Lowes had hydrangeas that were marked down, I suppose from the frost we've gotten here. They're not in to bad of condition. There are flowers on them, but they're not doing so good. I think they have been very over watered. Should I repot them, cut the flowers off and hope for the best? I was thinking about going to get more. They had tags, whether they're the right ones or not is another story, One kind is a Macrophylla and the other says Merritt's Supreme. Thanks for any advice.
hydrangeas at Lowes
Hi Tammy,
Any hydrangeas that are blooming now were being grown in a greenhouse and forced into bloom out of season, so you'll have to be a little careful as you adjust them to being outdoors since in their natural state, they would just be starting to leaf out now (or maybe not even doing that for a few weeks--I don't know how early this would happen in your zone). Repotting is definitely a good idea if you think they were overwatered, but I would keep them indoors until after your last frost date then transplant them outside (hydrangeas that have been grown outdoors will know when the right time is to leaf out, but since these ones were forced out of dormancy very early, they could easily get damaged if you have a cold snap and they're outside). Also, since they were forced out of their natural cycle, don't expect them to bloom again this year, but hopefully if you plant them in the ground this year you can get them back on their normal cycle.
Here's a pic of Merritt's Supreme so you can see what it will look like (it's also a macrophylla):
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/49294/index.html
Thanks for your help. Should I cut the old flowers off before I repot them?
It wouldn't hurt, if the flowers are dried up already it's not a big deal but if they're still blooming then it'll help to cut them off because that way the plant can focus its energy on roots and new growth.
thanks ecrane3, you've been really helpful!