Hydrangeas, which are plants belonging to the genus Hydrangea, are one of the flowering plants most appreciated by gardening enthusiasts, since their flowers, formed in striking bouquets, are a contribution of color and exceptional life to any garden or garden. space.
These plants, coming from Asia, show a great diversity of sizes, although most of those that are marketed here are medium-sized shrubs. Growing hydrangeas in the garden is not excessively complicated, but things get complicated when we try to care for hydrangeas indoors. However, it is not impossible: if you wonder how to take care of potted hydrangeas and want to know what steps you should follow so that they last for many years, both indoors and outdoors, join us in this article.
Characteristics of hydrangeas
As we have mentioned, there are members of the Hydrangea genus that are the size of small trees or that are climbing in shape, but what is popularly known as hydrangeas will almost always be a shrub just over a meter high, with a rounded shape, a leaf It expires and is typical of temperate climates, although it can grow much larger in the right conditions.
Its leaves tend to be a beautiful bright green, although without a doubt the most attractive of the plant are its bouquets of flowers, which can be white or pink or blue, depending on the variety and the pH of the soil. Do you want to know the varieties of hydrangeas ? Here we indicate the main ones.
Wondering how long the hydrangea flower lasts ? These bouquets, which appear in spring, fall or summer depending on the climate and variety, last a few weeks individually, although the plant replaces old flowers with new ones throughout its flowering season, which is several months.
¿ What to do for flowering hydrangeas ? In a moment we will see what are the specific care that this plant needs in a pot; If your hydrangea is not blooming, you are most likely neglecting one of them, the most common being a lack of light or space.
How to plant hydrangeas in a pot
To learn how to care for a potted hydrangea plant, you first have to take into account some aspects of planting it.
- When you bring your new hydrangea home, prepare its new large pot , which should be at least twice the size of the plant’s root ball.
- Bury it with the appropriate substrate, which we will discuss later, right up to where it was in its nursery or store pot.
- Water the land abundantly.
- Keep the plant covered from the sun for a few days while it acclimatizes.
Light and location for hydrangeas
How much sun do hydrangeas need? Virtually all hydrangea species agree that they need a very bright environment, with at least 5 hours of light a day . They especially like the light that comes from the East, that is to say, that of the morning, since they do not tolerate direct exposure to a very intense sun well, being better to keep it covered from the hours of light of noon and afternoon.
Thus, your hydrangea will need a lighted room where the plant receives either direct sunlight in the morning, provided you are in a mild climate, or indirect exposure throughout a good part of the day. In very hot climates, a semi-shade location may be more than adequate for these plants.
Regarding the pots, this is also one of the most important points in the care of indoor hydrangeas. The first thing is that it is necessary that you have your hydrangeas in large pots , about 50 cm in diameter, since, if the roots do not have enough space to develop and look for nutrients, the plant will not flower or even dry out. It is also necessary that the pot has drainage holes, and it could help to have wheels or the like to move it if you are going to have to move it to different locations during the morning and afternoon.
Watering the potted hydrangeas
We go on to detail another very important point in the care of these plants: how to water a potted hydrangea? The hydrangea needs a lot of humidity , being a plant that usually enjoys the rain outdoors. Indoors, water it when the top layer of the substrate has dried, applying a deep watering and removing the excess water from the plate or tray at the base of the pot. In warm months and if the weather is hot, the hydrangea may need daily watering.
Another very important point of irrigation for potted hydrangeas is that this plant does not like water with a lot of lime, something that happens in tap water in many areas. If this is the case and you notice that your hydrangea turns yellow, water your plant with rainwater or decalcify the water , letting it rest for about 24 hours, before watering the plant with it.
Substrate and compost for hydrangeas
Potted hydrangeas need a substrate rich in nutrients and with great drainage , that is, one that is light. Use a mixture with vermicompost and peat , which will give the plant the nutrients it needs.
Also, hydrangeas that are not white can change color depending on the pH of the soil. If you have one of these varieties, you can alter the pH of the soil by making it higher, if you want pink flowers, or lower, if you are looking to have hydrangeas with blue flowers . It is common to resort, for example, to vinegar for hydrangeas
, adding it to irrigation in order to acidify the soil. Still, always be careful when altering the pH of the substrate for hydrangeas, keep in mind that it is a long process that must be done slowly and gradually.Try to put compost in spring in the substrate of your plants, it will help them to give flowers with more force. Always choose organic fertilizers and, if possible, those that are specific for hydrangeas. However, do not abuse its use as it can change the pH of the soil.
Pruning potted hydrangeas
After flowering , pruning potted hydrangeas is especially important, since you must prune all the dried flowers so that the plant does not waste resources on those stems and gives a good flowering the following year again.
