Dear Hydrangea enthusiasts,
 
Welcome to the October 2012 newsletter for Hydrangea PlusŪ.  
 

What’s Happening…

Winter is giving us a preview this morning but we had a warm and beautiful fall here in the Willamette Valley.  We have had zero rainfall since early July but that could all change tomorrow with a forecast of rain showers!  Dry weather is really unusual for us and I hate to say it but the plants could use a good drink of water. 

Hydrangeas have been pruned, fertilized and general nursery fall chores.  We have been putting the plastic on the houses to give the hydrangeas a little more protection for the winter.  I went into the nursery today and took some pictures of the fall around here.  Visit our Facebook page at to http://www.facebook.com/hydrangeasplus or just search for Hydrangeas Plus.  I post specials and photos so visit often.  We are nearing 20,000 fans on Facebook.

 
Coming to Georgia this month!

I hope to see all my southern friends soon.  Tuesday evening, October 23rd, I am speaking at the American Hydrangea Society meeting.  Meeting is at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church and the Atlanta address is 4465 Northside Dr NW.  Please visit http://www.americanhydrangeasociety.org for more information.


Winterizing

Protection for hydrangeas comes in various forms.  Many parts of the country have to worry about several winter elements while others don’t need to be concerned at all.  Other than just plain cold weather, there are typically four conditions that cause damage to shrubs in the winter.
 
Wind – The wind will dry out the moisture in the plant’s stems.  Hydrangeas can take some wind but those winter drying winds can cause some real damage.  To prevent the damage, wrap with the plant with burlap or staple burlap to stakes surrounding the plant.

Frozen Precipitation – Snow can weigh down the branches and can snap the plant.  Brush snow off the plant if there is a lot of accumulation.

Salt – Salt prevents us humans from slipping on icy walkways but they can dehydrate the plant and cause yellowing in the spring.

Sudden temperature shift – freezing, thawing, then freezing again confuses the plant.  There is not much we humans can do about this other than cover the plant or use an anti-transpiration product. 

Others may disagree with the hardiness for the families of hydrangea but here is my recommendation.  Be sure to keep in mind wind chill factor as well.  These temperatures are for dormant hydrangeas.  Sudden drops to freezing temperatures after moderate temperatures can really cause damage to the stem tissue.

Arborescens – Hardy to about -20 to -30 degrees

Petiolaris & Quelpartensis – Hardy to about -20 to -30 degrees

Paniculata – Hardy to about -20 to -30 degrees

Quercifolia – Hardy to about -10 to -20 degrees

Serrata – Hardy to about 0 to -10 degrees

Macrophylla – Hardy to about 0 to -10 degrees

Evergreen hydrangeas – Hardy to about 20 degrees


Free Shipping for Fall orders over $150

This is a special offer now through November 30th.  For US address, you can get free shipping on your orders shipped in October, November and December if you order before the End of November.  Just use the Coupon Code FREE after you’ve added $150 of plants and amendments to your shopping cart.  Under ‘Redeem a discount coupon’, type FREE.  Continue shopping or fill out the remaining customer information.  You won’t see any obvious signs that the coupon is in place.  The shipping cost will be zero once you’ve gone to the summary page.  I’m asking that these orders ship this year, 2012.  If you have trouble with the coupon, just type me a note in the special shipping instructions and I will adjust the shipping cost to zero for you.  Thank you in advance for your fall orders.  We have some great looking plants that need a home! 

Email me if you have any questions about whether you should plant this fall.


Sincerely,

Kristin VanHoose

Hydrangeas PlusŪ

http://www.hydrangeasplus.com