luis_pr
Greener Thumb
Posts: 824
Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:31 am
Location: Hurst, TX USA Zone 7b/8a

How was this most recent winter for your hydrangeas?

I have heard from some people whose location was kept rather mild for a winter but then things cooled below 20 degrees and all unprotected hydrangeas suffered. How did yours do?

Thanks to El Nin~o, this was my most weird hydrangea winter. Some sub-freezing weather but close to 32. No sleet, no snow and a sprinkle of ice in the city but not in my area. In late January, I had camellias, azaleas, quince and roses blooming. Hydrangeas started to leaf out from month end in Jan thru early March. Mopheads and lacecaps leafed out first. Beat the akleafs by a mere week though. Oakleaf hydrangeas bloomed earliest, in April, mopheads and lacecaps followed suit and paniculatas are now in the broccoli stage.

ophoenix
Newly Registered
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2016 2:27 am

Our winter in the PNW, Zone 8b, was mild and wet! The hydrangeas were in their perfect conditions. It was so mild that the cuttings that I started in the late winter are actually showing blossoms - the bloom heads are as big as the little plants. I tried a really easy way to propagate some that I read about in one of Dan Hinkley's book "take 12 - 16 inch branch cuttings, making sure that one or more leave nodes are in the soil and just leaving the pot out in the garden in a semi shaded spot." Sure enough, almost all of them rooted without heat mats, covers, watering or any care at all! It was almost too successful and now all of my friends and neighbors have new plants for their gardens. When we cut back the plants in Feb. to maintain shape and keep them from spreading all over the place - I did the same and the new starts should be ready to plant in the fall!

luis_pr
Greener Thumb
Posts: 824
Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:31 am
Location: Hurst, TX USA Zone 7b/8a

Hello, Shirley. So just put the branch into the potting soil and that's it? No removing of leaves or other stuff? Nice. What does he consider semi-shaded? something in full but bright shade?



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