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Secrets for growing hydrangeas in Zone 3

Ginny McLean_Petite_Garden

9 years ago

I have tried a couple of times to grow hydrangeas and have not had any success with them. I always blamed it on the clay soil around here or my boy dogs. I am trying again this year and have just received my babies. Any advice, tips, or secrets to growing healthy hydrangeas ( besides not allowing the dogs to pee on them) would be much appreciated.

Pinky Winky
Incrediball
Invincibelle
Vanilla Strawberry

TIA

Ginny

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Comments (4)

ostrich
9 years ago
Ginny, I have grown Pinky Winky, Incrediball, Vanilla Strawberry and Quick Fire over the last 2 years. Despite the severe winter that we had over the past year, they continue to thrive.

I think it has everything to do with the location. I planted these next to the wooden fence, so they are in a sheltered location. The ones with the east facing location are doing particularly well.

Do you have pictures of your babies? :-) Good luck!
Ginny McLean_Petite_Garden
Original Author
9 years ago
Ostrich, I remember you had mentioned Vanilla Strawberry last year? I had purchased another one last year.....I thought it was Vanilla Strawberry, but gave her to my girlfriend. I don't think she made it. :(

They are just little and not blooming so not much to see in pictures.........yet. Hoping that will change. :) I have lots of protected space in this yard and was thinking of planting them on the east side of the deck. They will get sun till about noonish there.

Ginny

PS I think the one I gave away was Endless Summer. I'll see if I can get another one. Everything looks better planted in odd numbers. :)
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H. quercifolia is somewhat challenging plant for z5. The most of the problems will occur in a first few years. Once established it will be relatively trouble free plant, though not a reliable bloomer. After all it's a z7-8 (NC, GA) native plant. First, it need 2-3 years in ground to become fully established. Being technically root hardy to z5 it still need very thick layer of mulch and burlap wraping in a first couple of winters. Spring/early summer planting is highly recommended for z5-6. Second, of all hydrangeas, young oakleaves are the most succeptible to root rot while still can't stand drought. Therefore, one have to find PROPER watering regimen to satisfy this requirement. Again, thick layer of mulch could be handy. Third, it blooms on old wood and you are back to square one for winter protection as you would be with the most of macrophyllas. Winter protection ala 'hayseedman' for quercifolias will be not only questionable due to the rangy pattern of growth, but most likely will be impossible for the most of them due to their sizes, assuming they'll not die back every other year. 'Alice' in particular, is one of the largest h.q. and could easily reach 8x8' in just 3 years and 12x12' in 5 years if no dieback. IMO, dwarf cultivars, such as Pee Wee or Sike's Dwarf (both look identical to me anyway) are the only quercifolias that could be/should be attempted to grow in solid z5 on condition that grower is determined and will put reasonable effort to protect them. Fourth, indeed, fall foliage of oakleaves is a site to behold. However, in order to develop fall color it should be grown in a considerable sun, say 3-4 hours, and here you'll have another contradiction. Location with 3-4 hours of tentatively morning sun in a summer most likely will become a 6-8-10 hours of sun in a winter and such exposure most definitely will dry flower buds or even the whole branches by the spring, thus you'll have a huge non-blooming plant in a best case scenario. Sorry for the doom and gloom, but that is how I see it. Re: 'Blue Billow'. It wasn't me who touted it, but Hayseedman reported that it blooms RELIABLY for him in z6 WITHOUT any protection. In my z6b garden I don't protect any hydrangeas except trying to chose location wisely, and indeed B.Billow bloomed for me the last three years on a row, including very cold winter of 2003/04.
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SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC
9 years ago
I, too, had issues with dogs using my hydrangea as a personal urinal. Now I put rocks around them in such a way it makes it uncomfortable for them to stand close enough to do their business. They do still lift and go but I think it keeps it far enough away from the root ball, however. Not sure if you remember my post about "the comeback kid" last year about one hydrangea.

Now I can't offer much advice but I tend to agree that location is important. I have an Anabelle, Bella Anna, a paniculata who's name escapes me and 2 Endless summers. Both ES were in an unsheltered spot and are barely coming back from the root ball (since moved one). My Bella Anna and paniculata are both somewhat sheltered are starting to leaf out. Unfortunately the Anabelle was defoliated by a 4 legged slug mid Sept and it isn't showing any life yet (neither are the 3 dogwoods and maple tree that were hit)

The other thing I did wrong last year was I fertilized them with a product like osomocote that provides nutrition all summer. After doing that I only got 2 blooms on one plant. I heard not to fertilize them much if at all but thought I knew better :)

Since I am an odd person I will also agree that things are better planted odd.

SCG
Ginny McLean_Petite_Garden
Original Author
9 years ago
Let me just say that it is a good thing there are not as many super cold hardy hydrangeas. :) I am known to be a bit 'odd' and a bit of a collector myself. :) I prefer to think I am gifted. This is a good thing, I think, in this cookie cutter world. :)

Ginny

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