Fertilize liberally in the spring, in May in the South,
and again in August. Wait until June to fertilize in northern areas. Use a good balanced, slow-release,
fertilizer and apply ¼ cup around the base of a very small plant, and 1-2 cups around a very large plant. Spread out
to drip line, but don't get it next to the trunk. Mulch with homemade compost to cover roots.
Never fertilize a plant that looks sick or wilted, it will just stress it more. Propagation You can propagate from softwood cuttings in June. Take
a 6"-8" tip cutting, strip off the bottom leaves, dip end in rooting hormone, then stick about one inch deep in sterile
moist sand, vermiculite or sphagnum moss. Create a mini green house over plants with plastic and place in bright
light, not full sun, until roots form. Or, you can just root them in water. Again, place in
bright light away from full sun until the roots form. Planting
Pruning In Spring, prune back old or damaged growth, and old
flower stems. Don't cut new shoots, they are where the new blooms will be.
In late summer, after blooming, prune to just above the next outward facing bud. For larger flower clusters, thin plant down to half the
number of stems. Problems Powdery Mildew—evidenced by white powder on leaves, which then turn yellow and wilt. Treat by removing infected parts and spraying with a fungicide. If the plants aren't blooming well, it could be due to:
Fun Fact: You can change the color of the blossoms, by changing the
acidity of the soil. Add Aluminum Sulfate to make the soil acid for Blue
flowers. Or, add Lime to make the soil alkaline for Pink flowers. You will need to repeat the process 2 or 3 times over the
growing season and continue it as long as you want the change to continue. It may take a year or two to see the
results you want. This doesn't usually work on the white varieties on Hydrangeas.
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