Plant Profile: Hydrangea

Hydrangea can be grown just about anywhere in Australia with the right positioning, and they flower prolifically in blues, pinks, reds and whites.

They are reliable shrubs that produce a fantastic display every Summer with clusters of flowers that are hard to miss. Their large leaves give a lush feeling and liven up any corner of the garden.

Sunlight: Plant in a position in sun or dappled shade that offers protection from the hottest sun.

Watering: Give the ground a good soaking around your hydrangeas once or twice a week. They will need particular attention in the warmer months.

Soil: Before planting hydrangea, ensure you’ve given your soil a little love. Dig in good amounts of Garden Soil and ActivGrow Soil Improver, or choose a high quality premium potting mix if you’re going to keep your hydrangea potted.

Mulching: Hydrangea are ideally mulched with a chunky mulch like Pine Bark Mulch to help lock moisture. Pine bark is also a long-lasting mulch which takes quite some time to break down.

Pruning: Prune hydrangea in winter, but be sure to only prune stems that have flowered previously.

Varieties: White hydrangeas are usually quite stable in their colouring, the pink and blue varieties can be deepened simply by changing the pH of your soil. Add garden lime to soil to make it more alkaline (above pH 7) for a deeper pink, or add compost or coffee grounds to soil to increase acidity for darker blue colours.