winter if necessary to block the weather. Take a moment or two to examine your options before making that move.

How to transplant your hydrangeas?
With some help, I just moved about nine of my big leaf hydrangeas this past week from all over my yard. They were in the wrong places so we took an entire day to plant them where I think they (and I) will be happy.

One of things to do is make a hole deep enough to let water pool at the base of the plant. That way it can sink in slowly to keep the roots moist, a critical success factor for a transplanted hydrangea. Then wrap/lay that soaker hose (if you're using one) around the base of the plant. Here's a photo of one of the nine we moved before we laid the mulch.

Where is there more info on transplanting?

I devote an entire chapter to this subject in my book, Success With Hydrangeas, A Gardener's Guide. I write about moving all species of hydrangeas, not just the big leaf beauties. If you have already purchased the book, Chapter Four has all the info you need. If you would like to buy a signed copy of my book, just go to www.lorraineballato.com to place your order. Alternatively, your favorite bookseller can provide an unsigned copy.

Here's to happy hydrangeas, no matter where they are planted!

HYDRANGEA PANICULATA 'LIMELIGHT'

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 23:32:00 +0000

Hydrangea paniculatas including 'Limelight' are in full bloom in my part of the U.S. right now. And the reblooming big leaf hydrangeas like Let's Dance® Rhythmic Blue®

continue to produce their repeat blooms like the one in this photo. Fortunately, we have had generous unprecedented mid-season rain that has helped to keep all the flowers coming and colorful.

The majority of early season shrubs and perennials have finished flowering so hydrangeas have taken center stage. Sure, there are later season stunners like perennial hibiscus with their dinner-

plate size blooms that are traffic stoppers. And there is no mistaking the delicious fragrant flowers from clethra that perfume the garden like this Vanilla Spice seen here.

But I can't deny that my heart still belongs to hydrangeas.

Yet not all is well in hydrangea-land, especially if your stems aren't strong enough to hold up the big panicle flowers of your 'Limelight' and others like it. Which brings me to the subject of this post. It is the second most frequent question I get, only surpassed by "Why doesn't my hydrangea bloom?" That question is, "How can I get my 'Limelight' hydrangea stems to grow strong enough to hold the flowers up straight?"

Take a look at this photo of my 'Limelight'.

Even after days of pounding rain which added weight to the huge flowers, the stems are still strong enough to hold the flowers up. No, I don't have a magic wand. BUT, what I do without fail is give this plant a MEDIUM pruning each season in early spring when I can get out in my garden without breaking an ankle.

What is a MEDIUM pruning? According go the Royal Horticultural Society which did a fabulous study of hydrangea paniculatas from 2004 through 2007 (https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/plant-trials-and-awards/plant-bulletins/hydrangea-paniculata.pdf), a medium pruning is cutting the stems down to four buds. Here is what my 'Limelight' looked like this past April after it got its annual haircut.

Notice just the strong stems remain. Anything thinner than a pencil got cut and then some. Always remember how big the flowers are and ask yourself if a stem will grow big enough to hold up a typical flower, especially after a summer rainstorm. If the answer is no, then it goes.

As you can see, this pruning regimen works well on this plant and several others as you will learn when you read the British study. By the way, the Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) also did a hydrangea paniculata study and had some different conclusions. Not surprising, as the CBG trial was in growing zone 5B, a markedly different cultural environment than England. You might want to read that one too:

https://www.chicagobotanic.org/sites/default/files/pdf/plantinfo/hydrangeafinegardening2011.pdf

If you don't prune your 'Limelight' for whatever reason, some stems most likely will not grow strong enough to hold the huge flowers up and they will arch, even without rainy conditions.

You can do this pruning anytime the plant is dormant in late autumn, winter or early spring. Dormancy is critical. You don't want to stimulate it in any way. Once the leaves have naturally fallen from the plant, be courageous and cut it way down. You won't be sorry next year when your stems stand tall and hold up those magnificent flowers.

PINCH PRUNING YOUR HYDRANGEAS

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Sun, 29 Jul 2018 14:21:00 +0000

Just when you thought you were finished w/pruning your hydrangeas, now I tell you it's time to "pinch prune" them. But wait - someone said I'm not supposed to cut them at all! Yes and no.

Hydrangea macrophyllas and serratas set their flower buds under two conditions: on short day length (after June 21 in the northern hemisphere) and when night temperatures are consistently below 60 degrees. From that science we get our general rule of thumb: not to prune/cut these plants after about August 1 unless you're prepared to risk cutting off next season's flowers.

Why then should you think about cutting them now? Simply stated, if you cut some of your newly grown stems now before August 1, you can accomplish two objectives: first, you stimulate that stem to branch into two more stems, optimally giving you a chance at two flowers at the tip next year instead of one (Mother Nature needs to give us a benign winter, of course). Second, you get a better view of this season's flowers which are somewhat obscured by the newly produced stems.

Hydrangea Flowers Obscured by New Seasonal Growth

Hydrangea stem where new stem growth is starting.

This is where you should cut the stem to "pinch prune" your plant.

If you are into making more plants, you can take the stems that you cut and propagate them. Voila! Free plants for a little easy work. Hydrangeas propagate very easily and I devote an entire chapter to it in my book.

When you cut these stems, you are forcing the growth hormones from the stem that you cut into those two new stems which will now grow out to form flowers at their tips on the short day lengths and consistently cool nights that are come after August 1. In some parts of the country, however, those night temps won't consistently be at 60 degrees or lower so you have a little wiggle room, but don't wait too long. This is a process (the weather) over which you have little control.

If you haven't done this before, consider this an experiment so don't cut all the new growth stems -- just a few.

Hydrangea after being "pinch pruned." Not all new stems have been cut.

It's up to you. If the winter weather cooperates, your pinch pruning will be a wild success and you'll be awash in flowers next June. And you will have learned another new pruning skill.

Here's to happy hydrangeas, not a myth but a reality!

FEED ME!

noreply@blogger.com (Lorraine) — Sun, 22 Jul 2018 22:02:00 +0000

The plant "Audrey" from "Little Shop of Horrors" Credit: Wiki

Did your hydrangeas whisper "Feed Me" as you admired them today? If not, they should have because it's high time to fertilize your hydrangeas. Although their needs are similar, you fertilize each a bit differently, so let's take them one by one.

Your bigleaf hydrangeas (macrophyllas) and mountain (serratas) should be flowering by now and if they are rebloomers, need encouragement to set up those second set of buds. If they are not rebloomers, they will soon set their buds for next year, so get busy and give them a little love. What might that be?

A basic tree/shrub product with an NPK ratio of 3-1-2, 6-2-4, etc. You might be surprised to learn that rose fertilizer is ideal. Here's just one you might see at a garden center.

Try to avoid using something like 10-10-10 or even 5-5-5. No plant uses nutrients in equal amounts and adding fertilizer in equal formulations just contributes to pollution in our land and waterways. If you go the chemical route, use time release versions which are better for plants (they don't jolt it). How much fertilizer you use will depend on the size of your plant. There will be information on the package to guide you which you should follow. Apply all fertilizer at the drip line. Work it a bit inward toward the main trunk but not too far. Don't let it touch the trunk or stems of the plant. Make sure you carefully scratch in whatever you add. It's best to gently water it in or apply it just before rain is forecast so it doesn't get washed away.

If you don't use fertilizer for some reason, minimally give the plants a little compost. Here's why. Hydrangeas like well drained, humusy, fertile soil rich in organic matter. From season to season, this breaks down and needs to be replenished regularly. Although not technically "fertilizer," compost improves drainage and adds important microbes on a gradual and steady basis while it improves soil health. It should always be part of your fertilizing regimen for these plants. A base of organic compost is a great amendment which will feed the plant slowly and evenly. You can use a commercial product like Coast of Maine Lobster Compost.

Then add mulch to be sure the plant's roots don't dry out. Organic mulches like bark chips, shredded cedar, sweet peet, etc. are attractive and functional. Another mulch you can use is shredded leaves if you have some saved from last year. But if you have a pH sensitive plant with pink flowers that you want to keep that color, you might want to use some kind of stone as your mulch. Organic mulches may have too much acid in them which can change the color of your pH sensitive pink flowers so be mindful of that.

What about your oak leaf (quercifolia) and climbing hydrangeas? They need just about the same treatment, except for them you are feeding them simply to keep them healthy and happy. No need to worry about rebloom here as they don't do that. Keep in mind they like woodland environments so mimic that as best you can with your mulching practices.

Your woodland (arborescens) hydrangeas like 'Annabelle' have been in full flower now for several weeks if not longer. Some of them like Incrediball^® are rebloomers. All of them can use fertilizer. Stick with the shrub/rose fertilizer, compost, and mulch formula and you won't be sorry.

Your panicle (paniculata) hydrangeas should be flowering just about now and they will appreciate some fertilizer to maintain their energy. You don't need to worry about mulch impacting the color of the flowers with this species as that's not possible so mulch however you want to. Just be sure you do it. I've learned that the better the panicle hydrangeas are hydrated, the longer the flowers will last and the better the color will endure on them so don't forget the mulching part of the process.

If your plants are languishing or you're not satisfied with their performance, fertilizing with the right product at the right time is one easy thing you can do. Just start slowly and be deliberate about it. Then you can work on what else is going on to solve the problem.