hydrangea

Water your hydrangea deeply once a week if there is no rainfall. Soak the ground 4 or 5 inches deep by using a garden hose at a slow trickle for 1 to 2 hours per dose. Increase watering to twice a week during drought conditions. To check if the soil is dry, insert your finger into the soil up to the second knuckle. If the soil is dry, water the plant deeply. Hydrangeas prefer being watered in the morning of the day--avoid watering in the evening as excess water can remain on the surface and attract disease or fungal growth.

Hydrangea heteromalla, commonly known as Hydrangea, requires moderate sunlight to thrive and produce flowers. In direct sunlight, plants can become scorched and stop flowering. Hydrangea prefer warm morning sun and indirect light for the rest of the day. When planted in the shade, Hydrangeas will not produce as many flowers as plants with more sun exposure. The best sunlight conditions for Hydrangea is 4 to 5 hours of sun each day, preferably in the mornings and late afternoons. If plants are situated in an area with more than this amount of daily sunlight, it is important to provide extra protection in form of dappled shade or a sunshade. Too much intense sunlight at the hottest times of the day can cause Hydrangeas to suffer from leaf scalding, or burn.

Hydrangea heteromalla is a deciduous shrub that should be pruned annually. Pruning helps to maintain the desired shape and size of the shrub as well as helping to produce more flowers in the long term. Pruning should take place immediately after the flowering period, which is usually late spring to early summer. During this time, dead or broken branches should be removed along with weak or unproductive wood. Any straggly branches ought to be shortened back to the desired size and shape. As a general rule of thumb, you should remove about a third of the plant's total growth without going below the desired size. It is important that no more than this amount is cut as over-pruning can cause irreversible damage to the plant.