davosteel74
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Hydrangea outgrown pot ?

Hi
Can anyone tell me whether this hydrangea has outgrown its pot ?
The pot is H28cm x W26cm (although the mouth reduces to 22cm due to the pots lip).
If it is now too big, will it be possible to remove the plant and replant in a flower bed ? I'm thinking the pots lip (which makes the mouth narrow) might make this a bit tricky ?

Thanks in advance
DS
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luis_pr
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Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:31 am
Location: Hurst, TX USA Zone 7b/8a

I use the roots to determine that. If they are growing around the sides, maybe circling around the sides, or if the roots are growing out of the water holes then I would move it to a larger pot. I would keep moving to a larger pot until it gets to the max pot size that I can handle and from that time forward, I just take out the plant, cut the roots and put it back on the same pot. Or I get another shrub for the pot and do something else with the potted one , like plant it on the ground or give it to someone.

davosteel74
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Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2016 9:11 am

Thanks
Any tips for removing and repotting ?
What's the best way to remove the plant from a relatively narrow pot ? I don't want to damage the plant and am a beginner !

Thanks again

Dave.

luis_pr
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Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:31 am
Location: Hurst, TX USA Zone 7b/8a

I had that issue with another plant, not a hydrangea, and I called someone at a local plant nursery for hints. She told me what to do but then offered to help me if I brought the pot to the plant nursery. Since this was not a heavy pot, I took the plant and they got it out. From what I recall, they loosened the soil at the sides with their hands and with some digging instruments (they dug fingers straight down at the edges to loosen the soil and roots located there). Not all the way down, mind you. At a certain point, they turned the fingers inwards and pulled up. Too much resistance that first time so they went 90 degrees from that position and repeated. With their hands digging straight down and then turning the fingers inwards from the sides, they then pulled the plant upwards and it came out. Total time, a few minutes? I expected a more time-consuming and complicated "surgery".

My original plan, I admit, was to break the pot. Hee hee hee. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Note: I have not bought that type of pots since though.

luis_pr
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Location: Hurst, TX USA Zone 7b/8a

PS - The tiny roots in the top 4" of the soil provide the plant with moisture so try not to disturn those as best as you can, knowing that some roots always get disturbed when repotting. Just give it a TLC afterwards and monitor it in the summer months like you did on its first summer. Treat repotting as if you were transplanting. During transplanting, you treat the plant as if you had just planted it in the ground for the first time. So you check soil moisture, fertilizers and mulch often during the rest of the growing season; on year two, you can take a break and check less frequently. But always sporadically ck established/older hydrangeas in the summer months.
Last edited by luis_pr on Mon Mar 07, 2016 11:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

davosteel74
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Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2016 9:11 am

Wow, thanks Luis !
Wonderful, helpful advice.
I'm very grateful :)



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