What to look for when buying Endless Summer?

17 years ago

Stopped by a nursery about 1 hour drive from me. I noticed they had some ES, 3 year in large 3 gallon buckets,$39.95. This May has been about the rainiest and coolest on record. In their wet pots green growth was just beginning to peek out from the 2 foot high woody canes. What caught my attention was that some had some very serious wood at the base 1-2 inches in diameter each. Looked like real strong stuff and that these plants were slowly coming back to life. Any one else would look at them and think they were a half dead plant of some sort.

Talked to the guy who ran the place and he and no one there knows much about them or hydrangeas in general. They had been stored in NJ and had just come up last week. He agreed they looked like a terrible plant compared to everything else they had.

I have a feeling that all the best looking ones need is some TLC and sun and warmer weather and that they will soon explode in growth. I think they are just coming out of dormancy now which is why they look so very dead.

What should I be looking for in buying any of these? I see good healthy hard wood with green just emerging. Some canes are longer than others and they have definitely been pruned back last year. Some canes are 2 feet, some are 10 inches. The new green shoots and growth are unblemished but just emerging from winter. Is there something I am missing? Do these seem good to go? I did use the "discount" word and he agreed.

Compared to all the other types of green and flowering plants there...these ES just look half-dead. I think some are Ok and its all a dormancy, storage thing and these are just getting a late start. Whattcha 'tink?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

razorback33
17 years ago
If the stems are turgid and show signs of developing buds, then the plant has a good chance of producing flowers this year, since it blooms on old and new growth. I recently purchased several 3-gallon "Lemon Daddy' that had been severly pruned last fall to obtain propagating material and they looked like your description of the ES. Within 3 weeks they have developed full foliage, but I doubt that they will bloom this year, as all of the flower buds were taken off.
I would seek a serious discount, if you decide to buy them.
3-gallon ES, in bloom, go for $25 at the box stores here and about $30 at the independents, Wholesale is usually about half that price.
Rb
jackz411
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks Razorback33,

Yes, I got a bunch of some ES, 2 year, 2 gallon at HD a few days ago and they did look great, 3-10 new blooms starting on each plant, right off the truck, $19.99. Up here HD has greatly expanded their plant inventory. It is 10X what it was last year. I was amazed. Must have a new budding Martha Stewart in charge. There are plants all over the place out into the parking lots and the girls there tell me more truck are coming everynight.

I'll look in on those waif 3 year olds in a few weeks and see how they are doing. I'm thinkin' $10 if they look good. Maybe D lot them and I'll pay $5.

Another local nursery up her has ES, 3 year, 3 gallon. $69.95 each and they look just Ok. Fools are born by the minute.
Related Discussions
Endless, Endless Summer
Q
Comments (11)
I have had the same luck with Endless Summer Hydrangea as Jackz41!! Endless Summer is rated as Zone 4. In northern Wisconsin, I saw that many people did not have good luck with Endless Summer blooming before mid-July up here, this could be a problem elsewhere in the country too. I have over 65 roses so I took a wintering trick from my roses to get Endless Summer to bloom early! I bend the plants completly over and hold them down with bricks or larger rocks, in early November after a hard freeze(this can be hard as the shrubs get bigger, but you can do it carefully) I then cover them lightly with oak leaves and let snow fall on them! As we get lots of snow up here it has worked well for winter protection so the tips do not freeze! I have not had any mold problems with this trick! I have been growing Endless Summer since they first came out on the market, I have seven of them some just planted 1.5 ago. The older plants are around 3.5-4'high-4' wide. They get 4-5 hours of direct sunlight and filtered for several more hours, I also fetilize them with the same fertilizer I use for roses in lesser amounts. They start blooming in the middle of June with lots of blooms in all colors depending on your soil. I just add nail filings to make some of them more blue and leave the rest of the plants alone so I get colors from blue to lavender, purple and pink! Later in summer the mature blooms turn more green, then in fall they take on a burgandy hue with the green. They are really pretty, hardy and long blooming and great cut flowers when dryed as they mature in the Fall. Along with my pee-gee and several annabelle's (my hydrangea work horse) I love my Endless summer hydrangea's just as much as my roses!!
...See More
When to repot Endless summer from container to ground?
Q
Comments (1)
I would plant it out now into a semi-shaded area (they don't like hot, noon day sun) in your garden. Amend the soil with compost (adding bone meal is beneficial as well) and ease the plant out of the container, getting as much of the rootball as possible. Mulch around the base of the plant and water well until freeze-up. You may want to provide a wind break for the winter to reduce "tip-dieback", but endless summer will sprout and bloom off of new growth coming from the bottom stem buds. Remember to keep it well watered in the spring/summer until it become established in your garden. Ian
...See More
endless winter for endless summer
Q
Comments (9)
jenswrens: have patience. If you notice on the tag, it says it will reach 3-5'. Here in Minnesota, it will reach about 3' and the same spread, a nice round ball ultimately. The 5' size is for those southerners with much longer growing seasons (Georgia, etc) It will take a good 3 years for your ES to really put on a great root system and get settled in its spot. You'll find after a few years quite a few shoots coming from the ground, and during some springs, some buds shooting from the stems at the base as well - this will depend on how cold the winter is and if we have good snow cover. yes, it will reliably bloom on new wood. I can vouch for this - I work at Bailey and was involved early on in the introduction of this plant. We have had test plants at the nursery, in our test block since 1987. Expect your first flowers in mid to late June (if it ever warms up and plants grow!). That frost that you mentioned is a big bummer, but it has happened to almost everyone's plants. They'll grow out of it. Keep it well watered, and give it some acid based fertilizer this spring. good luck. hope you enjoy your ES PP
...See More
What’s wrong? Endless Summer hydrangea.
Q
Comments (5)
Apparently the foliage is getting wet and this is causing a bad leaf spot infestation. Water the soil and never the leaves to minimize the chances of getting fungal issues on the leaves. To know when to water, inset a finger to a depth of 4" and water if the soil feels dry or almost dry. If you water when the leaves are wilted, there is a danger that you are watering too much. The leaves will wilt/droop when they lose leaf moisture faster than the roots can absorb more water. The internal pressure differential causes the leaves to wilt then. Scenarios that trigger this condition: temperatures above 85F; too much sunlight (aim to give them dappled sun or morning sun until 10-11am; no afternoon or evening sun if possible); hot, drying winds; lack of water or lack of enough water; small root system (new plants) or disturbed roots due to transplants. Wilted plants can be left alone if the soil is sufficiently moist (use the finger method to check); they will perk up at night on their own if the soil has sufficient soil moisture. In the hot summer months, I make a habit to visually use the finger method when I see wilting and I water immediately if the soil feels dry. If the soil is moist, I let them be and I re-check in the morning. Somewhere around 6-8am when I wake up, I see if any is still wilted. If so, they get water. If you water just because they are wilting, you may be watering too much. That can cause leaf and bloom fungal problems (as seen in the picture) and-or root rot (if the soil remains soggy long enough). Watering twice a day can sometimes be done in well draining soils but try not to make a habit of it. In the fall, discard all foliage and blooms in the trash as they will contain lots of fungal spores; do not put them in the compost pile. If you deadhead any blooms now, discard them in the tras too. You can also cut off the worst of the leaves but do not assume you will get new foliage quickly while in the middle of the summer (maybe in the fall or in spring). Water the soil only, from now on instead. If using a sprinkler system, water around 6-8am so the leaves do not spend the night wet. Use clean sanitation practices (discard plant material in the trash if any falls down or is left in the fall; water the soil only; do not overwater; prune leaves so plants do not touch, something that can help increase air flow and reduce humidity, etc.) as best as you can to minimize spreading the fungal infection to other hydrangeas.
...See More
mehearty
17 years ago
I've just not been that impressed w/these plants so I have not bought one yet, but I did notice that my garden center has 3 gallon for $49.95 this season! One was $56.95 for some reason. Yikes! Lowes had tiny ones for $19.99 IIRC. They must be really popular here. I'll continue to resist at that price.

jackz411, from what I've seen that's what ES should look like right now. Putting them up against any mophead in this zone right now, you;ll see that they're all woody with leaves just beginning. Even the healthiest ES however, has nasty looking leaves to me. Most of them look shriveled & streaked w/brown or yellow right now.
jackz411
Original Author
17 years ago
Here in VT ES is the only macrophylla I can grow without special winter precautions. That alone impresses me although I am very new to hydrangeas and my knowledge base is limited.
I have a pair of 9-10 year old Nikkos which are growing from the ground up and 3 new Nikkos which I will heavily protect over-winter. The HD ES I got looked nice and stand about 30" in their pots, leaves present healthy, lottsa blooms just beginning and for $19.95 I'll give them a try. Also have some ES coming from Nantuckethydrangea so I'll try them out this year.
gergardenerpa
17 years ago
In the spring several of my hydrangeas have brown wooden stems with dried up points that I thought were dead buds. However, as time when on, new growth came on with new flower buds. What are these brown wooden pointed stems with what looks like dried up buds on end? SHould I just cut them off?
ncgardner
17 years ago
You will absolutely LOVE the ES Hydrangea. Lots of blooms all summer (as the name indicates) and I noticed Lowes has 1 gallon for $12.99. The were great looking at one store and just coming out in another within a few miles of each other. Must get them from a different grower. I wouldn't be afraid of the ones without leaves if the stems look healthy. They fill in very fast once they start. Good luck.

What to look for when buying Endless Summer?

Comments (6)

razorback33

jackz411
Original Author

Related Discussions

mehearty

jackz411
Original Author

gergardenerpa

ncgardner

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

What to look for when buying Endless Summer?

Comments (6)

razorback33

jackz411Original Author

Related Discussions

mehearty

jackz411Original Author

gergardenerpa

ncgardner

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

jackz411
Original Author

jackz411
Original Author