Alan Titchmarsh shows off his hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are the perfect plant for a British cottage garden with their pastel colours and intricate flowers. The popular plants can be placed in beds and borders or containers, and bloom from mid-summer to the end of the year.
The most popular hydrangeas are lacecaps and mopheads. Lacecaps have tiny flowers in the centre of the bloom and large petals on the outer border.
Mopheads have full, round heads of large petals and come in a range of beautiful colours like blue, purple, white and pale pink.
Hydrangeas are easy to look after but do need to be pruned in order to thrive.
With this in mind, Jack Sutcliffe, co-founder of Power Sheds has shared the “perfect time” to prune hydrangeas in early spring exclusively with Express.co.uk for a thriving plant.
The plant expert also shared how to plant, water, repot and feed hydrangeas.
Pruning
“Early spring is the perfect time to prune hydrangeas, before the new growth begins,” Jack said.
When pruning the plant, remove dead or damaged branches and stems, and cut back any stems that are too long or out of shape.
Planting
Hydrangeas need to be planted in well-drained soil, in a partially-shaded area.
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The plant needs plenty of space as they can grow to be quite wide – from 60cm to four metres.
Hydrangeas also like morning sun, but do not do well if they’re in direct, hot afternoon sun.
Climbing hydrangeas need to be planted against a wall or a fence so they can produce aerial roots that cling to the surface.
Some smaller hydrangeas need to be grown in pots, regularly watered and occasionally fed.
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Watering
Jack said hydrangeas need to be watered “deeply and regularly”, especially during growing season.
However, gardeners need to make sure they don’t over-water their plants as this can lead to “root rot”.
Hydrangeas that have been planted recently need to be well-watered during dry spells.
Repotting
If you have hydrangeas in containers, they need to be repotted every two to three years, or when the roots become pot-bound.
Jack said the “best” potting mix to use needs to have good drainage and contain organic matter.
Feeding
Jack explained: “Feed hydrangeas with a balanced fertiliser once a month during the growing season.
“Make sure to follow the instructions on the packer to avoid overfeeding.”
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