Hydrangea for sale – when choosing a hydrangea, check the pH level of the soil where it is planted. Hydrange for sale that is planted in an acidic soil produces blue flowers, alkaline soil produces pink, and white variety is not affected by pH. Choose a variety that suits the soil type in your area.
You can start growing hydrangea either by plant or from seeds. You can harvest your own seeds from the flower once it mature but it is more advisable to grow from plant cuttings since this increases the chance of survival during transplanting. This elegant shrub is easy to cultivate and produces flowers in mid-summer through fall. Here are the growing requirements for your hydrangea:
Hydrangea for sale requires
- Planting – most varieties of hydrangea thrive in rich, porous, somewhat moist soil. You may add compost to enrich poor soil. They grow well and bloom in half shade. Full summer sun or windy conditions tend to dry this plant easily. Also avoid placing them under a tree as it may compete for the rich moist soil around your hydrangea. Best time to plant is in the spring or fall. Dig a hole as deep as the root ball, fill in with soil and water thoroughly. If you are planning to plant multiple hydrangeas, space them about 3 to 10 feet apart. In a limited space, you may plant them in containers or pots.
- Care – be sure your hydrangeas get plenty of water for the first two years after planting especially in the hot months. The leaves will wilt if the soil is too dry. There is no need for fertilizers if your soil is rich but may be needed once a year in late winter or spring if you have sandy soil. Too much fertilizer encourages leafy growth and fewer blooms. In winter, cut off all the flower heads that has finished blooming to help them bloom beautifully the next year. Pruning is done by cutting away only the dead wood in the fall or very early spring. Cut one or two of the oldest stems down to the base to encourage branching and fullness.
- Harvesting – you may want to harvest your hydrangea for decorative purposes. Do this when the flowers have matured and developed a paper consistency. You may display them in your home fresh or for longer shelf life, dry them up in a warm, dry, dark, airy room.
Since the color of hydrangea blooms depends mainly on the pH level of the soil, it is possible to change the color of your flowers. Although it may take a few weeks to months to do this, it can be done once your hydrangea turns 2 years old to give time for recovery from its transplantation. Generally, it is easier to turn blue flowers to pink than the other way around. Here are the steps in changing you hydrangea flower color:
- Have your soil pH tested. High pH produces blue flowers while pink flowers are produced from low pH soil.
- To get blue flowers, lower the pH by adding sulfur or peat moss to your soil. To get pink to light red, add ground limestone only around the plant. Do not exceed pH 7.5 as this may result to poor growth.
- Take note that hard water can also affect the color of your blooms turning them more pinkish. For this reason, use rainwater to water your hydrangeas.