Dear
Hydrangea Enthusiasts,
Welcome
to the August 2013 edition of the Hydrangeas Plus® e-mail newsletter. Yes,
it is almost September so with kids
going back to school and soccer, dance, piano, I may as well just call
this the
September newsletter, too. But no, I
will do the September one as well. I
must! Lots of good stuff happening this
month and next so definitely would like to share with you.
A
quick note, we are in between crops right now but hopefully, will have
most of
all we sell back in stock for the fall in one size or another. Planting in fall is a fabulous time to plant
shrubs and trees in most areas. Just be
sure that the plants have enough time before the hard frost to get the
roots
established. After leaf drop, a layer of
garden mulch will keep those roots growing well. Email
me if you’d like to be notified when a
certain plant is back in stock and ready to ship or if you have any
questions
about fall planting.
It is hot! I don’t remember a summer we didn’t ship so many days. Temperatures were 85 to 90 degrees last month and August is no different. People are loving this weather! Hydrangeas – ah, not so much. Water, water and more water! But the new crop is growing and looking great.
Please specify variety (in special instructions area at checkout) and
you will
get two of that selection for the price of one.
Choose from this list only...
Ayesha
Bodensee
Garten Baudirektor Kuhnert
Hamburg
La France
Midori-Boshi Temari
Mueke
Otaksa
Penny Mac
Red Star
I have received some fabulous questions over the last few months that I would like to share with you. Maybe you have the same question, maybe something similar. Enjoy!
Q I have two hydrangea macrophylla blaumeise. I have had them for approximately 3-4 yrs. they have never bloomed. I do NOT prune them, they are in sun/shade. I have read and re-read on the Internet how to care for them and it is totally confusing regarding do they bloom off old wood or new? How and when to prune. We leave 1st of October for Fl. So I am not here in the winter. Would appreciate any/all advise you could offer. your website is very impressive that is why i decided to ask you the questions?
A First, let me
give you thoughts about the not-blooming. Are they possibly in
too much
shade? Hydrangeas really do need some sun to bloom well.
They don't
like full sun or the hot sun but morning or late afternoon is good.
Do they die back to the ground every year? This variety blooms on
old
wood, meaning that the growth from this year will set buds next
year.
Blaumeise and all the Teller hydrangeas bloom on old wood so if the old
wood
doesn't survive, you won't get blooms.
Too much fertilizing could also be the cause. Hydrangeas bloom
better if
they are a little stressed. I usually fertilize once with a
balanced,
time-released fertilizer in March and then wait to fertilize again when
buds
start to form.
Pruning is tricking but one rule always helps. Always cut on the
green
stems. You can cut anytime now until September. If you
prune now,
you will get lots of good growth before they go dormant for
winter. Do
they need to be pruned? Now is a good time to prune for size,
since you
haven't pruned them before. Fertilize again after pruning but no
later
than August 15th. You don't want too much nitrogen in the plant
for
winter. It increases the chance of
freeze damage.
If it dies back to the ground, you'll see no
new growth
from the oldest canes, just from the base. That may be what is
happening
if all you see is woody stems with no green growth on them. You
can cut
that old woody growth out of the plant at any time.
It may be your cold winters that are killing the old wood.
Covering them
in the winter would be a great help to getting blooms next summer.
Q I would like to order hydrangeas,
however, I do not want them until fall. What is the best way to do this
as I do
want them just need a later ship date. I can pay for them now and you
can ship
later in the fall.
A Order anytime
and specify the fall ship date you would like. I think I have
plenty but
it is always a good idea to order early.
We don't ship in pots so have the area prepared before we ship or have
some
containers waiting. We ship on Mondays, Tuesdays and can do Wednesday
(on the
west coast) if that works better for you.
Q Can "adult" hydrangeas be
moved successfully? I failed with a previous attempt. I have two that
should be
moved to enhance their beauty, as well as the beauty of the plants
around them.
Pls advise if there is a proven method. And when would be best? Fall or
spring?
A I have always
preferred the fall to move larger hydrangeas. They will need lots
of
water and mother nature helps us with that.
Be sure you get a good portion of the roots too. The roots
usually don't
go very deep but they can be wide, almost as wide as the branching
system
itself.
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Sincerely,
Kristin
VanHoose
Hydrangeas
Plus®