I just received a beautiful blue hydrangea for my birthday. It is suitable for replanting in the garden, but I'm not sure when to do that. It has blossoms all over it right now, but some are starting to die. Any info would be appreciated!
When to transplant-?
Happy birthday, idealpeggy! You could plant it now and then go thru a few months of constant monitoring or keep it potted and plant it when the summer temps go down in your area. Summer is quite stressful here so I skip panting most anything until late August or September. If you plant it now, choose a location where it gets afternoon shade, has good drainage and gets water especially during the dry and hot summer months. No need to fertilize now since the shrub should have those round fertilizer pellets. Next year, fertilize it in June and that is it. Keep it well mulched with about 3-4" of any organic mulch. Apply 1 gallon of water per watering. Amend the soil if your soil is alkaline; you can use green sand, garden Sulphur, iron chelated liquid compounds, iron sulfate or aluminum sulfate (keep this one away from azaleas and rhododendrons). Luis
Luis. I just found this and I am glad that I did. I picked up two Endless Summer hydrangeas that are in pots and I wondered whether to plant them or tend to them in their pots. Now I know that I should keep them there. I have been keeping them well watered. One has blooms, some of which will open (I have always assumed that plants are most vulnerable at this stage) and the other has already flowered.
It's so great to have a real time human expert. All of my knowledge has come from books, or planting oakleaf hydrangeas, which I have done in April.
Thank you.
Donna
Talking about buying plants in mid-summer.... I bought one of these Annabelle clones two or three years ago and had to keep it in pots because I bought it in the middle of the summer. I set up reminders using Microsoft Outlook just so I would not forget to water it. Good idea with good intentions but I did not ask what did my pooches thought of the cottonseed meal fertilizer. Later on, I discovered one of the dogs had unearthed the plant from the pot. There was one with the plant in her mouth saying how yummy it was. While the 2nd dog munched on the soil and the third one smelled the soil and licked her lips as if saying "she was next licking the plant or the soil". What a sight! Hee hee hee! Lord!
Aren't dogs great? I grew up with a big german shepherd who just adored his small charges (I was 6 when I got him, and he happily lived until I was in college). He used to herd us. And when we became teenagers, he developed an aversion to teenaged boys!
Now I have cats, and they have determined that I grow oxalis in pots for them. They are very appreciative, but it's a bit hard on the plants!
This message was edited Jul 8, 2012 2:09 PM