Marianne's Response

Replanting potted hydrangea

I bought a potted hydrangea late spring for my porch and, wondering, can I transplant this to my yard this fall or should I keep it potted? Guidance to keep and grow this beautiful plant much appreciated!

Posted by Patricia Beard on September 2, 2019

Marianne's Response

How lovely that you will get a chance to save that hydrangea. You did not mention where you live but in most cases if you have mild winters and cool summers hydrangeas will thrive. You have nothing to lose so transplant into the ground now before winter arrives. Dig a wide hole and loosen all the soil so the roots will spread quickly. No need to fertilize until spring then use a slow release plant food like Osmocote. Put a wood chip mulch on top of the roots to keep the winter from heaving the newly planted hydrangea out of the soil. In spring you may see a lot of cold damage in the form of black tips or dead branches. Wait until you see new green growth then cut out any of the tip growth or branches that do not sprout. Hydrangeas like morning sun and afternoon shade and water to keep the soil moist in the summer. Sometimes those potted hydrangeas are greenhouse varieties grown indoors for huge blooms. This could mean you have a very tender variety that may not survive winter well. If the plant is not flowering again after 2 years in the ground you may need to move it to a large pot and take it into a garage over the winter to keep it from losing all it's flower buds due to a late frost. Enjoy the challenge - you have nothing to lose and you could turn out to have a fantastic new shrub. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti