New Endless Summer owner HELP!!

[1manda1]

Hi, I am new to the hydrangea owner title as well as to these forums. I recently purchased 2 Endless Summer's and am not too sure what to do with them. Some things I read say leave them alone, others say prune before blooming to get more blooms, others say just deadhead and that's plenty. So, what gives? I am in Zone 5, they get morning sun (until 10 am) then evening sun, complete shade during the day. I would obviously like the most blooms possible, so I'm leary about cutting new blooms to produce more (sounds backwards to me). Also, when they say "cut it back" I'm not sure what that means? Where, how far, how much? I'm a pretty new gardner so alot of the lingo confuses me. I need laymans terms! If anyone can help I'd appreciate the info.

Thanks,

Amanda

[opabinia51]

I don't know about endless summer but, with hydrangeas that we have had in the past and that my old neighbour has, we just dead head them and leave them alone. A little compost here, play with the soil pH there and that's abou it.

Anybody else have any information?

[cacbeary]

I bought an endless summer this year. I just take off the spent blooms & that's it. I've had 3 blooms showing on it since I bought it.

My blooms are smaller than the ones that were there from the nursery but I figure that's because it was growing under nursery conditions.

I'm not too concerned about pruning - I figure a have a few years before I have to worry about that. It has a big space to grow.

[1manda1]

thanks for the help. I was thinking I didn't need to do much, except deadhead, but then read if you prune them early that you would get better/more blooms the next year. Does that not sound right?
Like everyone, I want them to get big fast! And bloom a ton.
Amanda

[opabinia51]

Lots of good books at the library on gardening as well. The internet is a good place but, sometimes the information that you recieve can be questionable.