about it. Two years ago I spent big bucks on hydrangea Annabelle, a cheap plain white and a cheap pink. Their performance was truly disappointing, but didn't have the heart to toss them. Good thing. I moved them to a sunny location and they are putting out leaves like crazy! I also messengered them to see what happens. I am so excited. I always wanted hydraengeas (sp?) and was always so envious of everybody's huge huge plants.
Didn't know where to post this, but too excited NOT to talk
Wow! They're doing better in sun?! I love them too, maybe I should have moved mine to more sun.... hmmm.....
Congrats! (Pics, please?)
I'm so envious...my 2 oak leaf hydrangeas died on me last summer. They were 3 years old; guess last year was just too much for them--I know they got too much sun though because I elimated a "trash" tree from my property (an ash).
I have some variegated hydrangeas from htop. One gets light shade all day and is blooming. The other gets a little more sun possibly and doesn't have a single bloom. It's possible that I forgot to fertilize it. duh The one that blooming is beautiful though. And I just planted them in March I think.
hydrangea's are so pretty! I haven't ever tried growing them, but have always admired them. I think it is neat that the color of the flowers changes due to the soil. I am glad they are doing well for you and hope you get pretty blooms soon! Show us pics when you get em, please. :-)
I have nothing to show yet, they are just sticks with a few leaves, but you bet I will brag later. While they are in full sun, there is a young oak planted nearby which provides a little bit of a break, so I think they will be OK. But the improvement is dramatic, I have no doubt they needed more sun. However, ask me again in Jul-Aug, lol.
With messenger and Neem oil, my cure-alls, I fear nothing, lol.
This message was edited May 11, 2006 10:26 PM
Did you say you put messenger on your bouganvilla? Mine grows like crazy, but doesn't bloom. Of course, it is in the ground. That could be the problem I guess.
yes I have applied Messenger to bougie. per warnings received here, I took bougie off the ground, put in a pot and then sank the pot. Mine has blooms. it's just a little plant that I am trying to grow as a standard. I will try to post a pic later.
Zone 8b, southeast, TX
Enjoy all your comments about hydrangeas, one of my favorites.
In April, early April, I added 3 tbs. of vinegar to 1 gal. water & pored one gallon of mixture on each of my 3 Mophead plants which are 4 years old. I have very acidic soil which normally produces dark blue flowers. However this May 06, I have bright red flowers. Evidentially, the vinegar added made soil more alkaline which produces pink/red flowers. I added vinegar at recommendation of acquaintenance and am greatly surprised at my dark red flowers. What does vinegar add to soil?
I need to use my Soil Ph meter often to have more accurate bloom color.
Hydrangeas are very easy to propogate from soft or hardwood cuttings. I have several in big pots just in case my last frost (average last frost date is 15 March) damages tender hydrangea buds.
Hydra is taken from hydrant meaning hydrangeas must have a good, deep, drink of water regularily in dry weather or windy conditions. They wilt easily but will spring back with a good drink of water, usually.
I tried a varigated lacecap hydrangea and did not have good success. I prefer the large, round flower clusters of macrophylla.
Healthy, Happy Gardening to all
Vinegar is acetic acid - diluted to about 6%. I don't remember which way hydrangeas change color - but I do know my chemistry. Vinegar will not make your soil more alkaline - just the reverse.
I agree...I teach Chemistry.
Color is related to the aluminum absorption of the plant. More acidic soil, more blue. More alkaline, more pink. No chemist here, just Google.
Thank you Patricia! I just know hydrangeas, hostas, and ferns hate me. I can grow anything else....just not, apparently, hydrangeas, hostas, and ferns. I'm just glad that leaves me a few other choices. lol
SudieGoodman...Wow a neighbor.... I am not too far from you...Real close to Patroon..
I am going to give the vinegar a try and see what I can get mine to do.. I've tried Ironite and a rusty nail..lol...
Ronda (in Gooberhill)
If it makes you feel better I used to think that Houston was just not a good place for hydrangeas but my daughter who lives minutes from me has 3 in her front yard, 2 Endless Summer and 1 Penny Mac. While I have managed to kill everyone I have ever owned, her's are doing and have been doing beautiful from the get go.
I have always heard that for our are the Oak Leaf Hydrangeas do best, also the old standards, like Annabelle. Sounds like yours is doing wonderfully! Lucky you.
This year I broke down and bought a Serrata Blue Bird- the grower, Monrovia, said it can be grown in pots so I potted it in a large terra cotta pot, w/ commercial potting soil, some hydrangea specific fertilizer, some kelp meal, worm castings & a little osmocote for good luck. I also fertilized w/ Messenger's Mighty Plant- the flowers are supposed to be this wonderful light, clear blue. The plant is doing ok, it is for part to full shade- I am only guessing that part shade was for the north and not here. I have it in almost full shade, it gets some filtered morning sun. The flowers are not completely blue, a little more lavender, but that's ok, it is still alive and blooming. I only hope that I can keep it alive.
Anybody ever tried Limelight?
April--we must have a "mental block" against hydrangeas. I killed 2 oak leaf varieties last summer! I always start with small plants, maybe I need to think BIG! lol
Two of my friends have hydrangea bushes here and they are doing great. I have one and it looks terrible.
Thanks for the tip Sudie. I put it in my garden diary for future reference.:)
Vossner I'm so glad to hear about your good results with your Hydrangeas. My Mom just planted an Annabelle and some others. She has one that she only paid $3.44 for and it is dark pink and beautiful! All her hydrangeas look wonderful. I am waiting to receive my Endless Summer hydrangea. I hope mine will do as well as my Moms.
Silverfluter- My Mom has her bougie in the ground in a sunny sheltered spot and it blooms like crazy most of the summer. I still have mine in a huge pot and it is terribly root bound. I'm thinking of putting it in the ground also. ?
Lin
I had mine in a pot at first, but it was never happy. Really looked pitiful. Since it's been in the ground it gets huge - well over 12 feet tall, but doesn't bloom much. I need to get some messenger I guess.
I've been told the bougies have to be rootbound to bloom well. I don't know if that's true or not. My plant gets all day sun. It does wilt down during the hottest part of the summer but always perks back up. I keep it watered regularly.
Dancey,
Do you mean bouganvillea plants? A nursery told me they DO like to be root bound but I'd already put mine in the ground. They bloomed profusely! And they are planted all over the valley in the ground, just thriving. The only thing that did mine in was not realizing they were a tropical and not covering them over winter. But in 1 year they had grown in the ground from a small plant up a 10' trellis!
I heard the same thing however when planted in the ground in the past mine went crazy like alamoaimee's.
I had one that did too--past tense--bougie's in the ground....absolutely HATED to cut that huge thing back to ground level with all those thorns in Dec-Jan. And it was always cold and wet when I had to do it....non-thorn bearing plant girl here. My hands and arms always looked like I had been in a really bad cat fight afterwards...lol
Yes, they are pretty bad to cut back. My DH calls mine the dagger bush.lol
Low and behold, I found my long and thought was lost variegated hydrangea (its always been very small...lol) buried underneath the nutgrass and ragweed in the front garden...there's hope for me and hydrangeas yet. And I haven't killed the wonderful fern Smockette gave me at the round-up yet either.
Who knows...maybe hostas next?
Debbie
edited to add: I'm more likely to be able to grow them than to ever be able to spell them...lol
This message was edited May 30, 2006 12:08 AM
Hydrangeas are among my favorite plants. Through trial and error, I've found hydrangeas can't take our intense Texas sun all day. I have 2 Annabellas, planted at the same time and the same size when planted. They both get early morning sun, but one gets late afternoon sun earlier than the other. The one that gets more sun is about a quarter the size of the other. It has fewer flowers and is struggling to survive. My mopheads get only morning sun and are doing well. I still haven't found the perfect spot for my oak-leaf hydrangea.
Hydrangeas need lots of moisture, but not wet feet. They also appreciate high humidity. Last year, we were on the windy, dry, hot side when Hurricane Rita hit. The humidity was down to 13%. I couldn't keep my hydrangeas hydrated enough and the leaf edges dried up and turned brown.
Use aluminum sulfate to turn hydrangeas blue. If the soil is highly alkaine, you may not be able to turn the soil sufficiently acidic to get a blue color and will get a shade in-between. Too much aluminum sulfate is toxic to the plant so you may have to settle for lavender.
A neighbor has her bougainvillea planted in the ground out in the open where the north wind can come barreling through and freeze it to the ground, but it comes back every year to form a hugh mound by the end of the year. If bougainvilleas get too much nitrogen, they will spend all their energy producing leaves at the expense of flowers. A more balanced fertilizer would be better.