Hydrangea Forever & Ever ‘Pink’ | 5L Pot

Bare root and containerised plants have differing planting requirements. With bare root, it is important to soak the roots in water for up to two hours before planting, and with containerised plants, you should drench their rootball. For bare root plants, it is also beneficial to prune any woody roots back a few inches, and if you have a containerised plant, you should free any spiralized roots that are growing around the rootball’s circumference. When planting, bare root plants need a graft point that is above the soil, but for containerised plants, it is better to have their pot sitting no less than an inch below the ground.

Bare root and containerised plants also share some of their planting needs; dig a hole twice the radius of the rootball, and fill the hole with a mix of compost and garden soil. After this, add fertiliser and mycorrhizal fungi. After providing a generous watering, you can finish with a later of mulch, but keep it from touching your plant’s stems.

Apply fertiliser and replace decomposed mulch come spring. Collect fallen leaves in autumn.

Hydrangeas are easy to grow, but their flowering can be affected by soil pH. Below we address some common queries:

Position: Hydrangea plants prefer full sun, but will suffice in dappled shade. If you are to plant in full sun, be sure to apply mulch, which will help trap moisture. This is important as Hydrangeas are quick to suffer from insufficient watering.

Soil pH: Hydrangea with blue or pink flowers will change in colour depending on the soil’s pH (flowers will turn blue in acidic soils, and pink in alkali soils). You can increase the acidity of your soil by watering with rainwater and using pine needles, and using conifer bark or ericaceous compost as mulch. You can also increase the alkalinity by using mushroom compost as mulch or adding pulverised calcium carbonate.

Soil Types: It is important to avoid waterlogged soils, as these can starve a plant of oxygen.

Planting In Pots: Planting in pots is recommended if your soil is at the wrong pH as maintaining a pH in a garden soil can be challenging. Planting with ericaceous or mushroom compost will help boost acidity and alkalinity respectively. Soil nutrients will deplete over time, so adding fertiliser will help ensure good flowering. Our nursery staff will change the soil annually to help achieve a floriferous display.

Hardiness: The most popular Hydrangea species (macrophylla and paniculata) come from temperate regions, and are therefore well suited to the UK’s climate.