Are Pinky Winkies in pots even possible ?

7 years ago

Story line : I'm in a cold climate (3b-4a) and backdrop to my yard is a small but tall woodland, mossy, old pine tree area. Two years ago, I wanted to cheer up that somber horizon by planting a few Pinky Winkies and Firedudes?... which I thought could stand my cold climate's partial shade.

Duh...

I've seen mini white blooms on the Pinky Winkies, no more. No pink. Not a cone in sight. Nothing. It doubled in size and foliage was super healthy, a bit sparse... but I have 3 layered babies on the way this Spring from one of them alone. The Firedudes didn't even bloom, without layering. Hence, I can't even remember if it's Firelight or Quick Fire!

Were they drained from layering - just grew but didn't bloom ?

Clearly, my thoughts go to light. They probably got at most 3, 4 hours of. So I'm thinking Pinky in my area is a full sun hydrangea - some of my neighbors have the most wonderful 5ft hedges of them... though. smack right in full hot sun.

Which makes me think, ding, ding ! ... I have to move mine !!

Problem : I don't have full sun space to spare for them (at least for now), unless in pots, on or around my patio. I'd hate to part with them...

So my idea is to move them all to large pots (what size pot is enough ?) set in full sun (or at least a lot more than before - the pots could also go on the lawn's sunny skirt) for the summer. Winter come, I would dig holes in the backyard's woods to bury the pots until next Spring.

Is that a viable idea ? Could Pinky Winky thrive in pots ?

If so, I need advice please... when to do this (cut the babies off, transplant the gang to pots, how to dress the pots, etc.), how to care for hydrangeas in pots this summer, or anything else you can think of :)

Thank you so much... I'm grateful even for you to have read this far :)

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Comments (5)

NHBabs z4b-5a NH
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
IMO Pinky Winky is too large for pots. In my garden it's something like 8' tall and 12' wide, unpruned at 8 years old from a small start. It wouldn't grow that large in a pot, but would require a lot of work, pruning to size and moving extremely large, heavy pots. I can't imagine that planting for winter and redigging for spring would be a recipe for success, but it won't survive just in pots in your zone in winter.

Why don't you plant them in the ground near where you would put the pots ("the lawn's sunny skirt"). Surely having well-grown hydrangeas is more important than lawn. ;>)
luis_pr
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Sounds difficult to me too. You may to try using half wine barrels as pots for those large hydrangeas! Or grow a tree form paniculata in a large container so the crown/base is "smaller". Then keep the top pruned appropriately so it does not get too much larger than the base as that might 'look' off to some. Also, some people have a knack for keeping large tropical plants in containers by replanting them back on the same size pots and by giving the roots a haircut every ??? (2-3?) years but, I do not have details about that and have not tried it.
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Yeah, paniculatas like PW typically do very well. It is a good choice so check: (a) that you are not feeding it too much fertilizer - a single application of a general purpose, slow release fertilizer in the Spring should do well for the whole year (assuming your soil has no mineral deficiencies); (b) paniculatas need more sun but do not go overboard with sun exposure or the leaves may complain; (c) watch out for deer/squirrels/etc, pests that like to eat the flower buds and which would prevent you from getting bloomage; (d) do not prune them once they leaf out (just in case you are pruning when the shrubs are developing the flower buds). They bloom quite early here too so it is best to not prune once they leaf out. Instead, prune when they have lost their foliage or better yet, do not prune at all. If planted where they can attain their estimated size at maturity, hydrangeas should need minimal pruning. Maybe only pruning of any stems that died out during winter. Some shrubs may need 2-3 years to develop a good root system so they shrubs may delay blooming *or may delay good blooming) until then. Also, maintain the soil as evenly moist as you can so the plant does not abort the flower buds during a dry spell in late Spring or Summer... 3-4" of mulch helps with watering issues... Water when soil feels dry to a depth of 4". A 1g to 2g watering is sufficient (depends on how to tall the plants are) per watering when the soil feels dry or almost dry.
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There are so many variables that impact time to mature, soil type being one of the major factors. In a sandy soil with consistent irrigation H. paniculata could easily get 6' in 2-3 years from a 2 gallon pot. In a clay based soil that isn't irrigated regularly you might have a 3' tall plant after 3 years. With annual pruning you can likely keep them to 4'. Why not put them where you don't have to stress them and limit their potential and get something that fits the space?
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they arent too big i think in one gallon pots but one of them has two blooms and the other one doesnt. i also bought one in a very small pot but im very happy with the purchase and i cant wait until next year to see how they do. when i bought this house it had probably ten es planted but i knew nothing about them and hacked them to the ground and they never bloomed but now i know that you do not hack them to the ground and so i will see if they bloom next year. one of them did bloom this year and it is simply breathtaking so when i found the pinky winkys for $2 each i bought all they had and gave one to my mother...
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It sounds like the stems are weak either because they got bent or are so new that they cannot support much weight. If they got bent, you can prune them all when the plant goes dormant and train one of the stems that the plant will develop in Spring 2012 as the leader. Or you could add support to one of those that is growing horizontally so it gets stronger as the years go by. Note: whichever approach you select, it is probably a good idea to add support for a few years anyways, even if it is growing vertically as you want it.
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vibi
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you so much to the both of you.

It is not finding a place in the sun that is so difficult, it's more that place being permanent... since the backyard will undergo a lot of changes in the coming summers. Changes that are far being completely defined. So I'd hate to move plants around so much, in such little time. Keeping them in pots for a few years was a solution.

But after reading your advice, I decided on finding a place in the sun for the bigger ones, and if they need to be moved in the future, then be it...

As for the layers, I'll put in pots until they reach a couple of ft. which I doubt will be in less than two... and keep them in holes for the winter.

Thanks again.
luis_pr
7 years ago
You can put them in bright shade too but paniculatas will do best in some sunlight. I have a Little Lime that is a compact version of Limelight and, in its current bright shade location, it sometimes stays lime colored thru the whole season and does not turn white. Some years it has turned lime to white to green-pink but usually it stays lime and turns green-pink. Actually, it turns out, I prefer that but, man, it was an unexpected development out of the left field, as they say.

Over here with my long growing season, paniculatas may get 2 ft quite easily in their first year as they grow fast and grow all thru the Fall for me. You could put the pots in holes in the ground that you dug up and then cover the sides with mulch.

Have fun trying things. That is how we all learn! Ha!

Luis
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
7 years ago
My paniculatas grew to 6' in 4 years from tiny sprigs.

I have a tough time keeping plants healthy in pots since managing moisture levels is tough in my long, often hot days.

Are Pinky Winkies in pots even possible ?

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NHBabs z4b-5a NH

luis_pr

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Are Pinky Winkies in pots even possible ?

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NHBabs z4b-5a NH

luis_pr

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luis_pr

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