bigleaf hydrangea

The bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Amethyst') should be watered every 2 to 3 days during its growing season. Make sure to provide deep, thorough waterings that saturate the soil to a depth of 8 inches. Watering slowly at the base of the plant is best. Avoid overhead watering, as this can cause disease and create a moisture-rich environment for fungus to thrive. During the winter, the plant should be watered less frequently—once every 2 to 4 weeks—or whenever the soil has had a chance to dry out.

Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Amethyst') requires 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day to perform best. It can tolerate some morning or late afternoon sun in more shaded locations, but needs some direct sunlight to bloom properly and produce vibrant flowers. Too little sunlight will result in faded blooms. It should be planted in an area that receives some shade in the summer months when temperatures are warm, to help prevent the leaves and blooms from drying out.

Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Amethyst') should be pruned annually in late winter or early spring for the best results. Prune by removing or shortening old stems that have flowered in the current and previous seasons. This will encourage new shoots and flower buds to form. Prune off any dead or diseased wood. If overgrown, prune back 1-third to 1-half of the stems to reduce the size. Also, re-build older, misshapen plants. Finally, do not prune newly planted hydrangeas for the first few years.