Comments on: How to protect your hydrangea for the winter

By: Patty

Sun, 02 Jan 2022 09:51:32 +0000

Used to listen to KDKA when I lived in Butler County 12 years ago. living in the Fla. coastal panhandle now. Wow, had to relearn gardening down here. Miss those tomatoes the most!

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By: Jessica Walliser

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 16:57:38 +0000

In reply to Chris.

Hi Chris – I think your technique sounds great! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. Let us know how it works out next season.

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By: Chris

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 04:04:52 +0000

Hi! My two Star Gazer lacecap hydrangea macrophylla bloom on old and new wood. I live in zone 6a and we had a mild winter which caused both shrubs to bud out early. Then we had two hard late spring freezes which killed the early buds. We tried putting up sheets to protect them but it clearly didn’t work. I got a few flowers from the new growth buds, but nothing like the year before. I’ve learned my lesson and now have stakes up wrapped with burlap just slightly higher than the bushes. I’ve read elsewhere that I should also fill the area with shredded leaves as high as the plants – but they are 4′ high and that’s a ton of leaves!! So we’ve just filled about 12″ high, knowing it will compact with snow. The bushes have a mix of green and burned leaves from the three freezes we’ve had in this odd fall – a week of upper 70s in November?! – just nuts. Sorry – so my question is, does it sound like I’ve protected them sufficiently or too much? These two have such gorgeous flowers – I want to keep them thriving! THANK YOU!

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By: Jessica Walliser

Sat, 25 Apr 2020 11:44:20 +0000

In reply to Ellen.

I think that’s a great plan. As long as the room doesn’t get too hot early in the spring and you remember to water the pots lightly every 6 to 8 weeks.

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By: Ellen

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 15:23:47 +0000

We have very little success getting our big leaf hydrangeas to bloom. We’ve mulched deeply for the winter (zone 5b) but still no luck. We are considering digging them up and potting them and bringing them into our unheated 3 season room for the winter. We do this with mums and it works great (mums don’t winter outside well here either). This room gets down into the 20’s at the worst part of winter. Any thoughts on how this plan might work?

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By: Jessica Walliser

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 16:45:27 +0000

In reply to Elizabeth.

Yes, put the burlap on in the fall and leave it up until the spring. The leaves will all fall off, but the buds will (hopefully) remain viable. Do not cut the branches back in the spring, even if you think they’re dead. They could be holding the flower buds for later that season. Just leave them be. At the very least, the stems will form a support scaffolding for new branches.

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By: Elizabeth

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 13:24:34 +0000

I moved into a house with four established very large hydrangeas. None bloomed until late in the summer, ONE bloom on the bottom of ONE plant. Now (in October) that one plants has many buds on it that are flowering. It seems super late for a hydrangea to bloom?

J am in southern Ohio – so, if I do the burlap and stakes before first front, I leave that on until after last frost? And the old leaves will have fallen off? And then do I cut down or no? I believe mine grow on new growth because after they started growing this year, I went in and cut back the sticks inside the green. Did I mess up? I just want them to come back healthy!!

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By: Jessica Walliser

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 02:34:08 +0000

In reply to Jean Schroder.

Here is a link to the USDA hardiness zone map that you can use to determine your growing zone: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

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By: Jean Schroder

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 17:33:56 +0000

I live in Oklahoma and do not know what my zone area is. Can you supply me with
what zone I live in?.

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By: Jessica Walliser

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 01:03:10 +0000

In reply to Alice Wilson.

Yes. I would plant it in the ground as soon as possible. Another option is to sink the pot into the compost pile or veggie garden as a temporary holding area. This insulates the roots for the winter until you can plant it in the spring.

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