I got a potted hydrangea this summer that stayed in my balcony till now. With winter now at its peak I am wondering if the hydrangea should be kept indoors. As we can see in the pic there are a few new shoots and I am looking for some guidance if I am actually damaging the plant by bringing it indoors in winter
I don't think you need to bring it in, but if severe weather is forecast you could cover it. Most hydrangeas are hardy to -34 degrees C. You also could keep it in a sheltered area out of the wind.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea/winterizing-hydrangea-plants.htm
Ah..thanks, yeah the past few days have been a bit cold (but not sub zero yet) which got me worried. Thanks for sharing the link !
This is indeed a very useful forum, thanks for the guidance
Hi there. I planted a hydrangea in a pot last summer and brought it into the garage to overwinter. It looked pretty barren over Christmas. But now it is end of February and the plant seems to be awake. There are a bunch of new growths and the buds on the old stems are starting to swell and open. What do I do now? We are in Colorado and it's still fairly cold outside.
This will depend on the variety of hydrangea that you have. It is most likely a variety that is hardy in your area. Most are hardy from zones 5-9. If this is the case, then keeping them in a garage all winter can do more damage than good, since they will need that cold dormancy to keep them healthy. As for right now, what you will have to do is treat it as a VERY HIGH LIGHT requirement houseplant. Keep in a southern window or under horticultural lights until you can plant it out for the year.
This article will give you more information on their care: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea/growing-hydrangeas-hydrangea-care-guide.htm
I would love to grow any kind of hydrangea but they all die on me because I have no partial shade to plant them in. Is there any hydrangea that will live in a full sun garden?
Yes, there are sun tolerant hydrangeas but they still need moisture when it is dry and hot. Panicle hydrangeas are the most sun tolerant.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea/sun-tolerant-hydrangeas.htm
These tiny bugs fly when disturbed. They are all over the leaves of the plant. They do not bother with the other plants, but they are accumulating on the window.
Those are white flies. Here's an article that should help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/control-whiteflies-houseplants.htm
I have some out of date tomato soup that I could use to increase the acid content if that would have any effect.
I wouldn't do that, uncomposted. Besides, tomato juice sitting at, only, a pH of 4 will not acidify the soil enough to make a difference. It may also rot, which could be a death sentence to your plant, potentially.
Lemon juice sits at a pH of around 2 or 3, which is much more appropriate to acidify the soil. Just have care to test the pH of your water after adding, so that a gallon remains around 5, or 5.5 in pH. This will ensure that you don't over-do it, or chelate all of the nutrients out of your soil. That would be very counter-productive.
Here are some tips that will help you to achieve bloom color change:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea/change-hydrangea-color.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/raise-acid-level-soil.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/adding-lime-to-soil.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/lower-acid-soil.htm
It was a new 1 gallon plant last year that did flower. The snow has just left the area and it is still below freezing most nites. No leaves are developing yet. Is it possible to take stem cuttings from this branch?
Yes, now is an OK time to take cuttings. A stem that did not flower last year may be a good choice. Cut it 5-6 inches long. An article with further info on propagating hydrangeas follows: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea/hydrangea-propagation.htm
I do have red mud. Right now it is in a pot and I am waiting for it to get warm to plant it. Can you tell me how to do this properly?
'Pink Sunset' is a mophead hydrangea and blooms on old wood (sets bud the season before). Here is more:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/hydrangea/mophead-hydrangea-care.htm