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Re: [SG] Hydrangeas

Helen,

I've got three non-hardy, florist type hydrangeas that I keep in pots the
year around.  After cold weather comes and the first frosts cause them to
lose their foliage and go dormant, I take the pots into our garage - which
has this lousy plastic 'A' frame on one of the doors that I call my pseudo
greenhouse - and stick them behind everything else.  They get some light,
but not direct sun.  I water so that the soil does not go really dry, but
you don't want to keep them soggy and they don't need the continually moist
soil they need when in growth.  They leaf out before it is safe to put them
outside because the temps don't drop much below 40F in there.  Then, it's
nip and tuck keeping them happy until I can safely harden them off and put
them out under our covered walk, where they summer - in pretty much full
shade, with slanted light from around the edges.  My pseudo greenhouse is
so stuffed, there's not much way to rearrange things once they leaf out so
that they get the light they'd like.  But, they survive for the last couple
of months.  Good thing Hydrangeas grow in the shade!

I feed them Osmacote in early spring, and sometimes repot them, if they
look like they need it.  They bloom for me each year and, although they do
not grow as large as they would in the ground, they seem pretty happy.
I've had the oldest one for maybe five years or so.  Keep getting them for
Mother's Day from various children, so the group has grown over time.

So, answer to your question is YES, you can keep them in pots and
overwinter them inside.  You want to put yours in the coldest frost-free
spot you've got.  They can handle temps. down into the high 20sF with no
problem in the ground, but in pots, I don't like to let them freeze because
the roots are vulnerable.  Once they leaf out, water so that they stay
continually moist, but not soggy.  I water the pots every day during
summer, while they are outside.  Oh, and they are potted in my standard
potting mix - not soil from the garden - it should be fast draining, like
all potting mixes.  If you want to maintain the blue in the flowers, the
mix needs to be on the acid side and fertilizing with Miracid would
probably be better than Osmacote - or in addition to, tho' my blue ones
bloom blue for me.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
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----------
> From: Helen Gunnarsson <HWGunnar@AOL.COM>
> Date: Thursday, August 06, 1998 7:00 PM
>
> As long as we're talking hydrangeas....I bought a Nikko Blue hydrangea
from
> Gurney's 3 years ago since the catalog said it was hardy to Zone 5, where
I am
> (Chicago).  It bloomed the first summer and I was very happy, since I
LOVE
> blue hydrangeas.  Every winter since then it has died down to the ground
and
> then sprouted anew each spring, meaning nice foliage but no more flowers,
> since I now know that it flowers on the 2nd year's wood.  Well, I feel a
bit
> deceived by the advertising; I guess "technically" it is hardy in this
zone,
> but it does me no good, since I'll never get any more flowers from it.
For
> this reason, I have resolved never to order anything from Gurney's again.
> But, this year I finally dug it up and planted it in a large plastic
> container, hoping that I can keep some wood above ground alive over the
winter
> in our garage so that in the spring after hard frosts are over I can
bring it
> out and hopefully have some more flowers.  Does anyone have any tips for
doing
> this?  Do I keep the earth wet over the winter?  Anything special I
should do?
> Does anyone think it's a useless endeavor?  Thanks for any and all
advice.
>
> Helen
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