retrieve out when to plant hydrangeas to get your plants off to a strong start .
Jason Wilde
Knowing when to plant hydrangeas will help you successfully grow these shrubs in your garden . Hydrangeas growin most area of the U.S. , provide a stunning display of color , make excellent cut flowers , and blossom for hebdomad or months . And there areall form of varieties to choose from , thanks to plant breeding efforts . This guide explain the best time to plant hydrangeas and provides stride - by - stride instructions for planting these shrubs properly .

Credit:Jason Wilde
Planting Hydrangeas in the Fall
Fall is the optimal prison term toplant many bush and trees , and hydrangeas are no different . transplantation is often a shock to the plant . Its roots are disturbed and damaged , and the day-by-day care and feeding the hydrangea received at the nursery ends . It ’s a one - two punch that can cause significant setbacks for the plant .
To belittle the shock , plant hydrangeas in fall when the weather has chill , the soil is less likely to dry out from the sun and high temperature , and conditions are less harsh for the newly implant bush .
Planting in the fallmeans less piss personnel casualty from the leaves while the roots are still lay down . New roots can take form and take time lag , fine root hair can acquire , and the plant life can focalize on settling in , not on attempt to put out newfangled ontogenesis and efflorescence while low on water and Energy Department . However , found in the twilight does n’t work if it is n’t clock correctly .

Credit:Peter Krumhardt
Best Time to Plant Hydrangeas in the Fall
For planting hydrangeas in fall to be good , the plant must be in the basis with time to begin new root growth . If planted too recently , such as in locations with former , stale winters , the plant go dormant , and the earth freezes before new theme growth occurs .
How long is long enough ? Four weeksbefore your first frostis a good time to embed new hydrangeas . For most of us , the dark are embark on to cool down , the day temps are more temperate , and the days are become shorter . surrender - implant hydrangea seem to take off in spring ; they do n’t have to spend time give their roots before growing newfangled vegetation .
How to Plant Hydrangeas in Fall
Whenplanting hydrangeasin the crepuscule , follow these footstep :
Peter Krumhardt
When Is It Too Late to Plant Hydrangeas in the Fall?
It ’s best to plant hydrangeas in the ground six week before the flat coat freeze out , which can be several workweek or longer after your first evenfall frost . In some areas , the undercoat never freezes in winter .
If the calendar has gotten away from you , put the plants in the ground anyway . They ’ll be better off in the ground than in a plastic pot exposed to the insensate , even if they do n’t have enough time to establish . If the ground has n’t frozen yet , plop them in somewhere . Since they wo n’t have time to produce much new stem growth , moving them in spring will be easy if you decide on a different location .
Trying a hydrangea variety that is n’t quite fearless in yourUSDA Zone — a hydrangea fink for Zones 5 - 9 in your Zone 4 position , for example — is fine , but do n’t plant it in the fall . Its survival will be touch and go , and it ’ll be better off with an entire growing season to become established before trying to hold up the wintertime . establish it in saltation .
Planting Hydrangeas in the Spring
Spring is the season of planting and renewal . While gloam is optimal , hydrangeas can be successfully planted in spring . Leafed - out , containerized hydrangea baby’s room blood should be planted after thelast frost in spring . Dormant , bare - root word hydrangeas are a different chronicle . They need to be plant as soon as they get at your doorstep and the priming coat is workable .
The benefit of spring planting include warming soil temperature , abundant ( unremarkably ) soil wet , a foresighted growing time of year give up great deal of time to get established before the winter dormancy , and a felicitous cooperation with Mother Nature ’s normal schedule of new outgrowth in spring . However , you ’ll need to watch out for dry spells and the attack of hot weather . A new hydrangea planted in natural spring involve frequent watering and might suffer more in the red-hot sun than more accomplished flora .
Mulching help oneself moderate filth temperatures and moisture levels as spring twist to the heat of summer , and hebdomadary or more frequent lachrymation as require combats the challenges of dry weather and crispy soil . Check the soil under the mulch with your finger’s breadth . If it ’s juiceless and warm instead of damp and coolheaded , it ’s time to water your new hydrangea .