HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA GROWING GUIDE
| Common Name | Bigleaf hydrangea; Macs; Mop-head hydrangea |
| Genus | Hydrangea |
| Species | macrophylla |
| Family | Hydrangeaceae |
| Life Cycle | woody perennial |
| Bundle Size | 10 bare roots per bundle |
| Care | All of these plants will ship to you from Vermont in early April. They will be just coming out of dormancy. You may see swelling buds or a bit of new growth, but in general they will be in a dormant state and may look a little dead. Don't worry! They will wake up. You may see a bit of mold on the roots but this is completely normal. Simply wash it off and plant immediately. As a precaution you can treat the roots with a fungicide or biofungicide, but this isn't necessary. Small broken branches are also of little concern. Just prune off any broken bits and the plant will recover quickly. The root system is the important part at this stage in the game. If you can't plant immediately on arrival store your bare roots in the cooler.The cold will delay their growth. Keep them from freezing. You can either pot them into 1 gallon pots or plant them directly into your prepared soil. Just make sure to plant them within a few days of arrival. They are waking up and are ready to grow, and they will decline quickly if they are not given soil, water and sunshine. This is a carefully orchestrated process to get plants quickly from their storage conditions to you so please do your part and be ready to plant them on arrival. There is no reason that these plants will experience any stress if you prepare for their arrival. |
| Netting / Staking | None |
| Hardiness | Hardiness zones 5-9 (beware of late freezes) |
| Spacing | Spacing 3-4' |
| Soil Preference | Generally fertile; moist; well drained soil. Tolerant of both clay and sandy soil and has some salt tolerance. |
| Light |
They appreciate afternoon shade especially in hot climates. The commercial growers in Holland produce them in greenhouses. They would be quite happy in a high tunnel or under a shade structure in summer. Keeping rain off of the blooms will increase flower quality. |
| Water | They love water and need to be grown on moist well drained soil. |
| When to Plant | Spring, when the ground is workable. |
| Harvesting | Harvest guide coming soon |
| Post Harvest Care | Post Harvest guide coming soon |
| Diseases / Insects | Leaf spot, bacterial wilt, and powdery mildew under some conditions. It is susceptible to damage by deer. |
| Bailey's Notes |
Hydrangea macrophylla are a bit more finicky in their needs than H. paniculata. Traditional "Macs" or mophead hydrangeas bloomed on "old wood" or the previous year's growth. Unfortunately, cold snaps would often kill the tender flower buds so you would never actually see them flower despite the plants growing quite well. The newer strains are re-blooming, so they will flower on new or old growth. Even if they get damaged by a late frost they will re-flower later in the season. If the blooms are left on the plant they will develop a darker antiqued look that is quite desirable. You often see these types of stems selling for more the $10 each in the Dutch Auction. If see blue hydrangeas blooming around you, those are macrophyllas and you must live in a place where they are happy. If you don't often see them in your area, do some research to see if you can give them what they need. Magical Ruby Red is one of the reddest macroyphyllas on the market. It is vigorous and re-blooming. It is used for cut flower production in Holland and has been used for landscape use in America. The blooms age to a lovely merlot tone in the autumn. |
| Resources |
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Hydrangea macrophylla |
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HYDRANGEA PANICULATA GROWING GUIDE
| Common Name | Panicle Hydrangea; Peegee Hydrangea |
| Genus | Hydrangea |
| Species | paniculata |
| Family | Hydrangeaceae |
| Life Cycle | woody perennial |
| Bundle Size | 10 bare roots per bundle |
| Care | All of these plants will ship to you from Vermont in early April. They will be just coming out of dormancy. You may see swelling buds or a bit of new growth, but in general they will be in a dormant state and may look a little dead. Don't worry! They will wake up. You may see a bit of mold on the roots but this is completely normal. Simply wash it off and plant immediately. As a precaution you can treat the roots with a fungicide or biofungicide, but this isn't necessary. Small broken branches are also of little concern. Just prune off any broken bits and the plant will recover quickly. The root system is the important part at this stage in the game. If you can't plant immediately on arrival store your bare roots in the cooler.The cold will delay their growth. Keep them from freezing. You can either pot them into 1 gallon pots or plant them directly into your prepared soil. Just make sure to plant them within a few days of arrival. They are waking up and are ready to grow, and they will decline quickly if they are not given soil, water and sunshine. This is a carefully orchestrated process to get plants quickly from their storage conditions to you so please do your part and be ready to plant them on arrival. There is no reason that these plants will experience any stress if you prepare for their arrival. |
| Netting / Staking | None |
| Hardiness | Zones 3-7. It can tolerate harsh winters and is a good substitute for Hydrangea macrophylla. Air pollution tolerant. |
| Spacing | Spacing 3-4' |
| Soil Preference | Neutral to acidic soil; moist but well-drained. |
| Light |
The Panicle Hydrangea is more tolerant of full sun than other hydrangea species. It prefers morning sun and afternoon shade. Some people put shade cloth over them at bloom time to reduce water spots and increase flower quality. |
| Water | Moist but well-drained soil is best for flower quality. |
| When to Plant | Spring, when the ground is workable. |
| Harvesting | Harvest guide coming soon |
| Post Harvest Care | Post Harvest guide coming soon |
| Diseases / Insects | Aphids, scales, nematodes, and mites may be seen but are rarely a problem. This plant may be susceptible to powdery mildew, leaf spot, rust, mildew, bud blight, and bacterial wilt. It may be damaged by deer, and it has brittle stems that are easily damaged by wind. |
| Bailey's Notes |
Hydrangea paniculata are tough as nails. It is common to see them becoming small trees in northern climates. They bloom on new growth, so they can be pruned hard year after year. If you want HUGE blooms, cut them back to ankle height each winter, or if you want more manageable bouquet sized blooms, cut them back to about knee height. Magical Candle is a white variety that will blush to light pink Magical Ruby Snow turns quickly to a bright pink and white bicolor |
| Resources |
North Carolina Extension Gardeners Plant Toolbox: Hydrangea paniculata |
