I use osmocote slow release on mine. I think you high heat this summer is probly hard on it . My es is my only hydrangea that I keep out all winter the rest go under the house. I just throw a cover over it when we are expecting a big freeze ,especially in the spring when the green leaves start showing up. I,m not sure why you feel like you need to prune it but if I do I usually do it in july around here. Although I have heard you can prune the es anytime of year because it blooms on old and new wood. If you cut off the old blooms as they fade your es should put on new flowers for you.

oakleyok, i think your es is just fine...the high heat is a bit severe for the plant, but it will do fine with your sun exposure an plenty of winter...absolutely no pruning now, too late in the season, could impact bloom production next season..for zone 7, i think a modest winter protection program is needed - chk this forum for overwintering ideas...fertilizer - beware of fertilizer with high nitrogen, the first number...my experience with es is high nitrogen = nice, big, green leaves but few blooms...you give my es with a high phosphate fertilizer once in may (i am in zone 6) - full strength as reco on the label..one more time in mid aug, 1/2 strength as reco on label...btw, if your plant was in a pot and sold this yr, the plant probably has enough fertilizer in it..it will take time for the plant to get establish but i think your plant is on track to give you plenty of blooms for the seasons to come.

Thanks for the tips! I don't plan on pruning it since it's supposed to bloom on old wood.

As long as it's still alive, I'm fine. lol. I had no idea the summer would be as hot as it is. This only happens about every ten years.

Before Winter, I'll do another topic asking how I protect it from hard freezes. I'm sure a trashbag would fit over it just fine right now. lol

Anyway, I just love these plants. I want to grow different varieties of them but thought I'd start with the "easiest" first, like I did the Roses this year.

I lurk here all the time and look at the beautiful plants.

Don't use a trash bag! It still needs breath. Burlap or a pot with holes. But I am in zone 5b and I do not protect my Endless summers. We had a bad winter! Before wind chill a couple nights we hit -20 degrees. Almost all my reblooming hydrangeas died back to the ground but bloomed great from the new wood this year. ES will bloom on old or new wood! The only ones that made it were my Blushing Brides (very hardy). I agree with eveyone else about the heat, plus hydrangeas will take a few years to build a deep big root system.

Thanks H. I'll try to find some burlap to get ready for winter. It would only be covered during the night if we get a big freeze down in the teens or 20s.

Are you saying your ES did survive last winter along with your Blushing Bride? I'll have to check that one out!

Here's a picture I took this morning. It's about 2' tall, and it's getting a lot of new growth on the stalk. Why do you think the blooms are half the size they should be? I cut back the 4'oclocks next to it after I took the picture so I could be sure the Hydrangea gets the sun it needs in the morning. Thankfully the temps have been in the 80s this week, and the burning leaves have stopped for now.

{{gwi:1016097}}

I'm in Zone 4b and don't do anything to protect my ES. That is not to say it is a huge mass of blooms, but I'm putting in my 2â to let you know it is healthy despite freezing to the ground every year.

In fact, this year it froze to the ground twice: once over the winter as usual, and then again when we had an unprecedented freeze in May. It is now 3.5 feet tall and 4 feet wide.

It is important to remember that newly planted shrubs are unlikely to put out much growth their first season in the ground. They are (or should be) busy in root production and establishing themselves in their new home. Often flowering will be impacted by this process as well. FWIW, it takes 3-5 years for a tree or shrub to become properly established in the landscape and start performing as intended.

'Endless Summer' was selected for its increased root hardiness (zone 4) and ability to bloom on both old and new growth. Therefore, winter protection is not required in appropriate zones but in colder zones the plant can act more like a herbaceous perennial, dying back to the ground in winter. If you don't want to go through the process of regeneration and regrowth each season and ultimately have a larger shrub, winter protection IS advised. After the proper period of establishment, it should bloom regardless of protection.

oakeyok..your hydrangea looks a bit pale..could be a sign of iron deficiency..i notice it is planted next to a brick wall..if that wall is exposed to sun, it will really warm things up right next to it - so winter time, you are not really in zone 7..and you maybe not even need to bother with overwinter protections....that said, the soil around the brick wall maybe more alkaline there...and that could be the reason for the pale looking foliage..do you have pink blooms this season, the pic shows a pretty pale color for the flowers as well..i would get some Ironite, mix it up according to the label and drench the plant with that..you should see the foliage to get green fairly quickly...ES foliage gets pale if it doesn't have enough iron due to the alkaline soil..or too much sun...I doubt sun is the issue here...it is not a bad idea to cut back the plant next to your ES, once ES is established, it can really double in size in one season..and bamm you have a 4X4 plant right there..

..

Orchid, now I'm confused about zones. lol. Here in central OK., we have been know to have sub-freezing temps for a full week, not getting above 32. The next week it could be in the 50s. We get snow, sleet and ice. The past few winters we've had a lot of it.

So...under these conditions, should I just cover it in burlap when it gets that cold, and on warmer days and nights take it off? I can do that. :)

The brick doesn't get hot because the light is filtered there pretty good. There's an Oak tree across from the bush.

Gardengal, I'd rather not have it die to the ground and start over again, unless it comes back double in size..at least.

O, the flowers were pink, now they're barely pink. And yes, the foilage is pretty pale but I thought it was supposed to be that way. lol. Ironite is on my "to do" list tomorrow!

You guys are full of so much good advice for us novices! I can't thank you enough for being so patient with me. :) I don't know why I suddenly fell in love with these plants, but I did! I want a full row of them next year along that side of the house.

oakleyok...great for the clarification on the brick wall...in your case, no difference...I have a client with a large brick wall, facing south, getting a good dose of sun during winter (summer it is in a shaded location because of the Maple nearby), she is able to get reliable blooms (bloom on old woods type) with little winter protection...so the microclimate zone around her wall plays a role (I suscept in her case, the southern exposure - no harsh winter winds...and the brick wall...practically chg her zone there to zone 7 or even 7b..)...in your case, cover the plants with burlap when you get a freeze...ice, snow actually are not bad actors..they are good insulators - keep the plant at 32F..the bad actors are winter sun along with icy winds...a combo of two will desicate the flower buds, freeze drying them, and bamm, the buds are dead...
go get some Ironite, read the label, handle with gloves..really works on hyrangeas...it will green up the leaves and give you healthier plants.

I ordered the Ironite this morning. The package says it works on lawns and other flowers, and some of my flowers are pale in color also, so I'm going to use it on them too. I thought it was just the heat doing it. I'm so clueless. lol.

The brick on the south and west sides of the house gets extremely hot. Thankfully I have a grassless area all along the east side since we added on a new room, so it's perfect for a row of Hydrangeas.

Next Spring I'll be asking for other varieties for me to plant. :)

Hi Oakley - Several experts, have already chimed in & posted reassurances & advices, that I have learned & still learning from, in over the few years I have been reading & inquiring, in this truly great forums.

Since you wish to know as well, what you might expect from your newly planted ES over the years. I planted 2 (2-gal) pots in '06, moved 3 times before presenting themselves as rewarding as the pics I'm posting.

In my zone, like Alisande's ES & gg148's clarifications, my ES can be influenced dramatically by what 'Ma Nature' doles us. This past Winter was one of our worst one, killing even very established trees & shrubs ... Spring was absolutely crazy, 2 wks of heavy rains followed immediately by 2 weeks of sun/steamy heat of 100s (enough to steam cook many barely lushing/blooming perennials)!

That said, both ES still budded & blossoms were huge, but significantly less than, what you'll see in the link. To date, a few more cluster buds are showing! However both bushes have grown tremendously, despite dying to the ground ... like Alisande's - not protected in Winter any longer, as they are now older (I did in their first season-using cardboard method).

Best wishes to you & welcome to our fold!!! Â;)

Here is a link that might be useful: 2 ESs in 2008