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