Hydrangeas are beautiful bloomers, but sometimes they grow harder than expected. Don't panic! With these tips, you can keep your favourite hydrangeas compact and give them the best spot in your garden.
A larger space
Got some space? Move your hydrangea to a more spacious spot. Prepare the plant for this by rounding the root ball a few times during the growing season (med-September). To do this, put the spade into the ground about 30 cm around the outer branches. This will encourage the formation of new, compact roots allowing the hydrangea to quickly take root in its new location. You can transplant it between November and February provided it’s not freezing outside. The plant is dormant around this time and will take better root.
Tear it up
It sounds drastic, but tearing is a proven method of keeping hydrangeas compact. In early spring or late autumn, first prune the plant back to one-third. Then dig it out and chop the root ball into 2 or 3 parts with a spade. Replant it in your garden or in a pot for use on your patio. That’s double or even
triple the joy from your favourite hydrangea!
A big pruning session
Proven Winners hydrangeas are easy to prune back if they have grown too big for your garden. This way, you make them compact again and they can stay in place longer. Prune in early spring, before the plant sprouts.
Wild hydrangeas, (for example Strong Annabelle®), panicle hydrangeas (such as Quick Fire Fab®) and oak leaf hydrangeas (Gatsby® Moon), sprout strongly after spring pruning and flower profusely the same year. With these varieties, you take off a third of the height in a normal pruning. But if they get too big, you can cut back to two-thirds of the height to make them compact.
Bulb hydrangeas (e.g. Flair & Flavours® Sweet Cupcake) and screen hydrangeas (like Flair & Flavours® Strawberry n Cream) will also tolerate a hefty pruning if they get too big. Keep in mind that they will not flower that year. The following year they will flower all the more abundantly.
A smaller replacement
Prefer a more compact hydrangea? Then choose a smaller variety, such as the panicle hydrangea Little Lime® Punch, the wild hydrangea BellaRagazza® Limetta or screen hydrangea Flair & Flavours® Frozen Smoothie. These compact beauties flower just as abundantly and are just as charming as their larger relatives.