Does anybody know anything about Hydrangeas?

I live in Michigan (zone 5) and I'm just learning how to plant things in my yard. I love Hydrangea's and would love to grow some outside, any tips? sun or shade? best time to plant? Any advice on Tulips, Daylilies are appreciated also!

Does anybody know anything about Hydrangeas?
Thank you for referencing your hardiness zone, it really helps.





There's a huge amount of information out there about Hydrangeas... I'd look for a book by Dr. Micheal Dirr, I'm not sure of the title, but it's his look at Hydrangeas... very informative.





When you ask about Hydrangeas, there are at least four major species of Hydrangea grown in zone 5. Hydrangea arborescens, H. macrophylla, H. quercifolia, H. paniculata. Most prefer shady spots, but not all. Some are large, some bloom in the spring, others summer, still others fall... and each have differing care requirements. I'm hesitant to just 'throw it out there...'





In regard to the bulb plants, Plant them in October, (ideally), and plant deep enough. For Daffodils, Tulips and Hyacinths, plant them 8" deep! I swear in Michigan, the recommendation of 6" is too shallow. I too live in Michigan.





Good luck


I hope that this helps
Reply:u can find the neatest ones at bailey's nursery in Minnesota, they are the founders of the endless summer and the new blushing bride, I think there are care instructions on that site. They are only wholesale but u can find a retail center in ur neighboorhood or at naturehills.com. They ship nationwide!
Reply:Hydrangeas need at least partial shade. The blooms are also affected by the pH of the soil. Acid soils bring pink flowers and alkaline soil makes blue ones. It should be safe to plant them now, unless you're in a really northern zone. Otherwise, don't plant them till after the last frost in the spring. All bulb flowers should be planted in December, or November if it gets cold sooner where you are. Plant them about 4 inches deep, and don't worry about what direction the bulbs are pointed. Mother Nature will tell the plant how to come up. Otherwise, you can usually get mature plants in a garden store and plant them. You'll know when to plant them by when they show up in the stores, but they won't have the mature root structure of bulb planted ones, so they won't last as long.





Most of all, don't give up! You'll probably have a lot of failures in the beginning, but the end result is worth it!
Reply:Hydrangas need alot of water and not full sun but goodlight
Reply:Site Selection


Choosing the right place to plant your hydrangea is one of the most important steps in achieving a beautiful bloom. Hydrangeas are greatly affected by everything from the pH of the soil to how windy the site is.





When planting your hydrangea pick a location that receives full sun to partial shade. Hydrangeas seem to perform the best with full morning sun and cool afternoon shade. Planting hydrangea in a protected area that does not receive strong winds will also benefit the result. High winds tend to dry out the soft foliage causing extreme stress. Hydrangeas can grow in a large array of soil types, but to ensure the best performance plant in soil that is moist and rich in organic matter. The pH of the soil does not affect the growth habit however; it does affect the color of the bloom. A low ph, mean high acid levels, will cause the bloom to be a shade of blue. Conversely, a high pH, due to low acid levels, will cause the flowers to be a shade of pink. This may cause problems when selecting a color because the soil in the pot may be a different pH than the soil in your yard. This will cause the flower color to differ from the expected color.





When and How to Plant


Since hydrangeas bloom on new growth, the best time to plant them is early fall. To begin, prepare the bed by amending the soil with matured compost. Then dig the hole roughly 24 inches wider than the root ball. The hole should be large enough to allow the roots to be spread out. Remove the hydrangea from its pot and loosen the matter roots. Place the shrub in the hole so that the crown is even with the soil. Before backfilling the hole, fan the roots out around the hole. Backfill the hole firming gently to remove and air pockets and to provide support. Finish by watering thoroughly.





Care


To ensure a stronger bloom, we recommend fertilizing twice a year, in early spring and late fall, with a slow release fertilizer. However, fertilizing before they are established will inhibit growth. Be sure not to over fertilize. Over fertilizing will cause the shrub to focus its growth on the foliage and not on flowering, this will causing the leaves to be lush and green but have an absence of blooms. Hydrangeas tend to be relatively resistant to most pests and disease. Since hydrangeas bloom on new growth some light pruning is required. For more information on pruning, check out our Hydrangea Pruning Guide.


LOOK AT THIS LINK ALSO IT WOULD REALLY HELP YOU IT HAS MORE TIPS!!


http://www.springmeadownursery.com/prune...





%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;TULIPS TIPS





* What makes some tulips bloom year after year and others give out after just two or three seasons? Sometimes this is just a matter of the care you give the tulips, but often it is the type of tulip you planted. Certain types of tulips, such as species, Kaufmanniana, Viridiflora and Fosteriana are longer lived than others. Darwin Hybrids tend to be perennial.





* Do they bloom at different times? The bloom season is divided into very early, early, mid, or late. A tulip that blooms early should be in flower at the same time as an early daffodil. In our area, early is usually the last week of April or first week of May, but it can differ greatly from year to year.





* Where will tulips grow? Tulips grow in any well-drained soil. They prefer full sun to do their best, but you can often be successful in partial shade if you choose early bulbs. The amount of spring sun is the most important.





* When should I plant them? To provide adequate time for rooting, it is best to plant tulips in late September to mid-October. If you need to plant them a little later, plant them an inch or two deeper and mulch heavily.





* How deep do I need to plant tulips? Plant your tulips 6-10 inches deep. Basically, the deeper you plant your tulips, the hardier they will be. Plant all of the large bulbs such as tulips and daffodils deep enough that you could stack two more bulbs on top of them and still be just below the soil level. You can vary bloom time within a grouping of the same tulip by varying the depth several inches. Deeper bulbs will bloom a little later; shallower bulbs will bloom earlier.





* Do tulips need fertilizer when I plant them? Even though a true bulb has everything it needs to bloom, tulips profit from being fertilized when they are planted. Bulb food, an improvement on bone meal, works best when scratched into the surface of the soil after planting. Other good fertilizers for bulbs are Bachman's Garden Food 10-20-10 and Sustane, an organic product.





* How can I protect my tulips from rodents? Squirrels may be a problem, since they love tulip bulbs and love to dig where you have just planted. In fact, you might even look up and find the squirrel digging on the other end of the row where you're working! A few handfuls of sharp gravel in with the bulb often deter squirrels.





* Most gardeners have luck covering the area where tulips are planted until the ground freezes. Once tulips have made it through the few weeks when they smell like a fresh, tasty treat, squirrels leave them alone. You can cover a small grouping with a pot saucer or a board. Large areas can be covered with chicken wire.





* Spreading blood meal on the surface of the ground where you have planted tulips may confuse the squirrel's sense of smell and keep them from knowing where to dig. Squirrels are a problem, and you may have to experiment until you find what works for you.





* How should I care for my tulips after they bloom? Flower stems should be removed when the bloom has faded to encourage bulb development instead of seed development. Be sure to allow the leaves to grow until they naturally wither in June before you remove the foliage. Fertilize with Bachman’s garden food after flower heads are removed.





* What could cause my tulips not to bloom? There are several factors in tulips failing to bloom, and often it is caused by more than one thing. If it is the first season and the bulb fails to bloom, the most common reasons are squirrels eating the bulbs, soggy soil rotting the bulbs, too shallow planting, or planting too early in the fall. When planted too early, the flower stalk will start to emerge in late fall. The winter will then destroy the flower but won't kill the bulb, resulting in leaves and no blooms. If this isn't the first season and the tulips fail to bloom, the most common reasons are too little sun, removing last season's foliage before it naturally ripened, or the tulip has reached the end of its lifespan.





%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;DAYLILIES TIPS





please for daylilies tips check this link because all of it couldn"t fit here:





http://www.smithdaylilies.com/hintsandti...





GOOD LUCK!!!
Reply:You'll find everything here:


http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/


http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/hy...


Hope it helps you!
Reply:I happen to sell Hydrangeas in Michigan and i can tell you that there are some reletively new varieties that will produce blooms all summer instead of the single bloom of most hydrangeas. The Forever and Ever and the Endless Summer are probably the best varieties out there on the market. DO NOT listen to what mommanuke told you about the acidity in the soil because she has it backwards. Some varieties are not affected by the ph in the soil. Generally hydrangeas prefer moist, well drained soil in partial shade. Some varieties can tolerate full shade while others can tolerate full sun. Spring is the ideal time to plant, but you can plant them now. Water them daily, because you know how much rain we've gotten here this summer. Feel free to contact me if you have other questions.

I'm planting my Hydrangeas. My cat uses the dirt. Will her urine kill the flowers? What preparation can I do?

Should I mix compost in? Completely remove all the dirt? What?

I'm planting my Hydrangeas. My cat uses the dirt. Will her urine kill the flowers? What preparation can I do?
Her urine will probably kill the flowers. How about keeping her inside %26amp; getting a litter pan? Did you know that indoor/outdoor cats live an average of 5-6 yrs %26amp; that an indoor only cat lives an average of 19 yrs?
Reply:We just planted some flowers recently and our cats got into them overnight. To deter them, we put chicken wire down on the soil all around the flowers. As far as I can tell so far, the wire bothers their feet and keeps them out, so it might be something for you to try.





Good luck.
Reply:You can scatter dolomite lime on the soil.


When your cat pees, she'll be creating a neutral acid/alkaline, rather than throwing it all off.





Don't work a whole lot of lime into the soil before-hand. Just a sprinkling at the top, under the bark or other mulch, is fine. Then water it in.


Don't plant the hydrangeas in a giant litter box yourself if you could be pregnant.


Also, don't plant veggies there.





The Lime will help to de-stinkify the poo-ies she'll happily bury into the newly loosened soil.





She's a good kitty, she just knows a good bit of ground when she paws it!


Get the Lime. You'll know it's okay for her to go where it comes naturally.


Pet that kitty once for me.
Reply:well, this guy who adviced u to use lime is very correct. there is a bloody neighbour cat who kept coming into my garden and sh''''tting there. i sprayed cat repellent on the perimeter and put lime pellets all over my garden. bloody cat doesn't come any more. but first u find out in which soil hydrangeas like to be. if they like acid soil liming it would kill them. good luck
Reply:Cats detest the smell of citrus fruits..scatter orange peels throughout the area..
Reply:I own 5 cats they haven't killed the flowers yet!

addis

More plant advice please, hydrangeas....?

Recently received one while stuck in the hospital for 2 weeks. Now that I am finally home the poor thing looks like it's on it's death bed. Is it too late to be saved? Besides watering it ( which I just did ) is there anything else I can do to salvage it?


Thanks!





http://s268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/...

More plant advice please, hydrangeas....?
Give it good drink of miracle-gro, or any other water-soluble fertilizer, cut it back a bit. Grow it like a houseplant...lots of sun...moderately moist, plant it outside after no danger of frost. Mine like eastern exposure (morning sun) when outside. Most florist varieties are hardy to zone 5 or 6. If you are colder than that, you may need to provide some mulch for the winter.
Reply:put in a shady spot outside for fresh air and try seaweed fertiliser to help with the stress. With water as well it should be ok.
Reply:Did you ever think that you might be over watering it other than that try transplanting it to a bigger pot the roots might be getting to big for its original smaller pot and now its getting stressed out and if that doesent work now you have a nice salad for dinner tomarrow night!





Good Luck
Reply:What you received was probably a florist variety. They very often have been cultivated for indoor conditions. But if all the frost dates are past in your area you can take it outside and plant it in a partially shaded area of the garden. Before planting add some peat moss and some composted material to the area and mix well. Plant and water in well. There is no guarantee it will live since it got so wilty, but it's worth the effort for the chance of beautiful hydrangea blooms in the future.

How do you dry hydrangeas?

Tye the stems together and hang upside down in cool dry place

How do you dry hydrangeas?
I just dry my hydrangeas by putting them with the flowers up in a vase with no water..They always turn out beautiful.

How do you dry hydrangeas?

Hang them upside down in a dry, dark, place.

How do you dry hydrangeas?
Here's step-by-step instructions from eHow's site (click the link) on the right time cut them, how long to cut the stems, etc. Hope this helps! Enjoy.
Reply:pretty much just cut them and put them in a vase. they dry really well. you could also cut them, bunch them and hang them upside for awhile.

Can you transplant blooming hydrangeas?

I want some instant color in my yard and these are my favorite flowers. Can you buy them already blooming and put them in the yard. I live in the Florida panhandle.

Can you transplant blooming hydrangeas?
Hi:


I agree with some of the other answers. Yes you can buy Hyrangeas and other plants while they are in bloom. A word of caution with the Hyrdangea specie. This is a unique plant family as it will change color with different soil conditions. The Endless Summer Hydrangea is very popular and has a blue color tone to it. If there is too much acid in your soil or not enough, once you transplant it into the ground, the color may change. All Hydrangeas can do this.





I am a landscaper and designer and have seen this happen to a lot with the Hydrangea. The Hydrangea does need some sun and if your soil is strong in acid, you might want to consider adding some lime to it. I will link you to the garden project section of my website. I have a page on Hydrangeas that may give you some additional information. Hydrangeas are beautiful shrubs but also can change color due the soil conditions in which they grow.





I will also link you to the site map as this page has everything that is on the website. Browse through and see if you can find any other information that may be helpful to you with your Hydrangeas or any other plant specimen or landscape project. Good luck to you and have a great day!


Kimberly





http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.c...





http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.c...
Reply:you can, but dig your hole first and be gentle when removing the plant from it's container, also try doing this on a cloudy day to help guard against shock. Water lightly daily. Also talk to your garden center about what nutrients to use as they need natural acid for their color.
Reply:of course you can be gentle
Reply:sure!... that's why they put those pretties out there for you to see!!....





PLANTING a potted , blooming hydrangea is just fine... but TRANSPLANTING one right now is not a good thing....just wanted to make that difference stick out .... k?....
Reply:Sure - they are already set for the pot size they are in when you buy them. Actually, the plant nurseries know they sell best when they are in flower and you can be sure what the flowers look like, so they do force them to bloom early in many cases. They are perennial, so they can handle whatever outside temperatures you have, though, so buy them as soon as they show up in the stores and keep them out of the wind when transporting them home - it is best to keep them inside a truck or car so they do not become dessicated (dried out) from the breeze on the trip - do not stop along the way, though, pick them up and take them home, then try to get them in the ground ASAP.
Reply:In fact, it is wise to purchase a hydrangea while it is blooming. It is usually impossible for the nursery to tell a lacecap from a mophead unless it is blooming, and plants get mislabeled quite often. Additionally, 'Annabelle', seems to be variable in the quality of it's bloom. You may get stuck with an 'Annabelle' that has skimpy blooms if you don't see it blooming when you purchase it.








Avoid choosing and planting a hydrangea in EARLY spring when the leaves are first emerging. In my experience this is the most dangerous time to change the location of a hydrangea. Twice I have bought hydrangeas at the garden center in early spring and planted them in my yard. Then a late freeze arrived and zapped the foliage back. For some reason the hydrangeas did not recover.This was probably due to the fact that the garden center warms up faster than my location, and the plants were too far along for my colder weather.

larry

A question about non blooming Hydrangeas?

I have a hydrangea that is approximately 6 years old. It didn't bloom at all this year. Any ideas of what I may be missing? Does it need something special that may have been washed out of the soil in the massive rains we had last fall and winter? Thanks.

A question about non blooming Hydrangeas?
Try these links:





http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/wont...





http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/...





http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/forums...





http://plant-quest.blogspot.com/2007/09/...





Best of LUCK to you.....I love hydrangeas!