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I have received calls on raising and caring for hydrangeas and since I know little about them, I contacted Donna Tatting. Donna is a Chisago County Master Gardener who also works at a garden center. Some of the article is taken from information she sent to me.

The word hydrangea is a botanical name derived from the Greek words for water (hydro) and the word jar (aggos) referring to the cupped shape of the fruit. Different species vary in size from one foot to a tree-like cultivar that reaches 35 feet. All have clusters of blooms shaped either like globes, pyramids or flat discs and the flowers themselves may be either tiny florets with male and female parts, or large sterile male flowers.

Hydrangeas sold in pots at garden centers are usually grown in artificial potting media. The ever popular "Endless Summer" Hydrangea, with it's striking blue color, is grown in soil that has been amended to give the plant the acidic requirements needed for blue color. Sphagnum peat moss and other acidic amendments are added and need to be continued after the plant is moved from the pot to your garden, otherwise instead of blue, the blossoms will be pink. Depending on your preference, either color is quite beautiful.

Some suggestions for keeping and maintaining that blue flower color are as follows:

You should have the soil tested to find the out ph levels. If your soil ph is less than 5.5, the only amendment suggested before planting is to mix in sphagnum peat moss into the soil at the rate of 1 to 2 cubic feet per plant. This would be a blend of 50 percent the native soil and 50 percent sphagnum peat mixed together. If the soil ph is greater than 5.5, incorporate elemental sulfur into the top 6-8 inches of soil.

In cool climates like we have, hydrangeas bloom best in full sun, but they tolerate light shade as well. All species prefer deep, moist, well-drained soil with lots of humus. They like a mulch of organic matter such as shredded bark, leaves or wood chips.

After planting, water them liberally until they are will established. They need very little fertilizer, but if they are not growing well, give them a small dose of plant food in early spring.

On the blue-flowering types, use an acidic fertilizer recommended for broadleaf evergreens and blueberries.

For good winter survival, especially for the Endless Summer, mulch heavily with insulating mulch like shredded leaves, straw, pine needles after the ground freezes in late fall. If you have an Endless Summer that fails to produce flowers, make sure that your lawn fertilizer isn't being taken in by the hydrangea as this adds too much nitrogen causing the plant to produce more foliage and less or no bloom.

Very few diseases or insects bother hydrangeas, but powdery mildew can be present and should be controlled using a fungicide. Rose chafers and tarnished plant bugs are the most common insects that attack, but are seldom a serious problem. If Japanese beetles are eating the plant, use an insecticidal soap or other garden insecticide can be used according to product label directions.

Two of Donna's favorite hydrangeas are Limelight and Little Lamb. Limelight is a new hardy variety from Holland with flowers that are a unique bright green that bloom in mid-summer and hold their color right into autumn when they change to a deep rich pink. The flowers are usually 6-12 inches and are held upright on the shrub.

Little Lamb is another new hardy variety from Jelena de Belder of Belgium. The little flowers are held in tight flower heads that look like dancing lambs. This shrub blooms in mid-summer and the flower lasts until autumn. Both Limelight and Little Lamb make an excellent cut flower for floral arrangements.

In general, all hydrangeas are easy to grow, hardy, and give bold and beautiful blooms regardless of your soil type or ph levels.

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Our plant sales have gone well and we still have grapes, raspberries, onion sets and native plants available. Also the last class of our Spring Series will be held Saturday, May 3, at 10 a.m., at the North Branch Senior Center. Donna Tatting will give her presentation on "Perennials for Special Site - Sun, Shade, Clay, Sand, Wet, Dry." This is also the day for plant pickup. For more information, please call 651-213-5430.

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