When you see a hydrangea in full bloom at a nursery, you might be tempted to buy it and plant it right away, but you shouldn’t. Wait until fall, which is the best time to plant a hydrangea, or the early spring, which is the second-best time.
Hydrangeas should be planted avoiding extreme temperatures, as either heat or cold puts stress on the plant. The best planting month for hydrangeas is when the shrub has six weeks of mild weather, the time it typically needs to get its roots established.
The following walks you through the timing of planting hydrangeas, both in the landscape and potted hydrangeas, and gives you other key planting tips.
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Fall Planting of Hydrangeas
Fall is the best time to plant most hydrangeas, though the exact timing depends on your climate and the weather. Plant when the summer heat is over, but the plant has the crucial six-week time window before the first frost to get established.
While the hydrangea is not yet dormant, it is approaching that stage and does not use its energy for vegetative growth, but transitions energy back into the root system. This minimizes the stress for the plant as well as the transplant shock because the soil will be cooler and due to more precipitation in the fall, also moister.
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Winter Planting of Hydrangeas
If you live in a frost-free climate (USDA Zone 10), you can plant a hydrangea in the winter.
Keep in mind though that not all hydrangeas are equally suitable for a hot climate. Cultivars of bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) such as LA Dreamin’ (Zone 5 to 10) tend to be more heat-resistant. Wait until the shrub has entered dormancy, and plant it promptly to give it maximum time to get established before the warm weather starts again.
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Spring Planting of Hydrangeas
Early spring is an acceptable alternative to fall planting. It should be timed so that there is no more danger of frost, but the plant has the required six weeks of mild weather to settle in before the summer heat starts.
Spring planting has additional risks, especially if the spring weather is unseasonably hot. Once the active growth period has begun, the plant directs all its energy from the roots to the growth of new buds and shoots. If the plant's first leaves are already opened, it may suffer from transplant shock, and that may lead to no or poor bloom that year.
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However, spring planting might work better than fall for hydrangea types that are more susceptible to winter damage, including bigleaf hydrangeaand mountain hydrangea. Bigleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood and the buds may get damaged by severe winter cold. By planting them in the early spring, you avoid that risk and give the shrub all season to get settled and acclimated.
Planting Potted Hydrangeas
The timing for planting potted hydrangeas is the opposite of hydrangeas in garden soil—springtime is best, just make sure the plant is still dormant.
A potted hydrangea is especially prone to cold injury because the roots are not sufficiently insulated from frost. Therefore, hydrangeas in containers should always be winterized.
Fall planting would subject the plant to the double stress of adapting to new soil plus potential cold damage, a risk that you can avoid by planting in the spring.
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How to Best Plant Hydrangeas
Make sure to select a hydrangea that fits your planting zone and site conditions as well as available space. The numerous hydrangea varieties vary in hardiness, light requirements, and mature size.
Be gentle when planting a hydrangea and leave the root system and the soil clinging to it as undisturbed as possible to avoid transplant shock. Before planting, amend the soil with plenty of organic matter.
Dig a hole that is at least two times wider than the nursery container but only as deep as the root ball.
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Watering Hydrangeas After Planting
Immediately after planting, water the hydrangea slowly and deeply. Continue to water it in the absence of rain to keep the soil evenly moist and maintain this routine until the first fall frost hits. If you planted the hydrangea in the spring, you’ll need to keep an eye on the soil moisture and water as needed during the entire first growing season until the first fall frost.
If your winters are mild and the ground does not freeze, water deeply and occasionally in the absence of precipitation.
When to Avoid Planting Hydrangeas
You should not plant a hydrangea in the summer, or in any hot weather, as heat unnecessarily stresses the plant. Even if you water it often and abundantly, the plant will struggle to get its roots established in new soil.
During the bloom stage, the plant puts all its energy into flowering. Planting it during this time is a no-no; it puts unnecessary stress on the plant and will likely result in withering blossoms and foliage as well as stunted growth.
FAQ
Shall I fertilize a hydrangea after planting?
If you planted your hydrangea in the fall, do not fertilize it, as this will encourage new growth that is especially susceptible to frost. Only start fertilizing it the next spring. Also, give spring-planted hydrangeas at least six weeks to settle before fertilizing them.
Can I plant a florist hydrangea?
Unlike hydrangeas that you find at nurseries and garden centers, florist hydrangeas are short-lived. They have been forced into flowering for a specific holiday. Even with the best care, it is unlikely that their showy, sterile flowers will ever return so it is not worth planting them.
When is it too late to plant a hydrangea?
In the fall, it is too late to plant when the first average frost date in your area is less than six weeks away. In the spring, it is too late when some leaves have already opened, which indicates that the plant has started to break its dormancy. It is also too late for spring planting if warm spring weather starts early and transitions into an early and hot summer.
