How to care for potted hydrangeas

As we have mentioned, there are members of the Hydrangea genus that are the size of small trees or that are climbing, but what is popularly known as hydrangeas will almost always be a bush of just over a meter tall, rounded, deciduous and typical of temperate climates, although it can grow much larger in the right conditions.

Its leaves tend to be a beautiful bright green, although without a doubt the most showy part of the plant are its bouquets of flowers, which can be white or shades of pink or blue, depending on the variety and the pH of the soil. Do you want to know the varieties of hydrangeas? Here we indicate the main ones.

You ask yourself how long does the hydrangea flower last? Appearing in spring, fall or summer depending on climate and variety, these bouquets of flowers individually last a few weeks, although the plant replaces old flowers with new ones throughout its blooming season, which is several months.

doWhat to do to make hydrangeas bloom? Soon we will see what are the specific care that this plant needs in a pot; If your hydrangea does not bloom, it is most likely that you are neglecting one of them, the most common being a lack of light or space.

To learn how to care for a potted hydrangea plant, you must first take into account some aspects of planting it.

1. When you arrive home with your new hydrangea, prepare your new large potwhich should be at least twice the size of the root ball of the plant.
2. Bury it with the proper substrate, which we will discuss later, right up to where it was in its pot at the nursery or store.
3. Abundantly water the soil.
4. Keep the plant out of the sun for a few days while it acclimates.

Here you can learn more about how to plant hydrangeas.

How much sun do hydrangeas need? Practically all species of hydrangeas agree that they need a very bright environment, with at least 5 hours of light a day. They especially like the light that comes from the East, that is, in the morning, since they do not tolerate direct exposure to very intense sun well, and it is better to keep it protected from the daylight hours of midday and afternoon.

Thus, your hydrangea will need a lighted room where the plant receives either direct sun in the morning, as long as you are in a mild climate, or indirect exposure throughout much of the day. In very hot climates, a semi-shaded location may be more than adequate for these plants.

Regarding pots, this is also one of the most important points in the care of indoor hydrangeas. The first thing is that you need to have your hydrangeas in large potsof some 50cm in diameter, because if the roots do not have enough space to develop and seek nutrients, the plant will not bloom or even dry up. It is also necessary that the pot has drainage holes, and it could help if it has wheels or the like to move it if you are going to have to move it to different locations during the morning and afternoon.

We go on to detail another very important point in the care of these plants: how to water a potted hydrangea? The hydrangea needs a lot of humidity, being a plant that usually enjoys the rain outdoors. Indoors, water it when the upper layer of the substrate has dried, applying a deep irrigation and removing the excess water from the saucer or tray at the base of the pot. In the warm months and if the weather is hot, the hydrangea may need daily watering.

Another very important point of watering for potted hydrangeas is that this plant does not like water with a lot of lime, something that happens in tap water in many areas. If this is the case and you notice that your hydrangea is turning yellow, water your plant with rainwater or softens the waterletting it sit for about 24 hours, before watering the plant with it.

Potted hydrangeas need a nutrient-rich, well-drained substrate, that is, make it light. Use a mixture with earthworm humus and peat, which will give the plant the nutrients it needs.

Also, hydrangeas that are not white can change color based on the pH of the soil. If you have one of these varieties, you can alter the pH of the soil by making it higher, if you want pink flowers, or lower, if you’re looking for blue-flowered hydrangeas. It is usual to use, for example, the vinegar for hydrangeas, adding it to irrigation to acidify the soil. Even so, always be careful when altering the pH of the substrate for hydrangeas, keep in mind that it is a long process that must be done slowly and gradually.

Try to put fertilizer in spring in the substrate of your plants, it will help them to give flowers with more force. always choose Organic fertilizers and, if possible, those that are specific to hydrangeas. However, do not abuse its use as it can change the pH of the soil. In this other article you can learn how to make homemade organic fertilizer for plants.

after floweringpruning potted hydrangeas is especially important, as you must prune all dried flowers so that the plant does not waste resources on those stems and gives a good bloom the following year again. We recommend you read this other post on How to prune hydrangeas to learn more details.

In addition, here you can learn more about the care of hydrangeas planted in the ground or on the ground.

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