Strategies for Persisting Hydrangea Bloom for Extended Summer Colors
Hydrangeas are cherished for their striking blooms, ease of cultivation, and durability, making them a favorite among gardeners. These ornamental shrubs exhibit flower heads in a vibrant spectrum, including deep purples, lovely pinks, and calming blues that thrive in various climates. The flowers captivate many, leading to queries on how to encourage abundant hydrangea blooms all summer. In this piece, gardening experts delve into the most common types of reblooming hydrangeas and offer tips for achieving repeated blooms.
Mal Condon, founder of The Hydrangea Guy and president of the Hydrangea Society in Cape Cod, and Christina Koether, a garden designer and flower farmer at Nomadica, share their insights.
What are Reblooming Hydrangeas?
Reblooming hydrangeas, also known as remontant hydrangeas, are a type of hydrangea that can bloom multiple times in a single season. They yield flowers on both new growth and old growth. Hydrangea connoisseur Mal Condon has been growing and studying hydrangeas for over five decades. He notes that reblooming hydrangeas are specific cultivars of H. macrophylla, making up around 70% of the 25 million hydrangea plants produced annually in the U.S. "The flowers are amazingly beautiful in form and color variety," says Condon.
Types of Reblooming Hydrangeas
Reblooming hydrangeas typically flourish in coastal regions, from southern Maine to Georgia. "The blooming style is typically 'total,' meaning the entire bush is covered with blossoms in a breathtaking display," explains Condon. Below are some fantastic reblooming varieties to enhance your garden.
- Endless Summer Twist-N-Shout: This variety exhibits elegant lacecap blooms in vivid pink or periwinkle blue, boasting a cluster of small fertile florets at the center. It blooms from early summer until frost, complemented by striking red stems. The showy, easy-to-care-for shrub is pest- and disease-resistant and grows well in partial sun to partial shade. According to Condon, this variety is the strongest rebloomer he has ever evaluated.
Hardiness zones: 4 to 9
- Summer Crush: This compact, reblooming variety offers vibrant pink or purple blossoms, depending on the soil pH, and features large, deep green leaves that transform into striking burgundy red foliage in autumn. Summer Crush hydrangeas bloom from mid-summer to early fall when they receive morning sunlight and afternoon shade.
Hardiness zones: 4 to 9
- Pop Star: As part of the Endless Summer series, this bigleaf dwarf hybrid presents colors ranging from bright pink to electric blue, depending on the soil's pH level. Growing only a few feet tall and wide, this variety produces recurrent lacecap blooms in partial to full shade. Pop Star is relatively easy to care for, requires minimal pruning, and is resistant to diseases.
Hardiness zones: 4 to 9
- PeeGee: Admired for its large, conical white flowers that eventually turn pink, this striking shrub blooms from mid-summer to early fall. PeeGee thrives in summer heat and is exceptionally cold-hardy, tolerating full sun and partial shade. Its medium to dark green leaves have serrated edges, and the foliage changes to vibrant yellows, purple-red, or a combination of both in autumn, adding brilliant seasonal color to your garden.
Hardiness zones: 3 to 8
- Blushing Bride: This resilient shrub captivates with its impressive growth on new and old wood, producing stunning pure white double blooms that keep their color, regardless of soil pH. As time passes, the flowers develop a charming bluish-pink hue, bringing a delightful element to any garden landscape. This variety favors partial shade, with morning sun and afternoon shade being ideal conditions.
Hardiness zones: 5 to 9
- Let's Dance Sky View: Sky View features densely packed, overlapping petals that turn a captivating sky blue when grown in acidic soil. This resilient variety thrives in full sun to partial shade and consistently blooms from summer through fall.
Hardiness zones: 5 to 9
How to Encourage More Hydrangea Blooms on Your Shrubs
To achieve abundant reblooming hydrangeas, careful cultivation is necessary. Follow the experts' guidance below.
- Plant in Spring: Christina Koether, a garden designer and flower farmer, advises planting reblooming hydrangeas in April or May once the soil has warmed up and passed the last frost date. After planting, these plants require approximately three months to establish before the onset of summer heat.
- Visit Nurseries in Summer: Koether suggests visiting nurseries during summer when hydrangeas are fully blooming. This allows you to choose varieties you like based on what you see, ensuring successful purchases for the following spring.
- Select the Right Cultivar: Not all Hydrangea macrophylla varieties rebloom. To ensure reblooming success, you must choose a specific reblooming cultivar of Hydrangea macrophylla like Endless Summer, Twist n Shout, or Summer Crush. These cultivars bloom on old and new wood. Selecting the appropriate type of hydrangea and adhering to Koether's simple tips will encourage reblooms all season.
- Plant in the Right Spot: Reblooming hydrangeas thrive in morning sun with some afternoon shade. Plant them in an area that receives these conditions for optimal blooming.
- Start with Good Soil: Hydrangeas appreciate rich, well-drained soil that still holds moisture. Before planting, mix in compost or organic matter to improve the structure and nutrients of the soil.
- Water Deeply: Regularly check the soil's moisture level. When it feels dry a few inches down, water deeply to moisten the root zone. Morning watering is best to avoid excessive moisture in the afternoon. Adding mulch will help retain moisture and keep roots cool.
- Fertilize at the Right Time: Apply a controlled-release organic fertilizer high in phosphorus in early spring, followed by another application in late spring or early summer. Follow the product's instructions for the appropriate application amount.
- Prune Carefully: Pruning is crucial but must be done judiciously. Only remove dead or damaged wood in the spring. Preserve green buds on woody stems, as they produce the first round of blooms. When in doubt, less is more. Deadhead faded blooms during the season to promote more flowers.
- Pinching After Blooms Fade: In mid-summer, pinch off spent blooms and non-flowering stems. This can stimulate new growth with viable buds that may have ample development time to blossom late in the growing season.
Reblooming hydrangeas, such as the Endless Summer Twist-N-Shout, Summer Crush, Pop Star, PeeGee, Blushing Bride, Let's Dance Sky View, and Mal Condon's top choice, are specific cultivars of H. macrophylla that can be found in flower gardens under the guidance of Martha Stewart, as they are cherished for their ability to bloom multiple times in a single season. These hydrangea experts, including Mal Condon from The Hydrangea Guy and Christina Koether, also advise diligent care, such as planting in spring, selecting the right cultivar, providing adequate sunlight and soil, watering deeply, fertilizing at the right times, pruning carefully, and pinching after blooms fade, to encourage abundant hydrangea blooms throughout the summer in home-and-garden lifestyles.
