Some links in the post are affiliate links and I get a commission from purchases made through some links found in the post.
Hydrangeas are an old garden favorite, beloved for their large, blue, pink, or white blossoms. These are showy deciduous shrubs used in landscape design as specimen plantings.
The color of the blossoms (pink or blue) is determined by the soil’s pH, which can be acidic or alkaline. Because of the soil differences surrounding the hydrangea, it is not uncommon to see a plant with both pink and blue flowers.
Many Houston gardeners believe it is impossible to grow hydrangeas in Texas. Hydrangeas have developed a bit of a cult following.
They’re temperamental and a little dramatic but they make up for it with impressive, showy displays and undeniable beauty.
While not all hydrangeas thrive in the hot Houston sun, a few cans and some trickier varieties can grow well here if planted in ideal conditions.
Here’s how to get those fabulous flowering shrubs to steal the show and live their best lives in Texas.
To grow a hydrangea in Texas you need to plant it where it will receive morning sun, have rich well-draining loamy soil and control the pests and diseases. You can help your hydrangea to grow better in Texas by adding mulch and fertilizer
Hydrangea shrubs come in various colors, shapes, and sizes, and numerous cultivars are available. While some hydrangeas do not tolerate our intense Texas heat, there are a few varieties that thrive in the Southern comfort of Texas.
Planting Hydrangeas In Texas
Hydrangeas are notorious for being demanding and difficult to care for. You will need to plant them in the most favorable conditions if you want to see them flourish and remain healthy. The question now is, where do you begin?
1. Find a Good Spot for Planting
When selecting a location for planting and growing hydrangeas in Texas, one of the most important considerations is that the plants do not like to be exposed to direct sunlight.
They adore the morning sun and will thrive in it, but they require some protection from the searing heat of the Texas afternoon sun.
Planting hydrangeas on your house’s northern or eastern side is recommended for optimal growth.
2. Make Preparations for the Soil, and Dig Holes for Planting.
After locating a location that provides excellent conditions for plant growth, the next step is to evaluate the state of the soil in that location.
Even though Texas is home to a wide range of soil types, it is indisputable that the heavy black clay variety predominates in many states.
Because of this, you should prepare the ground before planting anything. Hydrangeas do well in rich, well-drained loamy soil.
3. Putting Your Hydrangeas in the Ground
Take care to remove the hydrangea from its container before carefully placing it in the hole.
When you plant it, you should ensure that it is either at the same level as the soil around it or slightly higher. After planting, the soil should be patted gently to eliminate air pockets.
Can you Grow Hydrangeas in Texas?
The most important thing to remember when deciding where to plant your hydrangeas is that they dislike direct sunlight.
They prefer a little sun in the morning, followed by some cool shade for the rest of the day.
According to this logic, the best location to grow hydrangea in taxes is on the east side of your house.
The morning sun will hit them this way, but by noon, when the sun is at its brightest, your house will be casting some shade over those hydrangeas!
If there isn’t much open space alongside your East wall, another good option is to place it beneath the dappled shade of a tree canopy.
Little pockets of sunlight will reach your hydrangeas as the branches move in the breeze, but they will remain cool.
Once you’ve chosen a location for your new shrub, you’ll want to ensure the soil is in good condition. Your hydrangea may throw a diva fit if the soil is too sandy or too heavy and clay-based.
Make sure your soil has a lot of organic matter (Nature’s Way Leaf Mold is great) to help improve drainage and load it up with vital nutrients.
The best time to plant a hydrangea is when the weather is mild—nothing too hot, cold, or stormy. Choose a clear day in spring or fall to plant your shrub, and it will have enough time to settle in before the hotter days ahead.
When Is The Best Time To Plant Hydrangeas In Texas?
There is a hydrangea for every garden, whether large or small, pink or blue, bigleaf or panicle. That being said, the success of your shrubs depends heavily on when you plant them in your landscape.
The best time to grow hydrangea in taxes is when the weather is mild. In Texas, you can plant in late spring after frost danger has passed or in early fall when night temperatures begin to fall but at least six weeks before frost.
When you plant your hydrangea is determined by your planting zone and local weather forecasts.
Texas is a large state with USDA plant hardiness zones ranging from 6b to 10a. Each planting zone has its own set of weather and growing conditions.
The last frost dates range from February 1 to May 15, and the first frost dates range from October 15 to January 1, depending on your USDA planting zone.
Planting hydrangeas in late spring or early fall, when the weather is mild, allows them to establish before exposure to extreme heat or cold.
In Texas, where the weather is usually determined by the sunlight that falls on the ground, it is best to plant hydrangea in the early fall.
They will have enough time to establish new healthy root systems if planted in early fall before blooming in spring. While most hydrangeas thrive in North Texas, some thrive in other areas but require special care.
How to Grow Hydrangeas in Texas?
Hydrangeas can be temperamental and even a little dramatic, particularly if you are attempting to cultivate them in an area that does not have the type of soil that they require.
Despite this, they make up for their fussiness with huge, unquestionably attractive, spectacular inflorescences that can be pink, white, or blue and are guaranteed to draw attention to themselves.
If you live in Texas and are thinking about adding some wonder to your flower garden with hydrangeas, you may wonder if it is possible to keep hydrangeas healthy and flowering in this bright state.
The answer is yes; it is possible to do both things with hydrangeas in Texas. However, this is of the utmost importance, given that these bushes need significant water to thrive.
In Texas, cultivating a flourishing hydrangea garden is certainly not outside the realm of possibility. Please continue reading to learn when and how to plant hydrangea flowers in Texas and when they bloom.
How Much Sun do Hydrangeas Need in Texas?
The sun’s presence greatly influences the hydrangea plant’s development. Both an abundance of light and a deficiency of it can be detrimental to the health of these plants.
An abundance of light is preferable. Moreover, this is a significant inquiry that comes up in the minds of many gardeners.
Hydrangeas require a minimum of four to six hours of sunlight per day. Some species require a bit more, while others require a bit less.
Some hydrangea varieties can flourish even in the deepest shade levels; nevertheless, this ability is highly dependent on the local climate.
Can you Grow Hydrangeas in Pots in Texas?
If you’ve ever been given a hydrangea planted in a pot covered in aluminum foil, you undoubtedly enjoyed it for a few weeks, but then you probably were saddened to watch it wither and die.
Because of this, you could be led to believe that hydrangeas do not make good container plants.
Most hydrangeas given as gifts in pots do not survive because they are kept indoors for too long.
Some of them perish since they were grown in a greenhouse, and even if you plant them outside in your region, they won’t survive the winter because they can’t tolerate the cold.
But if you select the right ones, hydrangeas may make excellent houseplants in containers. Here is the information that you require.
1) First, figure out where you’re going to plant the hydrangeas. The fact that they may be relocated easily is one of the many benefits of cultivating them in pots.
As a result, providing your hydrangeas with the optimal growing conditions—morning light and afternoon shade—will be much simpler for you.
You can even rearrange them to adorn a patio or another area for a party or another special occasion by moving them around.
2) Look for pots with wheels attached to the bottom of them while shopping for containers, or consider purchasing a concrete plant that supports that role unless you intend for your pots to remain permanently in the same location.
Keep in mind that once you add soil and plants to containers, the weight of the containers will increase significantly. The weight will increase even more if you water the plants.
3) Pick out a large container for your hydrangea, with a diameter of at least 18 to 20 inches at the very least.
Small pots, such as the one your hydrangea arrived in as a gift, typically dry up too quickly, which causes plants to wilt more quickly.
If the bottom of your container does not already have any holes for drainage, you should drill some. The roots are susceptible to rotting if water pools around them and does not evaporate.
4) Next, select a kind that is highly recommended for your area. (If you follow this guideline, you should have good luck with any plant.)
Find the types most suited for your garden by reading the plant tags or conducting research online. Most hydrangeas can thrive in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 to 8, while others can even be grown in zones 3 and 9.
5) You are not required to utilize dwarf hydrangeas in pots; however, if your area is limited, you may want to consider doing so.
Hydrangeas develop a bushy appearance in addition to their vertical growth as they mature. In any other case, you should prepare to conduct some pruning as your plants grow.
Caution is advised: While gathering information, check to determine if the variety you are interested in is blooming on old or new wood.
If you prune at the wrong time of year, you will prevent flowers from blooming the following year.
6) Instead of regular garden soil, use potting soil of a high quality containing organic matter.
It is important not to plant the hydrangea any deeper or higher than it was already growing when it was removed from its previous container and placed into the new one. It is easier to water the plant if there is some space below the rim of the pot.
7) To prevent the formation of air pockets, gently compact the soil around the roots.
8) When the top inch or two of the potting mix has a dry feeling, you should properly water your hydrangea. On the other hand, it is preferable to be underwatered rather than overwatered.
Hydrangeas will let you know when they need water by wilting, but because this can cause stress, you should check on them once a day.
After a short period, you’ll develop a sense of the appropriate frequency of waterings. During drought or hot temperatures, you might need to increase the amount you water your plants.
9) Even though hydrangeas don’t require much fertilizer, you should still provide your plants with some at least once or twice per year.
You can use a slow-release balanced fertilizer, a 10-10-10 granular fertilizer, or even commercially composted manure. If you live in a warm environment, you should refrain from fertilizing after July or August.
Gardeners in the north typically only need to apply fertilizer once a year, typically in either June or July.
Feeding hydrangeas later in the season fosters the growth of sensitive, new growth just when the plant needs to begin going dormant for the winter.
10) If your plant appears to be sick or unhealthy, refrain from fertilizing it because doing so will add to the strain it is already under. Instead, it would help if you made an effort to repair the situation.
11) Cut off the spent flowers to promote new growth when the flowers have finished blooming.
How to Care for Hydrangeas in Texas in Winter?
Hydrangeas are one of the garden’s most well-liked and admired Southern belles. The shrubs can tolerate shade, are available in various colors, and maintain their attractiveness throughout the year.
There is a lot to like about these plants. In addition, hydrangeas normally require very little attention from their owners and can flourish in environments that are not ideal for plant growth.
Given the erratic nature of the weather, you might be asking what steps you should take to ensure that your shrubs will survive the winter in good health.
I am aware that I am currently located in Georgia. Therefore, I asked Ryan McEnaney from Bailey Nurseries the most important issues regarding hydrangea winter care, and happily, providing protection is not too difficult to do:
When it comes to winterizing hydrangeas, is there such a thing as “too late,” either in terms of time or temperature? Protecting oneself in any way is always a good idea.
Temperatures will continue to change throughout the winter; therefore, if you have already been exposed to extremely cold conditions, the damage may have been done.
Despite this, you should still give it some protection to ward off anything that might appear in the following months.
How Frequently Should Hydrangeas be Watered During the Colder Months of the Year?
If you live in a region that gets snow, you probably won’t need to water your lawn or garden over the winter.
You might only need to apply the product once a month or so if you live in a warmer climate where there is little snow, and there is little winter rain.
Because the plants do not have any leaves and are not growing, their requirements for water are quite low; therefore, you can leave it unless it is completely bone dry.
Care and Tips For Hydrangea
The appearance of hydrangea might lead you to believe that the shrubs require a lot of care, but if you provide them with the appropriate environment, you’ll find that they’re quite simple to tend to. Some helpful hints are provided below:
Mulching:
Spreading a layer of mulch around the base of your hydrangea plants will help to keep the soil moist and cool, which will ultimately help your flowers remain hydrated despite the Texas heat.
It is recommended to use organic mulch between 2 and 4 inches thick because it will break down over time to enrich the soil with nutrients and improve its texture of the soil.
Because the word hydra comes from the Greek word for water, you can be certain that growing hydrangeas in Texas requires water to thrive.
After planting, the area should be watered approximately three times per week to stimulate the growth of a new root system.
After it has become established, the plant needs 1 inch of water every week to remain happy and healthy. When it comes to watering, the morning is typically the best time to do it.
Fertilizer Application
Even though hydrangeas thrive in nutrient-dense soil, you may still want to give them a boost by using some fertilizer.
Because the requirements for each variety are unique, you will need to do some research to determine the ideal timing and amount of fertilizer for your plants.
Controlling Pests and Diseases
Hydrangeas do not suffer from a significant problem with pests, but certain cultivars are more susceptible to disease than others.
Because of this, you need to keep a close eye on your plants and deal with any problems as soon as you notice them. It is highly recommended that you search for cultivars that have resistant characteristics.
Final Thoughts
Hydrangeas are an old garden favorite. However, the Lone Star state presents challenges when attempting to cultivate them.
In Texas, where there is a high amount of sunshine and humidity, it can be challenging to grow hydrangea in a successful Texas garden.
It is possible to cultivate these showy flowers in this location. If you are looking for information on how to grow hydrangeas in Texas, hopefully, you will find this article helpful.
