WHEN TO DIVIDE ANNABELLE HYDRANGEA?

My Annabelle hydrengea has been in the same shady spot now for at least 10 years. The blooms don't get as large as I would like. I would like to have more, so should I divide the one I have and make several or is that a bad idea?

What about cuttings instead? That way you don't harm the mother plant at all and start new ones. Also Annabelle is one you can cut to the ground (I read) and it will grow back the next year and bloom. A win-win?

I have not cut back my Annabelle hydrangeas yet but I did cut Incrediball and Invincible Spirit to the ground this spring. They did come back and bloom but not as big as they show in all those photos advertisements. I may try it again next year in hopes that they get bigger each year.

Have you fertilized earlier this year?

Thanks - You know cuttings might be better...........

I think now is the time to cut the long stems of the Annabelle and put in a vase with just a little water - enough water that will soon evaporate - then the Annabelle is left in its beautiful mophead stage to continue standing up and to dry in the house for arranging later. They keep for a long - long time dried, if not damaged or knocked around. I have some from last year and they are still big dried bloomheads - a light green color. I plan on cutting mine almost to the ground probably September before mid October frost.

Have you done the cuttings with the hydrangea? If so, how did you do it and was it successful?

I've done a few cuttings - mainly mopheads and paniculatas. I'm trying an oak leaf this year.

Cut off a semi-hardwood whip (where the bark is starting to turn woody). Sometimes you can get away with just inserting in the earth and keeping it moist and shady. It is probably better to use a sterile potting mix instead to keep germs to a minimum and with a pot you can move it to shadier/sunnier locales as needed. Keep moist. If you are in a high humidity area you won't have to put a humidity cover over it but that won't hurt either. Hydrangeas are some of the easiest to start over with a simple cutting. An easier way (at least with the ones that can bend over to the earth, is to wound a small area close to a node and push this wounded area into the earth while it remains attached to the mother plant. You can place a rock over this area to keep it in contact with the moistened earth to root. Check it in a few weeks to see if it is rooted in well before severing it. You should let it alone until the following year before digging up and moving it to another area or giving away. You can also use a pot of good potting mix in a good size pot and bend the wounded branch into the pot and placing a rock over it or using a metal clip to keep it in place. The good thing with this method is you won't have to dig it up, the bad is if it gets knocked over by a critter or the wind, you may have to do it again.

I do plan on doing a lot of hydrangea propagation this year but I will wait until the blooms are over and started fading.

hcmcdole,

Thank you for the hydrangea propagating info. I will surely give the one a try, especially the one where you mentioned bending the branch over to the earth and placing a rock atop the branch. It amazes me what a person can learn if they just ask. Sounds like I could have lots of starts for next year. I have the Annabelle, the Limelite and two blue bloomers, that I cannot think of the name of, off the top of my head. I might also try the above mentioned propagating with the Limelite as well.
Will see how it goes. Thanks a bunch!

My oldest one is P.G. and an unnamed blue one from our last house. Then I added two more - Little Honey and Lady in Red a few years ago. About 3 years ago I just got hit with hydrangea fever and went on a buying tear so have close to 60 different ones in my collection now. Some have done very well while others are kind of laggards which may be genetic or they don't like where I put them. Added four new this year but still looking for exciting new varieties.

Here is one of my Annabelle hydrangeas after a storm we had a week ago.

Wow - 60 different hydrangea. I'm impressed. I see your container beside the Annabelle in the picture - that must be your propagating that you spoke of in an earlier in the thread. I can't see that the storm hurt the one in above photo? Hope not. I like your fence in front of the hydrangea. What kind of companion plants do you find that look really good with the hydrangea? I'm guessing that you have a lot of shade and a large area for your gardens.

That storm broke the top out of a very tall maple and it landed hanging upside down smashing some azaleas and begonias but not breaking them. The hydrangea was not affected by the maple top but the wind and hard rain broke a branch or two and the blooms were so heavy with water that they were all drooping.

The pot has a begonia in it and I have a tray there as well with the very big Jiffy peat pellets. I am propagating some begonias and a rhododendron there (at least I am trying to propagate a rhody there). I used it last year for weigela and they were potted up earlier this year.

The fence is 4 foot wide by 3 foot high and is easily assembled (bought at HD) and is meant to keep our dogs out but our youngest can easily jump it but he also knows if he is caught behind the "fence of death", he will be in deep trouble. We do have quite a bit of shade and some sunny areas - the sunny areas are more open for the dogs to run. Since I have hydrangeas running from the front of the backyard to the back of the backyard (no hydrangeas in the front yard or side yards yet), then some will have more sun than others and companion plants run the gamut. Lilies, arborvitaes, peonies, flowering quinces, mountain laurels, ornamental cherry trees are a few plants in one bed with two hydrangeas and is in full sun (Phantom, Ruby Slippers). The next area is much shadier and I have a few Japanese maples, native azaleas, hostas, and ferns plus a few other perennials. Little Honey, Venice, two Lowe's hydrangeas are among the hostas, Penny Mac, Miranda (variegated climbing hydrangea) are next to a star magnolia. Lemon Daddy is behind the star magnolia and doesn't get as much sun as I would like. A big beech provides quite a bit of shade. I just got an Abracadabra that may go in this same area.

The bed with that particular Annabelle has azaleas, toad lilies, and hostas plus a few begonia pots. That area has tall poplars, a mature dogwood, and a muscle wood tree as well. The tall maple needs to go though. It has a green climbing hydrangea and Madame Mouillere there as well.

Another bed is filled with lilies, hostas, a couple of rhododendrons, wild ginger, daffodils, spirea, and many hydrangeas (Alice, Ellen Huff, Blushing Bride, Doublicious, Shooting Stars, Bombshell, Harmony, Ruby Slippers, Wedding Cake, Twist 'N' Shout, Little Lamb, Limelight, Mars, Ruby Slippers, Scarlett, Blue Bunny, and a few I don't remember).

My last area is a very large area that is mainly for summer growing of begonias (hundreds of them), but shares the upper region with many hydrangeas, hostas, coral bells, strawberry begonia, weigela, Abelia, mock orange, and maybe a couple other hardies. The hydrangeas on this side are Snow Queen, Snowflake (the only double bloomed oak leaf), Hanabi, Lilacina, Endless Summer (not impressed so far), Invincible Spirit (not impressed thus far), Sister Theresa, Incrediball (another dud so far), Wedding Gown, Wedding Ring, Stargazer, two Limelight, two Vanilla Strawberry (no pink yet), Pinky Winky, another Annabelle. I have a raised bed with two variegated willows, canna lilies, Vinca minor, and two hydrangeas. Finally I have a big old P.G. in the area where the dogs are allowed to run.

Here are a few pics from last year since the winter kill this winter means less blooms this year.

Penny Mac, Blushing Bride, Wedding Gown, Wedding Ring, and Shooting Star (Hanabi)