TAKE ONE
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August 2019
GARDENERNEWS.COM
TAKE ONE No. 196
Changing the Color of Hydrangeas
Bailey Nurseries/ Photo
By Tom Castronovo Executive Editor I love the look of hydrangeas. These colorful, showy plants can certainly brighten up a dry, dull landscape. As I travel around the Jersey shore, they are in almost every landscape. They are abundant in gardens and I see them in containers and on patios. Hydrangeas in full bloom in front of a
lush green lawn look pretty awesome. I don’t see them as much in North Jersey because of the deer. I’ve also seen their huge flowers softening brick and stone retaining walls. Hydrangeas can also help define outdoor living spaces by helping create garden rooms as a border plant. I wish these plants flowered and stayed green all year long. They are deciduous plants, which means they lose their color and leaves
in fall. They still have winter interest when they bare their bones. Let’s start off with a little history. The name hydrangea comes from the Greek “hydor,” meaning water, and “angos,” meaning jar or vessel. This roughly translates to “water barrel,” referring to the hydrangea’s need for plenty of water. Growing hydrangeas is pretty easy. They prefer welldrained, moist soil, but not wet; overwatering can cause
hydrangea to produce fewer flowers. Depending on your soil type, you will need to adjust how frequently and how much you water. Clay soil holds more water than sandy or loam soil types and produces more runoff because it doesn’t allow as much water to soak in as a looser sandy soil. Drip irrigation, a soaker hose, or hand watering the shrubs is best when the ground feels dry. If your hydrangeas are planted in an area that
sees high temperatures, they may wilt a bit in the afternoon, but will revive when the temperatures cool down. It’s best to water them in the morning or very earlyevening when the sun is less overpowering. They might need a little extra attention on a hot, windy day. In order to change hydrangeas from blue to pink or from pink to blue, the first thing you need to do is to obtain and perform a soil test. It’s all (Cont. on Page 24)