Greetings,
I planted several one-gallon and two-gallon oakleaf hydrangeas last year. Most of them have several stalks/shoots/branches/whatever-I-should-call-them, so while they're still very small and skinny they do show some signs of someday becoming a shrub.
But one has exactly one shoot so far, and therefore looks more like an extremely young tree. Should I do something to convince this plant to branch out, such as cutting back that stalk, or should I leave it alone and have confidence that it will branch out someday? It is starting to get buds of...something, I guess leaves, so it hasn't just stopped growing.
Thanks,
Burnet
Single-stalk Oakleaf Hydrangea
Let it grow. Its growth behavior will tell you what to do. Remember, it is a woody plant. As it matures you can prune for shape, but I would minimize it. I grow many of them here in our hot, humid climate, but they all have dappled shade and little, if any, afternoon sun. You have a much different climate, even though we are in the same zone. You should have many leaves to put around their base. They love it. Happy gardening.
I have three oakleaf hydrangeas that were at the house when I bought it. I didnt even know what they were whnen I looked at the house, except that it had a dead flower head on it and I could tell from the dead flowers that it was some kind of hydrangea. We moved in early October and wre sowrapped up in getting unpacked, Ididn't pay much attention tothe yard. Well, this Spring, I went outside and found the OLs covered with red and purple leaves. Within a month or so, they had doubled or tripeld in size and were covered in new leaves. Now they are covered in buds and some are starting to bloom. I really like these guys, even though the white flower spikes aren't as exciting as the mopheads. I also love the way they put babies off at the bottom. I dopn't have much in my yard and have been able to trade some of hte babies for daylilies to go in the bed I dug (which is a little on the skimpy side while I wait for my trades!) Here is apic of my smaller OL. Not bad considering the house sat empty for a whole year before we moved in and all the plants (and the house) were in a sad state of neglect. I have my hands full...inside and out!
Here is a pic of the buds starting to bloom on this OL. The whole plant is covered in them! I think it likes all the water I am giving it, but I am being careful not to let it get wet feet! You should see the other plants. This is the smallest of the three. Oh, I also have three mopheads and I picked up two variegated hydrangeas at the botanical gardens sale. One of the supposed Master Gardeners at the sale didn't even know what the variegated hydgrangeas were!
