How to grow Bigleaf Hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla

Prefers morning sun, afternoon shade and moist, well-drained soil. Should be protected from frost by covering the plant with a blanket or cardboard container when temperatures drop below freezing. Can adapt very well to containers. After plants have established a light application of fertilizer can be applied several times during the growing season. Use a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 and apply in March, May and July. Water soon after application to help dissolve the fertilizer and send it into the soil.2

Growing Bigleaf hydrangea from seed

Easier from cuttings. Will root in water.

Transplanting Bigleaf hydrangea

Choose a bright or semi shade position in good fertile soil
can be used as a house plant while small and in flower, then placed outside in the border to continue.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Bigleaf hydrangea is a hardy plant.

Harvesting Bigleaf hydrangea

Flowers can be used as cut flower, fresh or dried. Drying flowers is best done with the ‘water’ or ‘wet’ method.1

How long does Bigleaf hydrangea take to grow?

These estimates for how long Bigleaf hydrangea takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Bigleaf hydrangea to germinate?
47 days

Average 47 days | Min 47 days | Max 47 days (1)

Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Bigleaf hydrangea?
+ days

Average days | Min days | Max days (0)

Days to Maturity How long until Bigleaf hydrangea is ready for harvest / bloom?
+ 38 days

Average 38 days | Min 5 days | Max 83 days (33)

Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Bigleaf hydrangea?
= days

Bigleaf hydrangea Folklore & Trivia

The blue, mauve or pink colour of hydrangea sepals correlates with the aluminium content of the growing medium. Feeding hydrangea with aluminium sulphate can restore a deep blue colour to a plant that has begun to revert to mauve or even pink. Conversley, binding metal ions to lime results in pink blooms. This means that hydranga grown in ericaceous or acidic soil have an increased metal ion availability to form the metal-complex pigments that result in blue sepals.

Other names for Bigleaf hydrangea

Hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser.

Misspellings: Hydrangea Macrophylia, Porch Geranium, Hydranger

Footnotes

1 DIY Flower Drying

2 University of Georgia extension


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